Memphis Transportation and Mass Transit Discussion (light rail, bus, etc.)

[Memphisborn]

2 hours ago, DRG901 said:

 

A report is coming out in July about rail connecting the Big 4 cities of TN:

Memphis Flyer | State Officials Plan Passenger Rail System to Connect Tennessee’s Big Four Cities

Great news this will be a great asset to Memphis if this can get done. Opening up travel plans for Memphians 

[MDC26]

On 5/11/2023 at 6:41 PM, DRG901 said:

 

A report is coming out in July about rail connecting the Big 4 cities of TN:

Memphis Flyer | State Officials Plan Passenger Rail System to Connect Tennessee’s Big Four Cities

Honestly, this doesn’t excite me. Unless they are going to be able to move me from point A to point B in less time than it takes me to drive that same distance, I don’t think it will get the use to justify it  

Now, if they could get the Hyperloop running along I-40, that would really excite me. Imagine OKC, LR, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Charlotte, and Raleigh all being connected? Making it from Memphis to Nashville in 20 minutes. Charlotte in an hour. 

[Memphisborn]

9 hours ago, MDC26 said:

Honestly, this doesn’t excite me. Unless they are going to be able to move me from point A to point B in less time than it takes me to drive that same distance, I don’t think it will get the use to justify it  

Now, if they could get the Hyperloop running along I-40, that would really excite me. Imagine OKC, LR, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Charlotte, and Raleigh all being connected? Making it from Memphis to Nashville in 20 minutes. Charlotte in an hour. 

Yes of course that’s more exciting but not likely to happen at least not anytime soon. 30 years from now who knows what may be possible. 

[smeagolsfree]

I think it is a pipedream as the state will spend no money on this and rail lobby is too strong. We have had a lot of discussions on the Nashville board about this over the years. At least you guys already have your Amtrak connection.  They are talking of a connection for Nashville to Atlanta but that makes little sense as they have to do other connections from Atlanta further south to make it work for them to connect to Miami. If we connect to Memphis, it does little for a connection to Chicago which is what the majority of the people polled want. Yes, I realize you connect to Chicago, but a person would have to go west to go north. Big waste of time.

Most folks want a connection to Louisville then on to Chicago. The connections to Miami would take a lot of work as you have to go to Raleigh from Atlanta and then south, and for me personally I have no reason to go to Knoxville even though I am from NE TN. I don't think the demand would be very high except on UT game days and it would be easier to drive and probably faster at any rate. Getting back to Chicago it makes a lot of sense as there are a lot of transplants from Chicago here already. It is already easier to drive to Atlanta than it is to fly. I can drive to Atlanta faster than I can go to the airport, arrive 2 1/2 hours early, the 1-hour taxi and flight, get my luggage, rent a car, etc. I will beat the flyer to wherever they want to go in Atlanta by driving myself and still have my car.

I think the state will squash this simply because it is coming from the feds on principle only. Rail is too left wing for them.  I am just being more pragmatic in my approach as we have seen this discussion for the last almost 20 years in Nashville. Again, consider yourself fortunate that you already have rial service in Memphis. I am sure if the state had a way to take it away, they would.

[Memphisborn]

2 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

I think it is a pipedream as the state will spend no money on this and rail lobby is too strong. We have had a lot of discussions on the Nashville board about this over the years. At least you guys already have your Amtrak connection.  They are talking of a connection for Nashville to Atlanta but that makes little sense as they have to do other connections from Atlanta further south to make it work for them to connect to Miami. If we connect to Memphis, it does little for a connection to Chicago which is what the majority of the people polled want. Yes, I realize you connect to Chicago, but a person would have to go west to go north. Big waste of time.

