Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority
Encyclopedia
The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is a public transportation agency based in Nashville
, Tennessee
. Consisting of city buses and paratransit, the system serves Nashville and Davidson County
. All bus routes serve the downtown transit station, Music City Central. This makes MTA the largest transit agency where all bus routes terminate in a Central Business District
with no crosstown service, with the exception of the Edmondson Pike Connector (route 72) and Madison Connector (route 76).
The MTA was the only transit agency in the country to implement payment with credit card at the fare box. That proof of payment approach has since been discontinued March 2009.
Due to the flood in May, 2010, Nashville MTA suffered losses to their fleet and their maintenance/administration offices. The total losses amounted to 42 buses, nearly 50 paratransit vans, various other support vehicles and severe damage caused to both the maintenance/administration offices and to the Riverfront Music City Star train station. Service was interrupted for 4 days, with limited service being restored afterwards for the next four weeks. In early June, 2010, Nashville MTA obtained loaner buses and other vehicles from surrounding transit agencies, including Memphis, Cincinnati, Clarksville and others. Regular transit service was restored shortly thereafter.
or Lakewood
, some service is provided, though, to Belle Meade
, Berry Hill
, Goodlettsville
and Oak Hill
. Outside of Davidson County, MTA collaborates with the Regional Transportation Authority to provide express service to Brentwood
, Franklin
, Gallatin
, Hendersonville
, Lavergne, Smyrna
, Murfreesboro
and Spring Hill
. Beginning March 1, 2011, MTA/RTA began service to Joelton and Springfield via the 89X Springfield/Joelton Express. MTA also provides connecting bus service with the Music City Star
at Riverfront Station
in downtown Nashville (linked by downtown shuttles), and Donelson
and Hermitage
stations within Nashville along the system's East Corridor Line.
MTA’S AccessRide also provides elderly people with a way to get to doctors appointments and pick up medication.
program where riders can park their cars in a designated parking lot and ride the bus into town.
Most riders make use of the park-n-ride program to get to places like LP Field
and local restaurants
Gillig Low-Floor 40 ft (12.2 m).
Neoplan Transliner Articulated Bus*
Nova Rapid Transit Series #2*
North American Bus Industries 60 ft (18.3 m). Hybrid Articulated Bus*
(BRT) line. On September 27, 2009, MTA implemented the first phase of its new BRT service on the Gallatin Road corridor, designated as route 56 which supplements the multiple stop service of route 26. Covering 12 miles (19.3 km), this BRT service operates from Music City Central to the edge of Sumner County just north of RiverGate Mall. Passengers experience fewer stops and more frequent buses as they travel along one of Nashville's busiest corridors on all new 60 feet (18.3 m), articulated, fuel-efficient hybrid buses. BRT buses stop at designated stops that are marked with a green "BRT stop" sign.
During the second phase of BRT in spring 2010, more customer amenities were added. Gallatin Road intersections have Green Light Extenders that allow the traffic signals to stay green longer as a bus approaches. In addition, each station stop features new enhanced passenger waiting areas.
Once this new BRT service is fully implemented, a second high use corridor will be identified for implementation and funding.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Consisting of city buses and paratransit, the system serves Nashville and Davidson County
Davidson County, Tennessee
Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
. All bus routes serve the downtown transit station, Music City Central. This makes MTA the largest transit agency where all bus routes terminate in a Central Business District
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
with no crosstown service, with the exception of the Edmondson Pike Connector (route 72) and Madison Connector (route 76).
The MTA was the only transit agency in the country to implement payment with credit card at the fare box. That proof of payment approach has since been discontinued March 2009.
History
The first public transportation in Nashville began in 1860 when the McGavock and Mt. Vernon Horse Railroad Company and the South Nashville Street Railroad Company were joined together to create a public transportation system using steam and mules to power rail cars. The first electric streetcar in Nashville came in 1889. Over the years, several different companies offered transit in Nashville. The first buses came in 1926, as a complement to the preceding rail lines. In 1930, Tennessee Electric Power Company took over the transit system and phased out streetcars 10 years later. In 1953, the company was reorganized and changed its name to Nashville Transit Company. The next 20 years saw the decline of public transportation in Nashville and the rise of the automobile. This led to higher fares and service cutbacks for the transit system. In order to keep public transportation in the city viable, Metro-Nashville government purchased the Nashville Transit Company and created the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1973.Due to the flood in May, 2010, Nashville MTA suffered losses to their fleet and their maintenance/administration offices. The total losses amounted to 42 buses, nearly 50 paratransit vans, various other support vehicles and severe damage caused to both the maintenance/administration offices and to the Riverfront Music City Star train station. Service was interrupted for 4 days, with limited service being restored afterwards for the next four weeks. In early June, 2010, Nashville MTA obtained loaner buses and other vehicles from surrounding transit agencies, including Memphis, Cincinnati, Clarksville and others. Regular transit service was restored shortly thereafter.
