The Whitland Area Neighborhood Association hosted an information session on Thursday, September 12
to provide neighbors with facts pertaining to the city’s proposed bus rapid transit system. A request was
made that questions for the presenters be recorded and shared after the meeting.
Announcement of the Meeting:
Reminder AMP Information Session September 12
August 29, 2013
Whitland Neighbors:
The Whitland Area Neighborhood Assn Steering Committee will host an information session on the
proposed bus rapid transfer project on Thursday, September 12 at 6:30pm at Blakemore United
Methodist Church.
There will be 20 minute presentations for and against and 20 minutes for questions and answers. Please
submit your questions in writing. These can be sent via email to me in advance or turned in at the site.
Neighbor Tom Pennington will moderate.
Joel
Joel Covington, President
Whitland Area Neighborhood Assn Steering Committee
joelbcovington@gmail.com
Questions Submitted in Advance:
August 29, 2013
Subject: Bike Share Kiosk at Elmington Park
I’m a resident on Richland Ave. and am really interested in getting a bike-share kiosk up at Elmington
Park (near the bust stop) and was hoping given your positions we could start a conversation about that.
There are multiple neighborhoods around the park that would benefit and I think it would be a good
investment – for commuters or pleasure or weekend, etc). I learned that it takes $50-60k to set up a new
kiosk, and they need to have a funding source to do so (I have no idea where the money is coming from
for all the other stations that have gone up, 2 are planned for 12 south neighborhood…).
Can you let me know if you are interested in helping with this and perhaps I could do a little more
research on what it takes and then maybe we could have a call?
Thanks!
Another thought: AMP is planning a park and ride station at Elmington Park, bikes there could reduce
parking congestion if people commute from the stop on a bike. (whether AMP gets built or not though I
hope we can get bikes there).
Thanks
September 9, 2013
AMP Discussion
"Mr. Getz, in contrast to the engineering studies developed by the BRT
consultants which project congestion with the AMP to be less than congestion
without the AMP, you argue that congestion will be worse with the AMP. In
your discussion you focus almost entirely on the small (0.2 or 0.3 mile)
segment between Murphy road and 31st inbound, where one of 3 lanes will be
lost during the 4-hour morning rush (used for parking at other times of the
day), and where the highest volume traffic exists over a 24 hour period. On
the other 6.8 miles, there are either no lost lanes (at least 2 lanes the
entire route) or the 3rd lane is superfluous due to much reduced traffic
flow along that area (for example between 31st and Vanderbilt). Why is it
that instead of urging an improved solution for that one short segment near
31st, you have used that segment to say the whole project should be
abandoned, and the $75 million in federal dollars given to another city for
their BRT? Are there any solutions involving dedicated bus lanes in the
design that you would accept as a reason for reversing your view, such as,
for example, 3 full lanes inbound for that segment?
I would like to then hear Ed Cole, one of the engineers, or one of the
advocates also respond to my question to give both sides a fair chance at
the question."
If there is time for a second question for Mr. Getz, here it is:
"Why do you think the automobile is such a better solution than public
transit for dense, urban sections of Nashville. I recently visited Portland
Oregon where there are many dedicated bus lanes, including some entire
streets dedicated to transit, in the downtown and near downtown areas, and
the result has been greatly increased used of transit (12% there versus
about 3% here). Portland has a somewhat larger, more concentrated
population than Nashville now, but a smaller population now than Nashville
is projected to have in 10 years. Again, I would like for Ed Cole or one of
the presenters respond as well as Mr. Getz."
September 9, 2013
Questions for Thursday.
What is the projected growth along West End/Harding from I-440 to Highway 70/100 Split for the next 20
years and where will it be that would warrant the AMP?
What are the exact polling numbers of people in the Richland, Cherokee, Whitland, BelleMeade, Hillwood
neighborhoods that will ride this service? Has the City done a door to door poll of people along the
proposed route? If not, why?
There are two major left turn intersections at Elmington Ave and Bowling Ave while heading West. During
rush hour in the morning and evening both left turn lanes are backed up into each other. What will the
wait times be with the AMP now that all the people living in the Whitland Neighborhood will now be
making left turns at Bowling since Craighead, Leonard and Carden left turns will be eliminated? The same
issue is true when heading East.
