The NashVillager: what’s your town doing? New Construction, free bus rides to the disadvantaged? Let us know what makes your Community thrive or what makes you weep? Perhaps we can help each other?
It’s been just over a year since Nashville voters approved a transit referendum to funnel more sales tax dollars into bus and transportation projects.
(You’re forgiven if you can’t remember when, exactly, this happened. It was the same day as the presidential election, Nov. 5, 2024 — so, you know, a little overshadowed.)
Nashville was one of the last cities of its size without a dedicated stream of tax dollars for transit, and it had been one of Freddie O’Connell’s main talking points when he successfully ran for mayor in 2023.
The referendum came with a nearly 100-page, $3.1-billion, 15-year plan to overhaul the city’s transit system — including 86 miles of new sidewalks, expanded bus service, bus rapid transit systems along major corridors, updated traffic signals and a dozen new transit centers.
So one year in, where are we now?
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WHAT TO KNOW
One year after Nashville’s voters established a dedicated tax for transit, the city has begun implementing upgrades. Credit: Tony Gonzalez / WPLN News (file)Progress has been made on some fronts, reports WPLN’s Cynthia Abrams, after the city began collecting revenue from the new sales tax in the spring.
- WeGo launched a free bus fare program for low-income residents. Metro ramped up enrollment of Journey Pass during the federal government shutdown, recruiting Nashvillians whose federal benefits were suspended. To date, Metro has signed up more than 6,000 people.
- In October, O’Connell earmarked $31.4 million for 17 sidewalk projects, plus another $32.4 million for new smart signals at 115 intersections. And, in December, the Mayor’s office and NDOT announced smart signals at 36 intersections along Lebanon Pike. Sabrina Sussman, the program director overseeing Choose How You Move, says these are the types of projects “that you’re going to see first.”
- There’s also been a “queue jump” added at the intersection of Murfreesboro Pike and Edge O Lake Drive.This technology lets buses bypass backlogged traffic, giving the bus a better chance to run on time.
- The bigger projects, like transit centers or bus rapid transit routes, will not break ground until later. But early design efforts have begun on some, including for Gallatin Pike’s bus upgrades and for a new downtown transit center, south of Broadway.
- Keep an eye on … the Boring Company’s underground tunnel project between downtown Nashville and the airport. A good portion of the tunnel is set to run beneath Murfreesboro Pike, which Metro had identified as one of the first major corridors to receive bus rapid transit. But now Murfreesboro Pike has moved down the priority list while Nolensville and Gallatin Pikes moved up.
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On today’s episode of the NashVillagerpodcast with host Nina Cardona 🎙️
How did Tennesseans James and Sarah Polk leave their mark on the White House? Every presidential family does something to make the nation’s executive mansion their home. For the Polks, it was almost puritan customs, a key bit of redecoration, and an undercurrent of slavery.
Plus the local news for Dec. 29, 2025.
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MORE TO KNOW
- New hiking trails are coming to Radnor Lake State Park, after it acquired an additional nine acres near Franklin Road and Old Hickory Boulevard. According to park officials, the new trailhead will be the starting point for an up to 3.5-mile hike. It’s the result of about 20 years of planning and $8 million in partnerships. Before development begins, officials will remove trash, invasive plants and dilapidated housing from the area, and restore native grasses. [NewsChannel 5]
- Leaders of Nashville’s airport are closing in on a formal deal with The Boring Companyfor a tunnel to bring travelers to and from the airport via private Tesla rides. The Tennessean obtained records that show the Airport Authority wants Boring to pay just shy of $400,000 per year for access to a portion of airport property. The deal could run for two decades and net the airport more than $7 million. (The newspaper notes the payment is far lower from what was initially discussed in the summer.) The deal could go to a vote by the Airport Authority in January or February.
- Yes, but … Electric vehicles may soon face even higher fees in Tennessee. State Sen. Page Walley has proposed a tax on power dispensed at EV charging stations — a cost of about $5 for 500 miles of charge. Annual vehicle registration fees are already twice as high for EV drivers than those for hybrids or combustion vehicles. Walley says it will help with the estimated $30 billion in deferred road maintenance costs. But the tax would likely only have a minor impact on the state budget, as EVs account for less than 1% of all registered vehicles in the state. [The Tennessean]
FROM WNXP
His question pointed to some existential angst. In his recent quest for new albums to love, the Spotify algorithm ended up feeding him some new Americana, which he found catchy until he realized it was AI-generated.
But here’s the good news:
WNXP — our city’s very own music discovery station — has compiled a list of its favorite Nashville-based albums from 2025. These albums stretch across different scenes and styles, all representing the voices shaping how this city sounds today.
Some of the best music in the world comes out of our city every year, so it’s a tough assignment, but here are the top 10 favorites. And every one of these musicians is a real human living alongside you.
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