I’m proud of the great job we’ve done. I just voted FOR transit, and here’s why:
- It’s an investment in infrastructure, like water pipes, electric lines, sidewalks and fiber, we have to make for the good of the city.
- It’ll cost each of us about 17 cents per day over the 25-year life of the investment. That is not unreasonable, and tourists will help us pay for it.
- It will start by helping those who need it most. The first thing that will happen if we vote yes will be major improvements in our bus system. New buses, more frequency, longer hours, new routes including crosstown routes. People who ride transit now will see the first major improvements.
- We’re voting on a dedicated funding source for our future mobility. This is an investment we need to make! If not, if we keep funding transit the way we are today, in 20 years we will be a city totally dependent on cars.
- Arguments against it will always be the same. If we vote this down and decide to go back and create a better plan, it will require more public input, new engineering studies, a thorough community wide debate, and ultimately it will require funding, i.e. new taxes. And that will require a referendum. So we will be right back where we are today, and whatever we decide that new plan will cost – say $500 million, say $1 billion, say $2 billion – the arguments against it will be exactly the same as they are today. (unless the nay-sayers complain that it doesn’t go far enough.)
- No plan will be perfect. If we vote for transit, 20 years from now we will be thanking ourselves that we created this revenue stream to pay for transit improvements. And if we vote it down, we’ll be kicking ourselves that we missed our chance.
- We need this investment in transit. I encourage everyone in Nashville to vote FOR transit today, tomorrow or on May 1.