Click to edit Master title style 1 Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates Public Meeting 4.7.15
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Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates
Public Meeting4.7.15
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Why Undertake the Effort?
Nashville is growing rapidly – from a small city to a large city
As the city and county have grown, so have transit demands
Transit improvements have greatly lagged overall growth
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Why Undertake nMotion?
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Nashville Vital Signs Report:– “The ability of our residents to move
around the region in their cars is quickly deteriorating and will continue to do so unless we provide better transit options.”
NashvilleNext:– Improving transit was second highest priority
for stakeholders– Preferred future includes much stronger transit
system The AMP Controversy:– Disagreement on project and approach, but
agreement that Nashville needs better transit
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System Assessment: Challenges
Difficult operating environment – Nashville is one
of the most sprawling metro areas in the country
– Densities are not sufficiently high in many areas for high levels of transit service
– Wide arterials are difficult for passengers to cross
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System Assessment: Strengths
Strong core network of routes to and from downtown Nashville
Started development of higher-quality services (BRT Lite)
Other improvements based on available resources:– Music City Central– Music City Circuit– More frequent service
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System Assessment: Weaknesses
Service isn’t attractive or convenient enough for most– Infrequent service– Limited hours– Much service is slow– Nearly all service to/from downtown; makes
travel to other locations inconvenient
ClassificationFrequency(minutes)
Number of Routes
Most Frequent
Up to 30 17
Frequent 30-90 14
Limited Limited or Express
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Circuit 15-40 3
MTA Route Types
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System & Market Assessment
Peer comparison:– 14 current peers: Metro
areas that are similar to what Nashville is today
– 6 “aspirational” peers: Metro areas that are similar to what Nashville is growing to become
Current Peers
Aspirational Peers
Akron Atlanta
Albuquerque Austin
Cincinnati Charlotte
Dayton Denver
El Paso Raleigh
Fort Worth Kansas City
Hartford
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Louisville
Memphis
RichmondSpringfield, MASyracuse
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System & Market Assessment
Compared to aspirational peers, Nashville MTA:– Spends much less than all but one– Provides much less service– Carries are fewer riders
Green = highest peerGrey = 2nd highest peerRed = lowest peer
$80Raleigh
$261Atlanta
$87Nashvill
e
Operating Spendingper Capita
$180Austin
1.9Atlanta
0.8Nashville
1.1Kansas
City
Service per Capita (VSH)
1.6Austin
15Nashville
86Atlanta
20Raleigh
Ridershipper Capita
39Austin
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Potential Improvements
Frequent Transit Network/High-Capacity Transit Network– Robust transit systems
are built around a network of fast and frequent services.
– Depending upon size andarea:– Regional rail– Rapid transit– Light rail– BRT– Bus
– How should Nashville develop a High-Capacity Transit Network? 9
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Potential Improvements
High-Quality/High-Capacity Services– A High-Capacity Network will
need to provide high-quality service
– What types of high-quality service should be developed, for example?– Light rail– Streetcar– Full BRT
BRT Lite– Other
– Where?10
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Potential Improvements
Transit Emphasis Corridors– Some high-volume
corridors are served by multiple routes
– Priority can be provided to transit to make service faster and more comfortable
– Should Transit Emphasis Corridors be developed?
– Where?
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Potential Improvements
Much More Frequent Service for Longer Hours– Convenient service takes you where
you want to go when you want to go in a reasonable amount of time.
– How frequently would service have to run for you to consider it convenient?
– How late should it run?– In what areas should this be done?
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Potential Improvements
Service to More Places– To and in newly
developing areas– Better connections
outside of downtown– New crosstown routes– New regional routes– New express routes– Which places have the
greatestneed for new service?
– How important is it to expandto new places versus improvingexisting services?
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Potential Improvements
Faster Service– Except for the BRT Lite lines, much service is
slow with frequent stops and indirect routings– Service can be made faster by making
alignments more direct, consolidating stops, and implementing transit priority
– How important is speed?– Is it more important than short walk distances to
stops?– Which speed improvements would you prefer
most?
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Potential Improvements
Transit Priority– Transit can be made faster
through the use of:– Exclusive bus lanes– Peak period only bus
lanes– Queue jump lanes– Transit signal priority– The use of freeway
shoulders by express buses
– Do you support transit priority?
– Where and which types?– Under what conditions?
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Queue Jump Lane
Signal Priority
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Potential Improvements
Simpler Service– Some service is very complicated– Long indirect and circuitous routings– Different variants– Complicated schedules– Is service too complicated?– Would you use it more if it were simpler?
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Potential Improvements
More Comfortable Facilities With Better Amenities– Waiting for the bus is a major
part of the transit experience– Most MTA stops have relatively
limited facilities– How important is providing
more comfortable facilities?– What amenities are most important
to you? Benches, real-time passenger information, etc.?
– Where?
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Potential Improvements
Real-Time Information– Real-time information allows
riders to better time their arrival at stops and reduces wait times
– It eliminates the uncertainty often associated with transit use – did I miss the bus, is it still coming, etc.
– How important is real-time information?
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Potential Improvements
Other– Many other improvements are also possible, for
example:– Improving public information– Rebranding services (and maybe the MTA) to
improve legibility and image– Improving schedules– Better coordinating routes– Developing outlying transit centers– Increasing park and ride opportunities– Access and pedestrian improvements on
major arterials with bus service– Are there specific improvements that you would
like us to examine? 19
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Summary
All reasonable options are on the table Project will include extensive civic
engagement Plan intended to determine what will be
needed to develop a great transit system
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Project Overview & Work to Date
1. Extensive stakeholder involvementThroughout
2. System and market assessment April
3. Develop transit vision June
4. Identify opportunitiesSeptember
5. Develop system improvement scenariosOctober
6. Evaluate and vet scenariosDecember
7. Conduct financial analysisOctober
8. Develop Recommendations March
‘16
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Stakeholder Involvement
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DISCUSS YOUR IDEASAT PUBLIC MEETINGS
VISIT THE PROJECT WEBSITEwww.nmotion2015.com
DISCUSS YOUR IDEASON OUR MINDMIXER TOWN HALL ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE
COME ONBOARDOUR nMOTION BUS
BOOK A PLANNERFOR YOUR OWN EVENT
DESIGN YOUR OWN TRANSIT SYSTEMON THE PROJECT WEBSITEAND MORE…