Presorted Standard Regional Transportation Authority U.S. Postage 501 Union Street, Sixth Floor PAID Nashville, TN 37219-1705 Nashville, TN Permit No. 1457 Vol. 5 Moving Middle Forward Winter 2006 Upcoming Meetings American Public Transportation Association Celebrates The Star The Regional Transportation Authority is the population is expected to grow 42% by pleased to share with our Music City Star 2025. The area is also home to 19 colleges Notes readers that the American Public Trans- and universities. In 2000, The Employment portation Association published an article Review listed Nashville as one of the 15 best updating their members nationwide about the cities in which to live and work, making it construction progress of the Music City Star an even more attractive place for businesses Mini-High Platform for Mobility Impaired (MCS). The article appeared in the January and families to relocate. In fact, just last year in a steel price and saved the project sev- 30, 2006 edition of the weekly newsletter, (November 2005) the Nissan Corporation an- eral hundred thousand dollars,” says Allyson Passenger Transport, and is re-printed, along nounced it will move its corporate headquar- Shumate, project manager. with photos of the construction sites, below ters to the region from the Los Angeles area. for your enjoyment. The MCS East Corridor project is breaking The MCS East Corridor is much anticipated new ground in other innovative ways. Be- by many in the region and it is being embraced sides the low capital costs, the project has by federal and local leaders because it is being had tremendous support from its partners. built for just under $40 million dollars. That is “Getting three cities, two counties, state and less than any other in the coun- federal entities together was a coup. This Upcoming Meetings try. This fi gure includes track improvements, project is the best example of regionalism that RTA Board Meetings station construction, crossing upgrades, bridge there is, where everyone comes together in the replacements and administrative costs among best interest of the region and the residents,” 3rd Wednesday each month others. “It’s quite amazing that what we are says Bill Orange, RTA Board Chairman and 10:00 a.m. doing for $40 million is what some systems Cheatham County Mayor. Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency Bridge over Stoner’s Creek spend for a single station,” says Kevin Walker, 1101 Kermit Drive, Nashville, TN MCS, Tennessee’s fi rst commuter rail, is sol- project engineer and resident engineer with “The Tennessee Department of Transportation idly on track to begin operation in the second Neel-Schaffer, Inc. has provided in-kind marketing assistance Music City Star East Corridor half of 2006. and has committed to $0.4 million annu- Oversight Committee (ECOC) Meetings The Regional Transportation Authority ally through its operating assistance program. 2nd & 4th Tuesdays each month In November of last year, the U.S. Congress (RTA), the lead agency for the rail project, Nashville’s Metropolitan Transit Authority 10:00 a.m. approved six million dollars in federal funding has been able to keep the capital costs low (Continues next page) Metropolitan Transit Authority for the project for the 2006 Fiscal Year paving by acquiring retired rail cars from Chicago 130 Nestor Street, Nashville, TN the way for construction to continue on this by transferring remaining federal in- In This Issue much-needed transportation alternative for the terest. Additionally, when the project was APTA Celebrates The Star ...... 1-2 Visit our website: growing region. put out to bid in spring of 2004, steel prices www.musiccitystar.org were extremely volatile. “The RTA found Message from RTA Chairman, The MCS East Corridor connects suburban it diffi cult for companies to give us long- Mayor Bill Orange ...... 2 Contact: Wilson County to Metropolitan Nashville. A Alabama Offi cials Tour The Star Site ...... 2 To Schedule a Music City Star or Operation Lifesaver regional commuter transit network is planned The Star’s Federal Funding Approved..... 2 Presentation for your group, contact for the nine-county area, but this corridor was Teresa McKissick selected fi rst for two reasons: 1) because of Riverfront Station History...... 3 Marketing Coordinator the existence of a public railroad with avail- Construction Update ...... 3 615.862.8833 able capacity and 2) because 2000 United Community Connections ...... 4 [email protected] States Census data show that 45% of Wilson County residents commute into Nashville/ Articles contributed by: Teresa McKissick – RTA Write to: Davidson County each workday. Customer Service RTA Photos contributed by: Deb Varallo – Varallo Public Relations, 501 Union Street, Sixth Floor In addition, the sheer statistics of the Metro Nashville, TN 37219-1705 Allyson Shumate – RTA, Nashville area make commuter rail necessary. Music City Star at Riverfront Station Terry BeBout – Nashville and Eastern Railroad 615.862.8833 Authority Email to: [email protected] Metro Nashville has some of the most con- term bids because of the volatile market. gested thoroughfares in the country, increas- Therefore, we took the steel cost out of the Teresa McKissick – RTA Design by: To request this information in an alternate format ing the travel time for commuters. Currently bid and purchased the steel directly from L.B. the region is home to 1.2 million people and Foster Company. This enabled us to lock Jully Chung – Booz Allen Hamilton please call 615.862.8833 1 Riverfront Station History Message from RTA are relocating to the area and want to learn more CONSTRUCTION UPDATE about how they can use the to get to and from work. The Star’s Riverfront Station has a rich history cars that were loaded with goods from the Board Chairman, in Nashville. It was built circa 1902 and was warehouses on the West side of the tracks. Construction continues at each of This excitement is especially invigorating for those of us who have Mayor Bill Orange the old Tennessee Central Railway Passenger Today, those warehouses are home to the Hard the stations. The outlying stations worked on the project for the past eight years. It all began with Station. Some of the tracks at the station were Rock Café, B.B. King’s Blues & Rhythm will be Park & Ride facilities, where market studies and surveys, then we had the incredible assignment also used for freight