Latest news with #ChooseHowYouMove
Axios
28-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Musk's Boring Company unveils Music City Loop tunnel project for Nashville
Elon Musk's The Boring Company officially unveiled its plans Monday for the Music City Loop, an underground tunnel connecting downtown Nashville to the city's airport. Why it matters: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee touted the project as an innovative approach to addressing Nashville's traffic congestion at no cost to taxpayers. The big picture: The project has an ambitious timeline of completing the 10-mile route in less than two years. The tunnel would move vehicles at warp speed as well. A trip from downtown to the airport would be about eight minutes, according to Boring Company CEO Steve Davis. What he's saying:"The Boring Company is developing the most cutting edge transit systems in the world," Lee said at a press event at the airport Hilton. "This is the most dynamic city in the country. People are coming here by the millions, and now with the Music City Loop, the Boring Company is set to transform the airport-to-downtown travel experience." Zoom in: Davis said the Boring Company looks for places where its tunnel projects can be useful, as well as cities that are welcoming. He said Nashville checked both of those boxes. The company plans to start hiring in the coming days, he said. Yes, but: Although Davis lauded the city for being welcoming, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell was not in attendance at the press conference. O'Connell told Axios over the weekend he had questions about the project. Details such as the costs for construction and operations remain unclear. Sources say the state Building Commission plans to meet in the coming days to give initial approval for the project. It's unclear what approvals could be required of Metro leaders. Zoom out: The company has had some success with a smaller tunnel project in Las Vegas. The company touts the Vegas Loop, which opened in 2021 for transporting more 3 million passengers. Projects pursued in other places, including Washington D.C., Chicago and Charlotte did not materialize. Between the lines: Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Stephanie Coleman hailed the Music City Loop as complimenting the Choose How You Move transportation plan, approved by voters last year. What we're watching: Davis said Nashville presents challenges for its state-of-the-art digging technology due to the city's hard, rocky ground.
Axios
08-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Scoop: Mayor O'Connell hires new chief of staff; Marjorie Pomeroy-Wallace moves to new role
Mayor Freddie O'Connell's office is undergoing a staff shakeup, with chief of staff Marjorie Pomeroy-Wallace moving to a new role. The latest: Attorney Masami Tyson will replace Pomeroy-Wallace. Why it matters: Pomeroy-Wallace, who previously served as O'Connell's campaign manager in 2023, is one of the most influential people in Nashville politics. Although she's well-known to politicos, she's more of a behind-the-scenes figure responsible for handling major issues on the mayor's behalf. Between the lines: The Choose How You Move transportation plan, the East Bank development deal and the passage of two operating budgets, including the recent property tax increase, are among the administration's top accomplishments under Pomeroy-Wallace. More recently, O'Connell's team has faced the fallout of the May 1 ICE raids in Nashville. Zoom in: Pomeroy-Wallace will move to the new role of chief strategy officer and senior adviser to O'Connell. Pomeroy-Wallace tells Axios she began discussing the possible transition last November. "I want to shift my energy to solving problems and thinking about what we do strategically to help make this staff better and it just requires more capacity," she says. What she's saying: Pomeroy-Wallace called Tyson "one of the smartest people I've ever met." "When I started to think of the best people to nurture this team, to move this team to the next level, Masami rose to the top for me." What's next: Tyson will begin working part-time before taking the reins as chief of staff on Aug. 1. Tyson is an attorney. She previously worked as the global director of foreign direct investment and trade at the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. She earned her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins and her law degree from Vanderbilt University.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
WeGo is implementing system-wide changes this summer. Here's what you need to know
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — This summer, the WeGo Public Transit System will implement several system-wide service changes, which include adjusting multiple bus routes across Davidson County. According to the public transportation agency, the changes come after customer input and community feedback. The service changes were reportedly approved by the Nashville MTA Board on April 24. MARCH 2025: Mayor announces 11 transit projects across Nashville WeGo said the system changes will provide frequency improvements, Access on Demand weekend service, and additional WeGo Link zones. The increase in service is made possible because of Nashville's Choose How You Move transportation program, according to WeGo. Transportation officials said the following changes will go into effect on Sunday, July 6: Weekday midday improvements: 6 Lebanon Pike – from hourly to every 30 minutes Weekday evening improvements: 55 Murfreesboro Pike – from 20 minutes to 15 minutes 56 Gallatin Pike – from 20 minutes to 15 minutes Weekend Frequency improvements: 23 Dickerson Pike – from 25 minutes to 15 minutes (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) 50 Charlotte Pike – from 20-30 minutes to 15 minutes. (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) 55 Murfreesboro Pike – from 20 minutes to 15 minutes (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.); from 20-30 minutes to 15 minutes (weekend evenings) 56 Gallatin Pike – from 20 minutes to 15 minutes (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.); from 20-30 minutes to 15 minutes (weekend evenings) 6 Lebanon Pike – will operate on McGavock Pike between Lebanon Pike and McGavock High School twice a day on school days. 52 Nolensville Pike – will operate on Antioch Pike between Nolensville Pike and Glencliff High School twice a day on school days WeGo Link – expand service in the Maplewood/Broadmoor area of East Nashville and the Elm Hill Pike area of Donelson Access on Demand – add service on Saturdays (4:45 a.m. to 1 a.m.) and Sundays/Holidays (4:45 a.m. to 11 p.m.) The changes will also bring adjustments to at least two routes this summer. According to WeGo, 19 Herman will move to the end of the line from Tennessee Avenue and 51st Avenue North to Charlotte Avenue and 53rd Avenue North. ⏩ In addition, Route 77 Thompson-Wedgewood will no longer pull into the East Thompson Lane Kroger grocery store parking lot, officials said. To learn more about the changes going into effect this summer, follow this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Journals
