eusebius

Fantastic suggestion! Maybe then the buses would run later when i need them to. I take MTA to all Sounds games. What stinks is that in order to catch the last outbound bus to go home, i have to leave the stadium at 9:15. So for a game that starts at 7 pm, i usually have to leave in the 8th inning. (makes me miss SF when I could catch an entire Giants game, stop for a beer, get a bus/train home and not even fret about it) Realistically, though -- i don't think radio announcements (or any other PSA) will get Middle Tennesseans out of their cars in any meaningful numbers. But $$ will. Cut into the bottom-line and we'll see a demand. So, if more people demand this service do you think MTA/RTA/Whoever will supply it?

What about DC's metro? Maryland's commuter rail is pretty extensive and has several connections to the Metro lines...so does VA's rail (i think)...

some employers do it. i work for vumc, and they pay for the bus -- i just swipe my employee badge when i board the bus. i was talking to the director of space & facilities, and he told me it's cheaper to pay for an employee's bus fare than to build and maintain 1 parking space that employee might have otherwised used. i know belmont has a similar arrangement. i wonder if they will pay for the mc star when it's up and running.

The gas situation has prompted 2 of my co-workers to ask me about MTA just this week. I'm routinely ribbed here at the office as the only guy who takes the bus to/from work. All my proselytizing about the social & environmental benefits of mass transit have fallen on deaf ears...until now. Once it starts to affect one's pocketbook, things change. I've noticed a few more "newbies" catching the bus, too... Dave - glad to hear you're carpooling!

Do you think rising gas costs will really make people consider the bus? It seems to me people will make cuts elsewhere before doing that. Also, I seem to remember a plan for light rail down West End. Any talk on that or does anyone have a link? I google'd it, but haven't been too successful.

a few folks have pointed out that Nashvillians won't want to leave their cars and that's probably true. Most people just don't know any other way to get around, and they're hesitant to use any public transit due to it's no-so-great reputation here in town. Until we get a sizable contingency to break the cycle of "public transit is lousy because no uses it / no one uses public transit because it's lousy", this will not succeed. Well, unless the gov't dumps a buttload of $$$ on it. In jan of '04 i decided to quit talking about using public transit, and actually do it. Now, I ride MTA everyday - all over the city. Sure, it's not the best,...but it's getting better. I even (gasp) got rid of my car -- donated it to charity. When the commuter line starts up, i'll be on it -- if for no other reason than to support the principle.