Frequently Asked Questions

The GNRC is the main governmental agency responsible for the South Corridor Study. The GNRC is a regional organization of 13 counties and 52 cities in the Greater Nashville Region of Middle Tennessee, which offers a variety of programming, products, and services both on the municipal and regional level for its members. The GNRC also serves as the sponsoring agency for the region's seven-county Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) that provides transportation planning services to the counties of Cheatham, Davidson, Maury, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Wilson, and Williamson.

The study was initiated by the GNRC in partnership with the WeGo Public Transit and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). WeGo and the counties and cities have contributed funding to support undertaking the study.

WeGo, formally the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Middle Tennessee is responsible for developing, managing, operating, and maintaining a regional transit system for Middle Tennessee. WeGo oversees the largest commuter vanpool program in the Southeast, facilitates thousands of carpools, coordinates regional Relax & Ride regional bus routes, and the area's first regional commuter rail project. More information at www.musiccitystar.org.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has contributed matching funds to the effort and has multiple staff assigned to the study committees to represent the state's interest. TDOT owns and operates the state route system and is responsible for maintaining I-65. Any proposed improvements to these routes will need to be coordinated with the state through TDOT.

The federal government delegates the planning and project prioritization process to local communities and state agencies, but agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration assist by funding relevant planning activities and through participation on study committees. As projects move towards implementation, the role of the federal government will increase to ensure that any federally-funded transportation project is constructed and operated in compliance with federal laws and regulations and grant program requirements.

In 2016 WeGo Public Transit adopted a strategic planning effort called nMotion. The plan is a 25-year comprehensive plan designed to meet the Nashville area's vision for transit recommendations and improvements in the South Corridor and throughout the region. While nMotion identifies Freeway BRT and local transit service in the study area, the Proposer must conduct a thorough analysis of all transit investment alternatives.

Yes. GNRC (as the area's MPO), develops the region’s long-range transportation plan every five years. In 2010, the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan introduced a transit vision as a necessary part of the region's preparation for the increasing competitive global economy, and proactively addresses the growing concerns about increased traffic congestion. The transit vision communicates the region’s intent for developing mass transit, but more detailed work was necessary to identify projects and costs, identification of local dedicated revenue to leverage state and federal grants to build and operate new services.

To provide necessary additional detail to the transit vision, a strategic plan was developed by WeGo Public Transit called nMotion, that serves as the region's transit master plan. The master plan provides more detailed information about how the transit vision established by the RTP will be implemented as resources become available.

The South Corridor Study provides additional detail through public engagement and planning activities that will refine the nMotion recommendations for the corridor.

Yes. Other organizations and entities have completed similar studies on other corridor that originate from downtown Nashville to evaluate major transit improvements.

The most recent study was completed in 2016 to evaluate options between Clarksville and Nashville. Other studies have focused on rapid transit to Murfreesboro (2007 and 2015), Hendersonville/Gallatin (2011), and between East and West Nashville (2012). Recommendations from those prior efforts were reflected in the Regional Transportation Plan (prepared by GNRC) and the corresponding transit master plan, nMotion, that RTA adopted.

Davidson County voters rejected a proposal to levy a new transit surtax to fund a set of transit projects from the nMotion transit master plan. One of the major reasons the plan was rejected was because it was not viewed as a regional initiative. The South Corridor Study will help voters understand future plans to appropriately identify connections to surrounding counties.

Yes. TDOT completed the I-65 Multimodal Corridor Study to identify deficiencies and potential improvements between the Alabama state line and the Kentucky state line. The South Corridor Study will complement the I-65 Multimodal Corridor Study by providing additional details for future improvements along the corridor in Davidson, Williamson, and Maury counties.

The South Corridor Study includes three major transportation routes: I-65, Franklin Pike (SR-6/US 31), and the CSX railway. The study will also consider cross-town connections as well as connectivity with neighboring communities outside of the limits of the primary transportation routes, such as Mt. Pleasant in Maury County.

The South Corridor Study includes Nashville, Berry Hill, Oak Hill, Brentwood, Franklin, Thompson's Station, Spring Hill, and Columbia, but also impacts additional neighborhoods, communities, employment centers, and destinations in the study area.