25-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
HNTB wins bid to manage Nashville's $6.9B transit expansion
Almost two-thirds of voters endorsed Mayor Freddie O'Connell's transit expansion referendum, which carries a $3.1 billion price tag if you could snap your fingers and create everything today. Metro now wants to hire this national company, which backed the pro-transit campaign of 2024, to serve as program manager for the years-long effort. A national company has won a bid to put Nashville's multibillion-dollar transit expansion into gear. Metro has chosen HNTB to serve as program manager for Choose How You Move, the name of Mayor Freddie O'Connell's transportation program that won approval of almost two-thirds of voters in November. The selection adds another central player to the roster of officials and contractors tasked with following through on the 15-year vision O'Connell cast in his transit plan. It would cost an estimated $3.1 billion to fully create everything today in that plan — whose price tag grows to $6.9 billion over those 15 years when accounting for operating costs, inflation and interest payments on construction bonds the city will be issuing. Davidson County's sales tax increased to 9.75% as a result of the transit referendum, establishing the city's first-ever revenue dedicated to transit. Key features of the proposal include overhauls to major corridors with bus-only lanes; almost 90 miles of new or upgraded sidewalks; creation of new crosstown routes and a dozen transit centers around the county; and adding technology at 600 intersections to synchronize signals to keep traffic moving more smoothly. HNTB beat three competitors for the Metro contract, which has an initial term of five years and can be extended another five years with Metro Council approval. HNTB has a lot of experience with infrastructure design and transportation projects. The Metro officials who evaluated the bids gave the Kansas City-based company a perfect 40-out-of-40 score in the "relevant program experience" category. The company has beefed up its Nashville office in the last couple of years and just in the Southeast has worked on transit and airport projects in Atlanta, Raleigh, Orlando and Tampa. Robbie Hayes, who's based in Nashville as HNTB's Tennessee group director, served as treasurer of Nashville Moves, an independent 501(c) nonprofit that supported the pro-transit campaign of 2024. According to state campaign finance records, HNTB donated $25,000 to the Nashville Moves Action Fund, which financed the pro-transit push. The selection of HNTB, formally announced April 21, came just a few days after O'Connell revealed who he hired on his staff to serve as chief program officer for Choose How You Move. That person is Sabrina Sussman, who's relocating from Washington, D.C., after most recently serving as a senior adviser for Pete Buttigieg during his tenure as President Joe Biden's transportation secretary. The contract award is pending a 10-day period in which protests can be filed.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
First Chief Program Officer appointed for Choose How You Move
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nashville's Choose How You Move transportation program has its first-ever Chief Program Officer. On Friday, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell announced that Sabrina Sussman had been appointed to oversee the implementation of the program. She was featured at the mayor's media roundtable Friday, telling reporters she thought the stars aligned when it came to her appointment in Nashville. Tennessee appeals court rules in favor of Metro in transit plan lawsuit 'In this moment, Nashville's decision to fund transformative change sets an example for communities across the country,' Sussman said Friday. 'Eyes are on this team and I couldn't be more excited to be here and to lead it.' In addition to what the Nashville Mayor's Office called 'leading edge' work on transportation policy for nearly two decades, Sussman has experience working with several city governments as well as the federal government. Sussman spent two years with the U.S. Department of Transportation, serving as Chief of Staff for Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg and Senior Advisor to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. 'Sabrina has all the experience necessary to help us successfully implement one of the largest capital programs in Nashville history,' O'Connell said in a press release. 'I am excited to work with her to deliver the change Nashvillians seek.' Ashley Northington, Clay Haynes, Gary Moore, Gracie Sloan, Jennifer Carlat, Joseph Gutierrez, Rashed Fakhruddin, Walter Searcy and Zach Young were also appointed to the Choose How You Move Advisory Committee on Transportation. They will join the five members previously selected by Metro Council and Nashville's Vice Mayor Angie Henderson on the 15-member body. ⏩ 'This is an exceptional moment in Nashville's history. In an era of division, Nashvillians transcended that to overwhelmingly support a better transportation future for each of us,' Sussman said. 'I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility to help bring that future to reality, and I appreciate the chance to work with the talented local leadership team already in place.' Sussman will begin work early this summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
