Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Says Failed 2018 Transit Referendum Proposal Would Be ‘Pretty Useful’

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Wednesday said the 2018 transit referendum, which was rejected by 64 percent of the city’s voters and supported by just 36 percent, would have been “pretty useful” for Nashville’s residents.

O’Connell spoke about the failed, 2018 referendum in an appearance on The Nashville Scene Podcast, where he compared the long-term benefits of mass transit to planting trees.

“There’s sort of that old adage of, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second best time is today,” said O’Connell. “This is similar in that the timing for 2018 would have been pretty useful.”

The mayor then went back further, noting the decade-old proposal by former Mayor Karl Dean would now be fully operational if approved.

At another point in the interview, O’Connell acknowledged the light rail component of the 2018 proposal was likely difficult for voters to accept, suggesting they might have considered it “too much, too soon” for Nashville.

Ultimately, O’Connell said Nashville has “needed to take a more significant step” to improve its transportation, with city leaders seeing “an urgency about this for really the better part of 20 years,” and said his Choose How You Move transit proposal has the unique benefit of attracting “unprecedented” federal money.

“Timing wise, now I would say the urgency is the same as it has been, except that we also have a new opportunity,” said O’Connell. The mayor explained, “Between the bipartisan infrastructure law at the federal level and the Inflation Reduction Act, there is more infrastructure money available than we’ve seen in my, at least adult lifetime, maybe my entire lifetime, and probably the most we’ll see for this generation.”

Nashville’s mayor said the city must approve his transit proposal in November to get “access to that unprecedented about of federal funding.”

O’Connell also referenced the 2017 IMPROVE Act, which enables cities to raise taxes to pay for transit packages, during his Nashville Scene Podcast appearance.

“This is all made possible under the IMPROVE Act,” said O’Connell. “The IMPROVE Act bakes in some up front, hardcore accountability standards which we have now fully met with this,” he added.

While the city maintains the transit plan comports with the law, Nashville Tea Party founder Ben Cunningham has repeatedly warned O’Connell’s referendum is illegal under the 2017 legislation, which he notes specifically allows taxes to be raised for a “public transit system.”

The November referendum will include miles of additional sidewalks, modern traffic lights, and other elements that Cunningham argues are not considered public transit under the IMPROVE Act.

O’Connell also said his plan would allow what amounts to an “indigent fare” program, offering free bus rides for people experiencing poverty or homelessness.

“We’re going to have, effectively, almost like an indigent fare program, where if you are low income you’re going to be eligible for either eliminated or reduced fares,” said O’Connell.

The mayor would fund his transit package with a half-cent sales tax increase in addition to the federal funding. It is expected to cost $3.1 billion, with full expenses rising to $6.93 billion over the life of the project. Voters will determine whether the proposal moves forward on November 5.

Watch O’Connell’s full podcast appearance:

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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Freddie O’Connell” by Freddie O’Connell.