MTA System
The MTA bus system serves all of Nashville and Davidson County. While no bus service is directly provided to the autonomous Davidson County incorporated communities of Forest HillsForest Hills, Tennessee
Forest Hills is a city in Davidson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,710 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Forest Hills is bordered by Old Hickory Boulevard on the south, Granny White Pike on the east, Harding Place on the north, and Hillsboro Pike on the north...
or Lakewood
Lakewood, Tennessee
Lakewood is a community in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,302 at the 2010 census.- History :Originally incorporated as Dupontonia in 1959 , the city changed its name to Lakewood and reincorporated in 1961...
, some service is provided, though, to Belle Meade
Belle Meade, Tennessee
Belle Meade is a city in Davidson County, Tennessee, United States, within Nashville.-Overview:In 1963, it was absorbed into the metropolitan government of Nashville-Davidson County, however, it retains its independent city status, and its residents pay taxes both to the Metro government and to the...
, Berry Hill
Berry Hill, Tennessee
Berry Hill is a city in Davidson County, Tennessee, United States. According to the 2000 census, the city had a population of 674.-History:Much of the area of Berry Hill was originally owned by William Tyler Berry and his descendants. Berry died in 1889....
, Goodlettsville
Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Goodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,780. Goodlettsville chose to remain autonomous in 1963...
and Oak Hill
Oak Hill, Tennessee
Oak Hill is a city in Davidson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,493 at the 2000 census. The Tennessee governor's mansion is located in the city...
. Outside of Davidson County, MTA collaborates with the Regional Transportation Authority to provide express service to Brentwood
Brentwood, Tennessee
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,445 people, 7,693 households, and 6,808 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,889 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.63% European American, 1.89% African American,...
, Franklin
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
, Gallatin
Gallatin, Tennessee
Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, along a navigable tributary of the Cumberland River. The population was 23,230 at the 2000 census. Named for U.S...
, Hendersonville
Hendersonville, Tennessee
Hendersonville is a city in Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, on Old Hickory Lake. The population was 51,372 at the 2010 census. Hendersonville is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located 18 miles northeast of downtown Nashville. The city was settled around 1784 by...
, Lavergne, Smyrna
Smyrna, Tennessee
Smyrna is a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. Smyrna's population was 25,569 people at the 2000 census. The Census estimate of the 2009 population is 39,142.-Geography:Smyrna is located at ....
, Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
and Spring Hill
Spring Hill, Tennessee
Spring Hill is a city in Maury and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, located approximately south of Nashville. The population was 7,715 at the 2000 census...
. Beginning March 1, 2011, MTA/RTA began service to Joelton and Springfield via the 89X Springfield/Joelton Express. MTA also provides connecting bus service with the Music City Star
Music City Star
The Music City Star is a regional rail service running between Nashville and Lebanon, Tennessee. The service uses the existing track of the Nashville and Eastern Railroad. The line currently has six stops: Riverfront Station, Donelson, Hermitage, Mt. Juliet, Martha , and Lebanon. The operation...
at Riverfront Station
Nashville Riverfront (Music City Star station)
Nashville Riverfront is a station on Nashville's regional rail line, the Music City Star. It currently serves as the western terminus for the line. The station is located at 108 South 1st Avenue in downtown Nashville near the Shelby Street Bridge...
in downtown Nashville (linked by downtown shuttles), and Donelson
Donelson (Music City Star station)
Donelson is a station on Nashville's regional rail line, the Music City Star. Service began 18 September 2006.-External links:*...
and Hermitage
Hermitage (Music City Star station)
Hermitage is a station on Nashville's regional rail line, the Music City Star. Service began 18 September 2006.-External links:*...
stations within Nashville along the system's East Corridor Line.
