Mayor makes last attempt to transit before election day

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) – About half of the people who vote this election cycle are expected to go to the polls on Tuesday, according to the Davidson County Elections Office.

Director Jeff Roberts says early voting turnout can vary from Election Day turnout, but typically between 40 and 60 percent of voters cast ballots early.

And hundreds of thousands of registered voters in Nashville have yet to cast ballots.

That’s why Mayor Freddie O’Connell is making one last attempt to get approval for his comprehensive ‘Choose How You Move’ transportation plan.

While you may see some “anti-transit tax” signs around town, there isn’t a large, organized push against the transit referendum like Nashville saw in 2018.

Next comes a plan to increase the sales tax by one percent and build five light rail lines through the city failed by a whopping 64-36 margin.

This time, many early voters told us they voted in favor of the plan.

Here’s what we heard from people in Bellevue:

“I voted for it,” said Lori Ost, whose main factor was the additional sidewalks.

“I’ve read about it and I really think it’s a good thing for the city,” said Brody Loewl, who wants a better bus system.

Jerome Whaley also voted to approve.

“I’ve been to Europe,” he said. “So I know there is better (than what we have).”

“Traffic is only going to get worse with all the people moving here,” noted Sam Gross, who said he probably wouldn’t ride the bus but thinks it’s important for Nashville to have better bus service.

And this is what we heard in Bordeaux:

“I think it’s a pretty good idea,” said Darwin Jackson, who specifically mentioned the 24-hour bus service.

Local pastor and former councilman Jerry Maynard was at the polls encouraging church members to vote yes.

“The cost of living here in Davidson County is extremely high,” he said. “But if you think about it, if you can have an alternative transportation route, you can save on gas, on the wear and tear on your car and on pollution.”

Mary Drew also voted for the plan, but says with the cost of everything rising, she thinks there will be a tax increase regardless.

“The fact that it’s an investment, that’s a tough question,” Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell acknowledged.

He knows that asking voters for the green light for a tax increase is no small feat. And says that even without a major anti-transit push, his plan still faces a major hurdle.

“Someone could read it (the ballot measure) and not really look at the benefits, just the costs.”

And he’s right. These are costs that some voters are unwilling to pay.

“I love the idea, but the cost of it was very high,” said Caleb Betczynski, who says he prefers Metro payments for the improvements over the revenue it already has.

Jonathan Leonard agreed, saying he didn’t know enough about the plan to want to raise taxes.

“I didn’t want to spend a lot of money sitting in something without knowing anything about it,” he said.

And some who know the plan well are now speaking out against it, like District 1 Councilmember Joy Kimbrough.

She says her district isn’t seeing as much change from the plan as others.

“Based on that map (online), you can see with your own eyes – I don’t even want to mention the benefit – the lack of benefit to this community. A community that is already disadvantaged and already overlooked,” she said, speaking of Bordeaux and the surrounding area.

When asked about the council member’s concerns, Mayor O’Connell called her position “both surprising and disappointing.”

“She supported it in Council and did not raise any of these concerns at the time. Our team met with her and discussed the changes and she seemed to approve of them,” he said.

He points to the new North Nashville Transit Center and the recent smart lights installed on the pike in Clarksville that turn green when they see a car approaching. He says both serve as examples of improvements for North Nashville that are on their way to the rest of Metro.

“The whole system will move all the traffic more efficiently,” he said. “We believe the entire city will benefit greatly from this, and this will allow us to prepare for a much brighter future with a more connected Nashville.”

And on Tuesday, voters will decide whether they think it’s worth the cost.

To see details on how the plan would change options in your neighborhood, you can view a interactive map.

The Choose How you Move plan calls for $3.1 billion and promises 80 miles of new sidewalks in the first 15 years, along with a dozen new transit centers, new bus routes across the city, 24-hour bus service, 17 park- and-ride locations and nearly 600 traffic lights upgraded to a connected, smart network.

“This allows us to step outside the year-over-year capital operations process,” said Mayor O’Connell, “and secures more than $100 million annually, most of which will be paid for by residents or outside visitors the province.”

The costs consist of a half-percent sales tax increase, which would change Nashville’s combined state and local sales tax from 9.25 percent to 9.75 percent.

Surrounding counties paying 9.75 percent include Dickson, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford, Williamson and Wilson counties.