Most folks want a connection to Louisville then on to Chicago. The connections to Miami would take a lot of work as you have to go to Raleigh from Atlanta and then south, and for me personally I have no reason to go to Knoxville even though I am from NE TN. I don't think the demand would be very high except on UT game days and it would be easier to drive and probably faster at any rate. Getting back to Chicago it makes a lot of sense as there are a lot of transplants from Chicago here already. It is already easier to drive to Atlanta than it is to fly. I can drive to Atlanta faster than I can go to the airport, arrive 2 1/2 hours early, the 1-hour taxi and flight, get my luggage, rent a car, etc. I will beat the flyer to wherever they want to go in Atlanta by driving myself and still have my car.

I think the state will squash this simply because it is coming from the feds on principle only. Rail is too left wing for them.  I am just being more pragmatic in my approach as we have seen this discussion for the last almost 20 years in Nashville. Again, consider yourself fortunate that you already have rial service in Memphis. I am sure if the state had a way to take it away, they would.

Interesting let’s see how it all pans out 

[Memphisborn]

This is serious Memphis getting a strong look @ expanding Amtrak service to Nashville, Chattanooga, Atlanta.  Watch the you tube with Congressman Steve Cohen.

https://www.actionnews5.com/2023/06/06/congressman-questions-amtrack-ceo-status-future-memphis-to-nashville-train-route/?outputType=amp

[MDC26]

On 5/14/2023 at 10:04 AM, smeagolsfree said:

I think it is a pipedream as the state will spend no money on this and rail lobby is too strong. We have had a lot of discussions on the Nashville board about this over the years. At least you guys already have your Amtrak connection.  They are talking of a connection for Nashville to Atlanta but that makes little sense as they have to do other connections from Atlanta further south to make it work for them to connect to Miami. If we connect to Memphis, it does little for a connection to Chicago which is what the majority of the people polled want. Yes, I realize you connect to Chicago, but a person would have to go west to go north. Big waste of time.

Most folks want a connection to Louisville then on to Chicago. The connections to Miami would take a lot of work as you have to go to Raleigh from Atlanta and then south, and for me personally I have no reason to go to Knoxville even though I am from NE TN. I don't think the demand would be very high except on UT game days and it would be easier to drive and probably faster at any rate. Getting back to Chicago it makes a lot of sense as there are a lot of transplants from Chicago here already. It is already easier to drive to Atlanta than it is to fly. I can drive to Atlanta faster than I can go to the airport, arrive 2 1/2 hours early, the 1-hour taxi and flight, get my luggage, rent a car, etc. I will beat the flyer to wherever they want to go in Atlanta by driving myself and still have my car.

I think the state will squash this simply because it is coming from the feds on principle only. Rail is too left wing for them.  I am just being more pragmatic in my approach as we have seen this discussion for the last almost 20 years in Nashville. Again, consider yourself fortunate that you already have rial service in Memphis. I am sure if the state had a way to take it away, they would.

You arrive at the airport 2 1/2 hours early? I’m good if I arrive at the LR airport 1:15 early, but have shown up inside an hour and been fine. Of course it helps having TSA pre-check, and yes I know BNA has more passengers than LIT. 

[MDC26]

Light rail transit will probably never come to fruition to any significance (connections between downtown, Liberty Park, UofM campus, airport). But there may be another (cheaper) option. Many US cities are discussing utilizing gondolas for transit.

The only existing public gondolas in the US are in Portland and NYC (connection Manhattan to Roosevelt island). Both are around 1km in length. Disney World has around 3 miles of gondola lines connecting Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and numerous hotels. I’ve ridden them many times, and they are pleasant to ride. 

Bolivia & Colombia are two countries that have made good use of gondolas for public transit. Capacity isn’t as high as subways, but I think they would be more than enough for demand in Memphis. Could this be a realistic option for Memphis?
https://www.fastcompany.com/90725056/how-urban-gondolas-grew-from-a-tourist-attraction-to-a-viable-transit-option

[Memphisborn]

On 6/26/2023 at 10:26 PM, MDC26 said:

Light rail transit will probably never come to fruition to any significance (connections between downtown, Liberty Park, UofM campus, airport). But there may be another (cheaper) option. Many US cities are discussing utilizing gondolas for transit.