The South Corridor Study is intended to develop a series of short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations to implement a vision for transportation and rapid transit between Nashville, Berry Hill, Oak Hill, Brentwood, Franklin, Thompson’s Station, Spring Hill, and Columbia, as well as other neighborhoods, communities, employment centers, and destinations along the south corridor.

Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) along the corridor currently (2016) ranges from 124,764 between the downtown loop and Wedgewood Avenue to 181,300 just north of Old Hickory Boulevard to 58,354 just south of Interstate 840, near Thompson’s Station and Spring Hill. Current travel time from Franklin to the Nashville Central Business District (CBD) is 29 minutes (2010) and from Spring Hill to the Nashville CBD is 36 minutes (2010). According to the Statewide Travel Demand Model, based on projected growth patterns, these travel times will double to 59 minutes (a 103 percent increase) and 64 minutes (a 78 percent increase), respectively, by 2040. Throughout the corridor, single occupancy vehicles are the primary mode of transportation, comprising well over 80 percent of the traffic and contributing to the congestion problem.

The traffic counts and current and future travel times are indicative of the employment and activity centers that are located along the South Corridor. These destinations, such as downtown Nashville, One Hundred Oaks Mall, the Brentwood Town Center, the Cool Springs area, and the GM Spring Hill Plant, are all major employment and activity centers that are reliant on moving people and goods efficiently and effectively in the South Corridor. In addition, critical to understanding the current and future needs in the South Corridor is acknowledgment that reverse commuting and suburban to suburban commuting to these destinations is becoming increasingly more common as growth continues to expand throughout Middle Tennessee. Also important is that trips related to recreation, shopping, or other activities, far outweigh the home to work and work to home trips that occur on a daily basis.

Yes. The South Corridor Study is necessary for two reasons:

• First, the study provides an opportunity for local agencies to collaborate with the public to evaluate anticipated costs and benefits of major transportation investments.
• Second, the federal government requires studies to be completed when discretionary grants are considered to assist with funding or financing major transit projects.

The study will engage the public to identify investments that can help manage traffic congestion and improve connectivity between people and businesses. Specifically, the effort will be used to:

• Identify potential transit/ transportation investments,
• Assess the financial, economic, and technical viability of each, and
• Identify steps to move the project forward.

By 2040, more than 3 million people will live in Middle Tennessee. While Davidson County will remain a major employment and population center, the majority of growth in the region will be in outlying counties. Williamson County's population is expected to grow 191 percent, and Maury County's population is anticipated to exceed 100,000 people. As the region's population increases, our transportation network will need expanded and diverse options, increased connectivity, and improved coordination between local and regional transportation providers to maintain the quality for our residents.

Jobs and activity centers are increasingly choosing to locate outside of Davidson County. While Davidson County has been the most significant draw of work trips from the region, reverse commuting and suburban-to-suburban commuting is increasingly common as major employment centers emerge in adjacent counties. The most notable is the Brentwood/Franklin Cool Springs area in Williamson County. However, it's important to note that roughly 20 percent of all trips made by Middle Tennesseans are between home and work locations, and access to recreation, shopping, and other activities represent a significant portion of trips made by individuals. Employment and activity centers, including Cool Springs Galleria, the GM Spring Hill Plant, One Hundred Oaks Mall, Radnor Intermodal Rail Terminal, and Radnor Lake State Natural Area, are all prominent destinations in the region.

The GNRC, in consultation with other agencies and stakeholders, identified the following major objectives for the South Corridor Study:

• Extend the community engagement work of the WeGo Public Transit nMotion strategic planning process to further define the transit needs along the region's south corridor;
• Evaluate the cost/benefits of each transit investment alternative;
• Identify and recommend a locally preferred alternative for transit service;
• Assess the potential impacts of transit investments on economic development outcomes;
• Identify opportunities for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and transit supportive development;
• Incorporate community feedback into the cost-effectiveness analysis in order to recommend short-, mid-, and long-term capital and operating improvements;
• Evaluate land use policies/regulations for consistency with transit recommendations;
• Evaluate the existing institutional arrangements and make recommendations for necessary changes in order to facilitate the implementation of recommendations;
• Prepare a program of projects that can be advanced into the project development process; and,
• Develop a funding/financing plan which analyzes the potential for:
  • Various competitive federal funding programs including FTA New Starts / Small Starts, BUILD;
  • The use of other federal formula funding programs including CMAQ, NHPP, STBG, FTA 5307;
  • Locally-generated funds; and,
  • Public-private partnerships (P3) financing.

