Nashville Comes to Seattle for Transit Lessons

Deputy chief executive officer at Sound Transit in Seattle Mike Harbour was part of a delegation from Seattle to Nashville. "… invited by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce to share their city's transit experiences as Davidson County voters consider the $5.4 billion "Let's Move Nashville" transit plan," Jamie McGee writes for King5.

Seattle, which has roughly the same population as Nashville, has been able to spur transit, not only with its buses and trains, but also with its land use policies. "The Seattle officials said significant investments in both the city's downtown core and the suburbs has helped distinguish its transit success, along with aligning transit goals with affordable housing strategies and incentivizing usage," McGee reports.

Critics of Nashville's transit plan contend that the Seattle light rail system predates Seattle's recent transit success. But Harbour argues, "… while Seattle's light rail system is already in place and nearly a decade old, Harbour said the investment would still make sense today."