The only existing public gondolas in the US are in Portland and NYC (connection Manhattan to Roosevelt island). Both are around 1km in length. Disney World has around 3 miles of gondola lines connecting Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and numerous hotels. I’ve ridden them many times, and they are pleasant to ride. 

Bolivia & Colombia are two countries that have made good use of gondolas for public transit. Capacity isn’t as high as subways, but I think they would be more than enough for demand in Memphis. Could this be a realistic option for Memphis?
https://www.fastcompany.com/90725056/how-urban-gondolas-grew-from-a-tourist-attraction-to-a-viable-transit-option

Interesting read. This may be a option.

[James Owen]

On 6/26/2023 at 10:26 PM, MDC26 said:

Light rail transit will probably never come to fruition to any significance (connections between downtown, Liberty Park, UofM campus, airport). But there may be another (cheaper) option. Many US cities are discussing utilizing gondolas for transit.

The only existing public gondolas in the US are in Portland and NYC (connection Manhattan to Roosevelt island). Both are around 1km in length. Disney World has around 3 miles of gondola lines connecting Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and numerous hotels. I’ve ridden them many times, and they are pleasant to ride. 

Bolivia & Colombia are two countries that have made good use of gondolas for public transit. Capacity isn’t as high as subways, but I think they would be more than enough for demand in Memphis. Could this be a realistic option for Memphis?
https://www.fastcompany.com/90725056/how-urban-gondolas-grew-from-a-tourist-attraction-to-a-viable-transit-option

I think this would work Downtown as a viable replacement for the monorails at Mud Island, and could potentially be extended over to the Arkansas side of the river if a public-private partnership could be formed between the two states and if it's feasible.

[VSRJ]

Memphis will be the recipient of two major RAISE grant awards: 

https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-announces-significant-raise-grant-funding-382-million

Fact sheets on all the grant funding recipient: https://www.transportation.gov/raisegrants/raise-2023-fact-sheets

Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant funding

Quote

 

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today announced two major RAISE grant awards including $25 million to Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) for its Crosstown Corridor Safety and Multi-Modal Enhancement Program and $13.2 million to Shelby County for its Eliminating Barriers on North Watkins (Project ELBOW). The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“These major projects, which both include important complete streets elements to ensure safety and accessibility for all road users, will transform our community, creating efficient and safe travel corridors where they’re most needed. I was pleased to support these proposals from the outset, intervening with Department of Transportation officials to advocate for their consideration. This investment will lead to a bright future for Memphis drivers and transit riders. I’m also proud that this funding was made possible by the massive investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I supported.”

The funding for MATA’s Crosstown Corridor Safety and Multi-Modal Enhancement Program project will go towards complete streets improvements and Bus Rapid Transit service along an approximately 26-mile corridor. Improvements include sidewalks, enhanced bus stations, intersection improvements and signalization, traffic signal prioritization (TSP), and ADA enhancements.

Project ELBOW’s funding will go towards the design and reconstruction of the bridge over the Wolf River, which will be upgraded to seismic standards and made more accessible during emergency and evacuation events. The project also includes approximately 3.3 miles of complete streets multimodal infrastructure elements, including a separated bicycle lane, mid-block crossings, ADA improvements, and sidewalk improvements on the North Watkins Street corridor at Delano Avenue to North Parkway.

 

CROSSTOWN CORRIDOR SAFETY AND MULTI-MODAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

Project Description: This project will fund complete streets improvements and Bus Rapid Transit service along an approximately 26-mile corridor. Improvements include sidewalks, enhanced bus stations, intersection improvements and signalization, traffic signal prioritization (TSP), and ADA enhancements.