service. Kitchen, the Spaghetti Factory and various commuters will park their cars and of getting three cities, two counties, state and federal entities Recently, there have been many stories about The Star Commuter other restaurants and shops. board the train. The lots will be together. After that, came the planning and design components. Passenger service at the station ended in 1955. Rail service in local newspapers, on radio and in television reports. patrolled by local police offi cers. The All of this work fi nally started to come together in the fall of 2004 After that, the site was used for storage and In a few short months, those tracks will be It is a pleasure to see the media interest in the train increase, but Riverfront Station will have a building when construction began. freight. The entire area that we refer to today active once again; this time with commuters what is even more refreshing is the increasing number of queries with restrooms and small retail. as Riverfront and Riverfront Park was covered pouring into Downtown Nashville heading to from interested commuters. Today, I am proud of the work the staff, our contractors, the RTA with tracks. work. For many, it will be a bit of nostalgia, Work also continues on the temporary Board of Directors and the East Corridor Oversight Committee seeing pull into the Riverfront again. The Regional Transportation Authority staff members say they are station in the Martha Community. have put into this historic venture for our region and state. As Rail tracks covered what is now First Avenue, And for a new generation, it will be an excit- Initially, that station was scheduled taking a number of phone calls and e-mails every week from people I drive along the corridor, it gives me great pleasure to see the along where the current Nashboro Park is ing and reliable commuting alternative that to open after the launch of service. who live along the corridor and want to get more information about stations being built and I know it is just a matter of time before located. Those tracks were fi lled with freight will create a new set of memories. The Star. They are also getting calls from people out of state, who those stations are fi lled with commuters going to and from work. However, as it is anticipated that the Martha Station will be heavily utilized by commuters from neighboring APTA Celebrates The Star Birmingham, Alabama Appropriations conference report. This funding paves the way for the commuter rail communities, a temporary station will (Continued from previous page) Offi cials Tour The Star to begin service in late summer. open at the time The Star launches will provide ticket sales, public information Site service. It will be located at State and connecting and shadow bus services “Everyone with the Regional Transportation Route 109 and Powell Grove Road. to get commuters from rail stations In October, as part of its Inter-City visit, the Authority [RTA] is elated that the funds to their workplace. “Our suburban cities will Birmingham Chamber of Commerce took a have been approved. This will allow us to also provide security at the stations, as well as tour of The Star construction site. The tour complete a project that we have worked on maintenance and utilities support,” says Bill was the feature of the group’s transportation for many years. We are thankful to U.S. Farquhar, commuter rail director and RTA break out session. The City of Birmingham is Senators Bill Frist and Lamar Alexander interim executive director. The Nashville exploring building a rail system for its city. and U.S. Congressmen Jim Cooper and Bart Freight Depot on 1st Avenue 1958 Riverfront Station Rendering 6-23-04 and Eastern Railroad is contributing the local Gordon for the dedication they have shown match for improvements to the right-of-way. this project and the community,” says RTA Board Chairman and Cheatham County Currently, construction continues including Mayor Bill Orange. building each of the six stations and their amenities. Riverfront, the destination The Music City Star East Corridor will station, will be the only one to have an indoor provide commuter rail passenger service facility with restrooms and space for retail. between Downtown Nashville’s Riverfront Riverfront Station 3-19-06 It is located near downtown businesses, Station and the City of Lebanon in Wilson condominiums and apartments. Each station County. The 32-mile rail service has six will have mini-high platforms and bridge plates that make boarding easy for mobility planned stations in Lebanon, Martha, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Mt. Juliet, Hermitage, Donelson and the impaired passengers. The platform is manual Riverfront Station Excavation 11-24-04 Riverfront Station Grading 8-25-05 and it is easy for the conductor to use. destination station, Riverfront.

The next steps include completing “We are extremely thankful to the efforts The Star Gets Federal Website: www.oli.org construction, implementing an aggressive of Senators Frist and Alexander and marketing plan to employers and commuters, Funding…Plans for Late Congressmen Cooper and Gordon for their Trains can’t stop quickly. . . you can! educating the local community on commuter unprecedented support and commitment rail and running demonstration trains. The Summer Launch to carrying the full appropriations amount A fully loaded freight train traveling at 55 mph takes a mile or more, after fully applying the brakes, to stop while a passenger MCS East Corridor has been in the works for to the funding committees. Without their In November, the U.S. Congress approved $6 vehicle requires an average of 200 feet in an emergency. the past 10 years from concept to completion unwavering support, the project would not million in appropriations for the construction and all involved are proud to announce that be where it is today,” says Bill Farquhar, Operation Lifesaver of The Star. The funds were included in the the train is pulling into the station in 2006! Director of the Commuter Rail project and Fiscal Year 2006 Transportation, Treasury, If you suspect a signal is malfunctioning, call the 1-800 number posted on or near the crossing signal Website: www.apta.com Interim Executive Director for the Regional (1-866-503-1158 for the Music City Star East Corridor) or your local law enforcement agency. Judiciary and Housing & Urban Development Transportation Authority. 2 3