NashTransit

A few details have changed since yesterday's Tennessean article. The MTA planning and finance committee has put forth their recommendations. What's different? The fare increase is more: up 25 cents rather than 15. Meanwhile, AccessRide stays unaffected. According to the article, public comments to MTA encouraged the change.

It's not mentioned in the article, but the word straight from MTA is that the reduction in service to the #8 8th Avenue South bus would be in frequency.

Overall, is this scheme better or worse? Hard to say, but I'm sure there are a lot of AccessRide passengers sleeping easier tonight.

The full MTA board still has to vote on the plan.

The other day, my mention of Tennessee's gasoline tax got a little attention over at the Nashville Post's politics blog. One commenter there said:

Let Nashville and the MTA riders pay. Not the state.

And that's a fairly common sentiment. But if you check out MTA's public hearing powerpoint you'll see that that's really already the case. Nearly three quarters of MTA's operating funds come from Metro or "self-generated" sources, that is, fares, advertising, etc. Only 12% ($4.7 million) comes from the state.

Meanwhile, if we had good public transportation here, maybe - just maybe - another expensive road project wouldn't have to happen on the public dime.

And, as Jim Grinstead ably demonstrates at progressivenashville.com, in the grand scheme of things $2.9 million isn't really a lot of money. But it would mean a lot to MTA, its riders, and all those who are thinking about becoming riders.

# posted by dotsandlines @ 8:42 PM