How much time today did you spend in traffic? For most of us in Middle Tennessee, 48 minutes every day is spent traveling somewhere– to work, school, social events and back home. A strong economy, cheap gas and a growing population have put more motorists on our roads and created some of the worst traffic congestion ever in the Nashville area. And just like coming out of a traffic delay, we are playing catch up to deal with our transportation needs. As local and state officials strategize on how to improve mobility, we wanted to hear from people in our area about their challenges and hopes. We opened our NPT studio for a frank conversation about where we are headed with transportation in Middle Tennessee. The audience included people from the community as well as the following experts:
Toks Omishakin
TDOT Deputy Commissioner
Stephen Bland
CEO, Metropolitan Transit Authority
Felix Castrodad
Metropolitan Transit Authority
Rhonda AllenRutherford County Commission District 11
Ed Cole
Council on Aging Leadership Group
Mason Worthington
Transit Now
Sean Braisted
Press Secretary, Nashville Mayor’s Office