Project Benefits: The project is strong in safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity, state of good repair, and partnership and collaboration. The project implements transit-oriented development that benefits residents and businesses, low-income and disadvantaged
communities, and minimizes displacement with the expanded transit and active transportation network along the Crosstown Corridor. It provides transit access to medical centers, jobs and regions where mobility on-demand is available which increases employment opportunities for these communities. The planning efforts involved MATA’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise office to ensure proactive inclusion of these businesses in the project development and transit jobs opportunities.

ELIMINATING BARRIERS ON NORTH WATKINS (PROJECT ELBOW)

Project Description: This project will fund the design and reconstruction of the bridge over the Wolf River, which will be upgraded to seismic standards and more accessible during emergency and evacuation events. The project also includes approximately 3.3 miles of complete streets multimodal infrastructure elements, including a separated bicycle lane, mid-block crossings, ADA improvements, and sidewalk improvements on the North Watkins Street corridor at Delano Avenue to North Parkway.

Project Benefits: The project is strong in safety, environmental sustainability, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity, and partnership and collaboration. The project will provide enhanced bicycle and pedestrian connections from North Memphis through the addition of sidewalks, bike lanes, multi-use paths, and high visibility crossings. It also provides direct access to transit, which will reduce vehicle dependence. The project includes dedicated time for community engagement during planning and a DBE goal of 12-15%.

[Armacing]

According to this article, Memphis has the worst drivers in the US: 

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4100486-heres-where-americas-worst-drivers-are-found-study/

Perhaps an argument in favor of more mass transit for the citizens of Memphis?

[MDC26]

$500k federal grant towards MEM-NASH-CHATT-ATL passenger rail connection

https://dailymemphian.com/section/metrostate-government/article/40332/memphis-nashville-passenger-rail-atlanta-chattanooga-amtrak

[James Owen]

Officials at TDOT and ArDOT are currently in the process of securing federal grant money to put towards building a new I-55 bridge over the Mississippi River, replacing the existing span that has been in use for over 70 years and would be cost prohibitive to retrofit in order to withstand strong earthquakes.

WREG did a story about it last night:

https://wreg.com/news/mid-south/tn-ar-work-together-on-proposed-new-i-55-bridge/

[TheKernel91]

1 hour ago, James Owen said:

Officials at TDOT and ArDOT are currently in the process of securing federal grant money to put towards building a new I-55 bridge over the Mississippi River, replacing the existing span that has been in use for over 70 years and would be cost prohibitive to retrofit in order to withstand strong earthquakes.

WREG did a story about it last night:

https://wreg.com/news/mid-south/tn-ar-work-together-on-proposed-new-i-55-bridge/

Even though I'm down for another bridge somewhere north of downtown to connect 385, this could solve that issue for a 3rd bridge. As long as they don't shut that one down.

[JTM1]

On 12/12/2023 at 11:16 AM, James Owen said:

Officials at TDOT and ArDOT are currently in the process of securing federal grant money to put towards building a new I-55 bridge over the Mississippi River, replacing the existing span that has been in use for over 70 years and would be cost prohibitive to retrofit in order to withstand strong earthquakes.

WREG did a story about it last night:

https://wreg.com/news/mid-south/tn-ar-work-together-on-proposed-new-i-55-bridge/

I assume they're going to take down the old bridge when the new one is complete. I hope they include lanes for foot and bike traffic in the design. 

[MDC26]

4 hours ago, JTM1 said:

I assume they're going to take down the old bridge when the new one is complete. I hope they include lanes for foot and bike traffic in the design. 

And maybe tracks for light rail to West Memphis?

interestingly, there is a pedestrian pathway on each side of the bridge. I never see anyone using it. 

[JTM1]

On 12/13/2023 at 10:10 PM, MDC26 said:

And maybe tracks for light rail to West Memphis?

interestingly, there is a pedestrian pathway on each side of the bridge. I never see anyone using it. 

I hadn't given that a thought, but that make sense.