Image via Wikipedia

10:30 AM and I’m already excited at BarCamp because my name got pulled out of the hat for Nancy VanReece’s Social Media Strategy session.  I had a lot of ideas and a buzzer to beat.  Should we strategize for Transit Camp, Transit Week, dedicated funding, or the Transit App.  We went with the app because there were app developers in the audience.  No brainer!  .

So who do we want to target?  Since all of my friends are following us on Facebook, I went with strangers.  We need to reach new people who are already transit users and advocates but haven’t found a place to gather, and those who don’t ride but need to because we can’t sustain our sprawling growth.

So here are some ideas….

• QR Code on stickers at transit stops
• FourSquare set up with popular transit stops
• Develop both an iPhone and an Android platform apps because Android is on cheaper phones and would expand our universe
• Set up a social media plan and use HootSuite to schedule posts/tweets around the more popular times when people check their accounts
• Before the plan, research analytics of your social media pages to find the optimized time to post
• Retweet and reshare something at least once a day
• Create videos to share

More later.  Thanks Nancy and Stacey!

Metro Health Department is currently in the process of studying the health impact of MTA’s Easy Ride Program.  The PowerPoint from the June 16 forum and the one-pager on transit and health are now posted on the Nashvitality website at these two links (same content, different locations on the site):

http://nashvitality.org/active/building-active-places/health-impact-assessment.aspx

Study shows mass transit lacking in Nashville
Mark Bellinger
News Channel 5
June 14, 2011
http://www.newschannel5.com/story/14907767/study-shows-mass-transit-lacking-in-nashville-area

Seniors will face poor transit options in Nashville, study finds
Nashville Business Journal
June 14, 2011
http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/06/14/seniors-will-face-poor-public-transit.html

Study shows that 150,000 senior citizens in Nashville lack access to transit by 2015
Associated Press
June 14, 2011
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/441ec0875c984ed5aca451c9c198993e/TN–Elderly-Transportation/
Note: also printed in the Tennessean

Report: By 2015, 85 percent of Nashville-area seniors will lack adequate access to mass transit
The City Paper
June 14, 2011
http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/report-2015-85-percent-nashville-area-seniors-will-lack-adequate-access-mass-trans

By 2015, 85% of seniors in the greater Nashville metropolitan area will lack adequate access to transit.

Nashville, TN – By 2015, more than 15.5 million Americans ages 65 and older will live in communities where public transportation service is poor or non-existent, a new study shows. That number is expected to continue to grow rapidly as the baby boom generation “ages in place” in suburbs and exurbs with few mobility options for those who do not drive. In the greater Nashville region, over 86% of older adults (over 150,000 senior citizens) are expected to be without adequate access to transit by 2015.

The report, Aging in Place, Stuck without Options, ranks metro areas over similar sizes by the percentage of seniors with poor access to public transportation, now and in the coming years, and presents other data on aging and transportation. Kansas City tops the list for metros of 1-3 million, followed by Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, Nashville, and Raleigh-Durham.

“The fact that 150,000 seniors in the Nashville area and its surrounding counties lack access to transit is a serious problem,” said Dave Keiser of Transit Now Nashville. “We need to ensure that the older generation remains connected to their communities and provide the needed resources to support transportation options for older adults.”

Without access to affordable travel options, seniors age 65 and older who no longer drive make 15 percent fewer trips to the doctor, 59 percent fewer trips to shop or eat out, and 65 percent fewer trips to visit friends and family, than drivers of the same age, research shows. As the cost of owning and fuelling a vehicle rises, many older Americans who can still drive nonetheless will be looking for lower-cost options.

Gary Stewart is a senior citizen in downtown Nashville who does not own a car and relies upon public transportation.

“It is so simple for me to travel to St. Thomas to see my eye doctor, Centennial Medical Center to see my primary care physician, and Vanderbilt to attend cardiac rehab sessions three days a week.  I even take a bus to the Nashville West Shopping Center monthly to get my hair cut.  What could be easier?” said Gary Stewart.