The study will examine the need and feasibility of short-, mid-, and long-term transit and multimodal improvements in the corridor. Examples include bus and express bus service, bus rapid transit, and various forms of rail transit. The study will compare options with existing and anticipated future use of adjacent interstates and roadways.

GNRC, WeGo, and TDOT are public agencies tasked with coordinating with each other and among local communities across Middle Tennessee. Each public agency has boards that include local elected officials from throughout the region. Regular updates on the Study will be provided at these meetings to keep other parts of the region informed about the South Corridor Study work.

The decision-making process is complex and involves participation from the public and all agencies involved in funding proposed solutions. This includes local governments, GNRC, WeGo, TDOT, and ultimately voters in the area who could be asked to approve funding for transit projects at the ballot box.

Once the South Corridor Study is completed, GNRC will publish a final report that outlines recommendations for implementing locally-preferred transportation improvements, with a focus on identifying the most feasible rapid transit project. The report will include short-, mid-, and long-term guidance for TDOT and local governments to implement transit investments and other transportation improvements that promote roadway safety, improved traffic operations, and improved walkability. Recommendations may also include proposed changes in land use policy and zoning, urban design standards, development incentives and regulations, and local funding levels.

The formal Regional Transportation Plan (prepared by GNRC) and the corresponding WeGo transit master plan nMotion will also be updated to reflect these recommendations. GNRC, WeGo and local governments along the corridor will then coordinate to identify funding for the project.

The process to study opportunities and identify transit solutions as part of the South Corridor Study will be used by the GNRC, other agencies, and stakeholders to:

• Advance recommendations from the recently adopted WeGo Public Transit nMotion strategic plan;
• Inform Nashville Area MPO regional plans and funding programs;
• Help local and regional transit providers to determine capital needs and the addition of new transit service or service improvements within and along the corridor;
• Recommend a locally preferred alternative (LPA) for transit services in the south corridor;
• Help local communities identify necessary revisions to their local comprehensive plans, zoning regulations, urban design standards;
• Assist TDOT identify future investments in the State Route 6 and Interstate 65 corridors; and,
• Help economic and community development officials site new growth and development along the corridor.

While identifying a preferred transit alternative is focus of the South Corridor Study, it is only the first step in a long process towards implementation and operation. Federal funding requires further study of environmental impacts (required by NEPA), and the FTA's discretionary New Starts or Small Starts program resources requires developing detailed information which permits FTA's evaluation of the merits of candidate projects.

This study will develop recommendations to serve as a practical "roadmap" for addressing subsequent local planning and development milestones, and for advancing the preferred alternative through the Federal process. The roadmap will include the following elements:

• A review of and justification for the most appropriate NEPA class of action;
• A review and analysis of various project delivery options;
• A proposed schedule for completing Federal environmental review and the design necessary to develop a reliable project scope and budget;
• The identification of local planning and right-of-way requirements and approvals, and strategies for their timely execution; and
• The identification of potential state, local, and other revenues — including value capture, joint development and other innovative finance mechanisms — to match New Starts and Small Starts resources.

The roadmap will outline a reasonable timeline for completing Project Development and securing FTA approval into the subsequent phase — Engineering, if a New Start, a grant agreement if a Small Start, considering the NEPA class of action and the issues that will need to be resolved prior to advancement.

A second strategic aspect to the roadmap relates to how the project is likely to fare in the FTA's New Starts or Small Starts ratings. Although FTA does not rate a project in terms of its justification and local financial commitment until the end of Project Development, we recommend a self-evaluation prior to the Project Development application. This rating will give GNRC confidence that the preferred alternative can be competitive for funding, and will flag weakness in the project, in terms of the New Starts and Small Starts criteria, that might be strengthened during Project Development to enhance its rating.

Recommendations will include short-, mid-, and long-term guidance for local governments to ready the environment for transit investment and include possible recommendations for changes in land use policy and zoning, urban design standards, localized taxes/assessments, development incentives, local transit services, and complimentary infrastructure improvements.