Bus Route List
- 1 100 Oaks
- 2 Belmont
- 3 West End/White Bridge Road
- 4 Shelby
- 5 West End/Belluve
- 6 Lebanon Road
- 7 Hillsboro
- 8 8th Avenue South
- 9 MetroCenter
- 10 Charlotte
- 11 West End/Belmont
- 12 Nolensville Road
- 14 Whites Creek
- 15 Murfeesboro Road
- 17 12th Avenue South
- 18 Airport/Elm Hill Pike
- 19 Herman
- 20 Scott
- 22 Bordeaux
- 23 Dickerson Road
- 24X Bellevue Express
- 25 Midtown
- 26 Gallatin Road
- 28 Meridian
- 30 McFerrin
- 33X Hickory Hollow Mall/Old Hickory Express
- 34 Opry Mills
- 35X Rivergate Express
- 37X Tusculum/McMurray Express
- 38X Antioch Express
- 39X Cane Ridge Express
- 41 Golden Valley
- 42 St. Cecilia/Cumberland
- 44 MTA Shuttle
- 56 Gallatin Road BRT
- 60 Music City Blue Circuit
- 61 Music City Green Circuit
- 62 Music City Purple Circuit
- 72 Edmondson Pike Connector
- 75 Antioch BusLink
- 76 Madison Connector
- 89X Springfield/Joelton Express
- 91X Franklin/Brentwood Express
- 92X Gallatin/Hendersonville Express
- 93 Music City Star West End Shuttle
- 95X Spring Hill Express
- 96X Nashville/Murfreesboro Relax & Ride
AccessRide
MTA offers a paratransit service operating specialized van services for people with disabilities unable to use regular bus routes. AccessRide provides door-to-door paratransit service in Davidson County within 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from a regular bus route.MTA’S AccessRide also provides elderly people with a way to get to doctors appointments and pick up medication.
Park-n-Ride
MTA also has a Park-n-RidePark and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
program where riders can park their cars in a designated parking lot and ride the bus into town.
Most riders make use of the park-n-ride program to get to places like LP Field
LP Field
LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
and local restaurants
Fleet
MTA operates four varieties of buses in their normal operations.Gillig Low-Floor 40 ft (12.2 m).
Neoplan Transliner Articulated Bus*
Nova Rapid Transit Series #2*
North American Bus Industries 60 ft (18.3 m). Hybrid Articulated Bus*
Bus Rapid Transit
After years of study, MTA secured taxpayer funding to purchase the vehicles necessary for a bus rapid transitBus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
(BRT) line. On September 27, 2009, MTA implemented the first phase of its new BRT service on the Gallatin Road corridor, designated as route 56 which supplements the multiple stop service of route 26. Covering 12 miles (19.3 km), this BRT service operates from Music City Central to the edge of Sumner County just north of RiverGate Mall. Passengers experience fewer stops and more frequent buses as they travel along one of Nashville's busiest corridors on all new 60 feet (18.3 m), articulated, fuel-efficient hybrid buses. BRT buses stop at designated stops that are marked with a green "BRT stop" sign.
During the second phase of BRT in spring 2010, more customer amenities were added. Gallatin Road intersections have Green Light Extenders that allow the traffic signals to stay green longer as a bus approaches. In addition, each station stop features new enhanced passenger waiting areas.
Once this new BRT service is fully implemented, a second high use corridor will be identified for implementation and funding.
Music City Central
In May 2007, MTA began construction of Music City Central, a downtown transfer station that replaced the outdoor Downtown Transit Mall on Deaderick Street. The facility opened to the public on Oct. 26, 2008. Music City Central is a two-story facility with climate-controlled waiting areas. Riders can buy tickets, check bus schedules, and shop at a convenience store or Dunkin' Donuts located at the facility. A multi-story public parking garage is located above the transfer portion of the facility.Ticket Cost
The cost of tickets mainly depends on the riders age and the number of days or rides the ticket permits. An adult ticket allowing 31 days of unlimited rides (31-day pass) will typically cost less than that of a youth. Some riders receive special discounts because of mental or physical disability.Music City Circuit
The Music City Circuit is a free circulator bus service in downtown Nashville, began March 29, 2010. It operates three lines- the Blue Circuit, serving Bicentennial Mall, the Green Circuit, serving the Gulch, and the Purple Circuit, serving Richard H. Fulton Complex. The Blue Circuit operates 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, and 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Likewise, the Green Circuit operates 6:30 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 11:00 a.m. to midnight Saturdays. The Purple Circuit operates 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays. The introduction of the Music City Circuit replaced Route 94 Music City Star Downtown Shuttle.External links
- Nashville MTA Web site
- http://www.nashvillemta.org/musiccitycentral/
- http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=49436
- http://busexplorer.com/PHP/MidPage.php?id=454
- Nova BusNova BusNova Bus is a Canadian bus manufacturer in North America, owned by Volvo Buses, and headquartered in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada.- History :The factory was originally a General Motors plant for building city transit buses intended for the Canadian market...
- http://www.masstransitmag.com/web/online/Industry-Announcements/Mayor-Dean-Rides-New-MTA-60-Foot-Hybrid-Bus-to-be-used-in-First-Phase-of-BRT/1$8419
- http://www.nashvillemta.org/setpage.asp?page=musiccitycircuit.html