At the Bowling Intersection, how do you propose to accomodate a four lanes of traffic, two left hand turn
lanes in either direction on Bowling, two bus lanes, and one bus stop lane? This is a total of 9 Lanes on
an road meant for five lanes? Can we see the engineering plans on this?
Thanks,
September 9, 2013
AMP meeting
Will AMP have any impact on the possibility of bike lanes on West End at some time in the future?
Will the AMP buses and/or stations have bike racks?
Will AMP prevent, or create a greater hazard for drivers who use the center lane as a "halfway point" in
left turns onto West End? ... For pedestrians trying to cross West End?
Thanks for doing this.
September 9, 2013
Would you ask them to get into specific design details for the section that most affects us between 440
and St Thomas? There is very little info out there that puts me at ease regarding the traffic impact of
losing 3 lanes down that stretch. They all want to talk about how bad traffic will be in the future, and quite
frankly, that is totally secondary to what happens today.
September 10, 2013
Questions for Whitland
1. I understand that the Chamber of Commerce has supported building a railroad down the middle of
West End for the last 15 years. What is the full history of this project? Why is the Chamber the main
source of support for this project?
2. Does the AMP project reduce safety with narrow traffic lanes and with passengers boarding in the
middle of the street?
3. The MTA says that the Alternatives Analysis performed by the Parsons Brinckerhoff engineering firm
provides the justification for putting BRT lanes in the middle of Harding Road, West End, and Broadway.
How might we see a copy of this important report? What estimates does Parsons Brinckerhoff make of
how removing lanes of traffic will affect congestion?
4. Mr. Cole as head of Metro Transit Alliance, do you use public transportation to get around the city?
5. I have heard Julia Landstreet with the Civic Design Center say this transportation is not for our
generation but for our grandchildren's, do the currently members of the MTA board, AMP committee,
team caption and their family members ride/use the bus especially the number 3 and 5? Yet this
generation and future generations will be paying for it, is this a wise use of limited tax revenue dollars?
6. Why did UT Knoxville Architecture Students and not Urban Planning students work on
the Moving Tennessee Forward models for Connecting Communities project that helped to bring about
the BRT project? Are architecture students now studying the same things as Urban Planning students?
7.Why now? According to TDOT own traffic count the number of cars passing through the intersection of
West End and Murphy Road has decreased in the last 10 years by 10,000 cars daily. According to
Metro's own census has an under 2% growth rate along this corridor unlike rest of the regional area of
46% and up.
September 12, 2013
AMP Questions
1. How much Elmington Park land will be converted to parking space?
2. Is it true that access to the Bowling Avenue AMP station from the Elmington parking lot will require
crossing two traffic lights (Bowling and outer West End lanes)?
Questions Submitted from the Floor
:
I have heard there will be additional tax requirements for our area specifically if this project is approved.
Is that true?
How do employers along West End feel about the AMP? If they support it, why? If they oppose it, why?
Recent technology grant for Murfreesboro Road gives access to controlling traffic signals, why can’t we
use this technology on West End? Why our corridor? Will walls be built on West End and how much land
will be taken from property owners?
Can we get federal dollars for more bus service? Have you made plans to encourage students to use this
to get to school? Will Whitland and other neighborhoods be able to have permit parking?
If you get the federal funding but not the state money, will the project be built? Yes or no, will emergency
vehicles be able to cross the AMP lane?
Why do we believe that a quarter mile is too far to walk? NYC subway stops are in general one half mile
apart, don’t we want people to learn to walk more?
Where exactly is the pick up at St Thomas Hospital located?
What’s the city’s back up plan of this project does not pass federal environmental review?
Do you really believe that the AMP will not change this neighborhood? Why continue AMP past
Vanderbilt? How long is projected for the light to change at Bowling?
Who actually planned and who is funding the design and engineering of the AMP plan?
How is the reduction of auto capacity by 16000 reconciled with the addition of only 5800 AMP riders?
Why not the light BRT from St Thomas to the Parthenon and the BRT to downtown?
Who estimated the doubling of commuters from St Thomas to Bridgestone?
How have other cities like Cleveland, Eugene, etc been impacted by BRT services? Has ridership
increased or decreased?
Can this be tested first? Can two lanes be blocked off and buses be given priority in the center lanes to
see the impact on car traffic?
Along West End, will any of the city’s 10 foot easement be condemned and used to make room for the
AMP?
Were all AMP traffic studies reviewed and approved by TDOT? If not, why not? If so, who at TDOT
approved the AMP studies?