For the majority of senior citizens who do not live downtown, getting to their doctors’ appointments can be more challenging. Services such as MTA’s AccessRide and the Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency provide on-demand services where eligible residents can schedule trips ahead of time. From 2005 to 2010, AccessRide ridership has increased 29%, showing the growing demand for these services.

“This report from Transportation for America could not be more timely,” said Ed Cole of the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee. “Identifying and developing more transportation choices for Middle Tennesseans is a critical task being undertaken by both the public and private sectors and is driven by the knowledge that our population is growing older.  As the report makes clear, an open and honest search for dedicated funding of transit options at the state, local, and federal levels is an important task.”

In addition to transit services, the Mayor’s Office is spearheading the Nashville Livability Project that  looks at how the city can address its changing demographics and aging population by addressing housing, walkability of neighborhoods, and access to services such as healthcare and grocery stores and the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is working to address these issues throughout the entire metropolitan area in their long-range plan.

“Over the next decade or so, the number of Middle Tennesseans age 65 years or older will grow by 50%,”  said Michael Skipper, executive director of the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization – the region’s transportation policy, planning, and funding authority.  “We must begin working on strategies that help seniors stay active and connected to the community by allowing them to age in place.  There is a growing need for transportation options beyond the car — for seniors as well as other emerging segments of the population like young professionals.  The recently adopted 2035 Regional Transportation Plan calls for a modern, robust transit service and increased support for more walkable communities.  We hear from seniors that they fear becoming isolated, or too dependent on their families for basic mobility.”

“We all want to remain in our homes aswe age, but that isn’t enough. We also need to remain connected with our communities in order to live full, independent lives. To do that, we must have easy access to the doctor’s office, the grocery store, our grandchildren’s homes. Being stuck inside, looking out a window as the world goes on around us, simply is not an option,” said AARP Tennessee State Director Rebecca Kelly. “We salute Mayor Dean for recognizing the need to address this and hope the report serves as a wake-up call to federal, state and local leaders to work together to address this critical issue.”

“The baby boom generation grew up and reared their own children in communities that, for the first time in human history, were built on the assumption that everyone would be able to drive an automobile,” said John Robert Smith,president and CEO of Reconnecting America and co-chair of Transportation for America. “What happens when people in this largest generation ever, with the longest predicted lifespan ever, outlive their ability to drive for everything? That’s one of the questions we set out to answer in this report.”

To view the full report and to see the extended rankings, please click http://t4america.org/resources/SeniorsMobilityCrisis2011

###

TRANSPORTATION FOR AMERICA(T4) is the largest, most diverse coalition working on transportation reform today.  Our nation’s transportation network is based on a policy that has not been significantly updated since the 1950’s. We believe it is time for a bold new vision — transportation that guarantees our freedom to move however we choose and leads to a stronger economy, greater energy security, cleaner environment, and healthier America for all of us. We’re calling for more responsible investment of our federal tax dollars to create a safer, cleaner, smarter transportation system that works for everyone. www.t4america.org

Contact Information:

NATIONAL CONTACT FOR REPORT:
COSA BULLOCK, 202-478-6128
CBULLOCK@MRSS.COM
KYLE MOLER, 202-478-6173
KMOLER@MRSS.COM

Dave Keiser
Volunteer Board Member
Transit Now Nashville
Cel.  615.668.3728
Email:  dave@transitnownashville.org

Better Living. Cleaner air… walkable… more attractive… a job magnet…leads to…

A Better Nashville

-Cliff

When: 7:30am – 9:00am, June 16, 2011
Where: Music City Central Meeting Room (400 Charlotte Ave)

Light breakfast will be served.

Please RSVP to Jimmy Dills at the Metro Public Health Department by Monday, June 13

email: james.dills@nashville.gov
phone: 615-880-3340

MTA and the Metro Public Health Department have partnered to conduct a health impact assessment (HIA) of MTA’s EasyRide program, which allows employers to pay, in whole or in part, for their employees’ use of public transit.  This forum is a component of the stakeholder engagement process for this HIA.

