RTA approves rail-design costs
By My-Ly Nguyen
Diversity Institute Fellow
07.27.02
The Regional Transportation Authority board approved plans July 17 to move forward with the $37.6 million commuter rail project that will connect Nashville to Lebanon.
The eastern leg of the commuter rail, which will cover 32 miles, is the first of five planned routes to link downtown Nashville and outlying suburban areas.
The region must consider mass transit for several reasons, including traffic congestion and the lack of space to build more roads, said Timothy Hooper, public information officer of the RTA.
At its regular meeting, the board agreed to an RTA subcommittee’s estimate of the local and state share of final design costs, which is about 10 percent each or $302,197 apiece.
The subcommittee, known as the East Corridor Oversight Committee, met July 9 to determine these cost estimates.
The federal share of the final design is about $2.4 million or 80 percent. This money will come from the Federal Transit Administration.
RTA Executive Director Eric Beyer said the funds will be used to cover all of the engineering costs for the project, up to the construction phase.
The final design phase will include improvement to the tracks, railroad and coordinating infrastructure, as well as the update of station, platform and ramp designs, said Hooper.
The commuter rail will run on existing Nashville and Eastern Railroad lines that will be upgraded to commuter rail standards and shared with freight trains.
"We are the last of the 80-20 split under FTA’s New Starts program," said Hooper.
The New Starts program is an FTA capital investment program for new transit projects.
Hooper said subsequent projects under the program will be split equally between federal, state and local sources.
The RTA board approved the cost estimates, despite a $17,323 funding deficit.
"I think we can work through that," said board member Tom Atchley.
The East Corridor Oversight Committee will address the funding shortage at its July 23 meeting.