HIA is a method for examining the potential health effects of policies, plans, or projects that are traditionally developed without specific focus on health.  The goal of HIA is to influence decision-making through evidence-based recommendations to enhance positive and mitigate negative heath effects of the policy, plan, or project being considered.

Preliminary results from the EasyRide HIA will be presented at this forum.  However, as we move toward developing recommendations, we are most interested in hearing your thoughts about EasyRide and its role in a healthy transportation system here in Nashville.

Additional information stations are scheduled at Centennial Sportsplex on June 7 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and at the Civic Design Center on June 8-9 from noon to 1 p.m.

Specific items to be discussed include potential routes along the corridor as well as the modes being considered: modern streetcar, light rail and bus rapid transit.  MTA officials are encouraging people who frequent the corridor to attend the meetings and/or information stations to provide comments on the transit alternatives being considered. A brief presentation about the project will be provided during the meetings, and attendees will have an opportunity to provide their input and feedback at both the community conversations and information stations.

The purpose of the Broadway/West End Corridor study is to find the best way to improve travel and access along the corridor.  “Both downtown and Broadway/West End are important employment, cultural, educational and residential areas in their own right, but their close proximity provides the potential for synergy should they be tied together through an enhanced transportation connection,” Nashville MTA CEO Paul J. Ballard said.

“Enhancing the transportation options along the corridor will provide an opportunity to connect residents and visitors to the downtown business district and tourist venues, as well as restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and other destinations.”

The specific area of the study begins at Five Points in East Nashville and extends down Broadway, West End and Harding Road to White Bridge Road.  The study will examine all feasible options along the corridor and then identify a preferred transportation choice such as an urban streetcar, light rail or bus rapid transit that is designed to make Metro eligible for federal financing and more competitive in the process of obtaining funding to design and build a new transit system.

Listed below are the locations and times for the June 7-9 community conversations and information stations as well as the Nashville MTA bus routes that serve the locations:

Community Conversations

Meeting #1 – Wednesday June 8th, 4:00 – 6:00 pm
Music City Central (Multi-purpose room)
400 Charlotte Avenue
(Served by all MTA routes)

Meeting #2 – Thursday June 9th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Aquinas College (Room 103) 4210 Harding Pike
(Route 3 West End)

Information Stations

Info Booth #1 – Tuesday June 7th, 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Centennial Sportsplex 222 25th Avenue North
(Routes 3 West End, 25 Midtown)

Info Booth #2 – Wednesday June 8th, Noon – 1:00 pm
Butler’s Run, Between 1st and 2nd Avenues (near Commerce Street)
(Routes 6 Lebanon Road, 25 Midtown,
34 Opry Mills, Music City Blue Circuit,
Music City Green Circuit)

Info Booth #3 – Thursday June 9th, Noon – 1:00 pm
Butler’s Run, Between 1st and 2nd Avenues (near Commerce Street)
(Routes 6 Lebanon Road, 25 Midtown,
34 Opry Mills, Music City Blue Circuit,
Music City Green Circuit)

Additional community conversations and information stations to share specific recommendations and implementation options will be held at later dates as the study evolves.

The Broadway/West End Corridor Study is being led by Parsons Brinckerhoff, an internationally-known consulting firm.

Please note that attendance at these meetings is not required for comment.  Individuals also may mail comments to MTA Planning Department, attn:  Public Meeting Comments, 130 Nestor St., Nashville, Tenn.  37210, fax comments to 862-6208, call Customer Care at 862-5950 or email them to mta.publicmeetings@nashville.gov.  For ADA accessibility information, contact:  ADA Coordinator, 130 Nestor Street, Nashville, TN   37210, (615) 862-5950.

The Tennessean had a great article out today and of course, if you want to read the entire report or watch the presentation (which was very insightful), you can always find the report at the Brookings Institution.  A summary for Nashville can be found there too.

If you like to play with maps, the Brookings Institution also came out with an interactive online mapping tool where you can study Nashville and the other 100 metro areas in more depth.

Yes, the report may paint a poor transit picture in Nashville, but it’s also a good benchmark that we can use to measure our future successes as we continue to improve our transit system.