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[Enron]

People may not realize this but the AMP was to run down the middle of the road with stations in the middle of the road and thus passengers would have to cross the road to board or exit.

lol, what?

 

[Vyrance]

Banning a form of mass transit, what

 

[devilhawk]

People may not realize this but the AMP was to run down the middle of the road with stations in the middle of the road and thus passengers would have to cross the road to board or exit.



Metrorail is a proposed alternative for another area of Nashville and it oddly has strong support.

And AMP was also to run from East Nashville (poorest area) through downtown to West Nashville (richest area). The homes alongside the eastern endpoint area are less than a hundred thousand. The homes alongside the western endpoint area are million dollar or more mansions.

There is definitely more at work here than "LOL Republicans." Especially with Democrats voting for it.

I would imagine that there would be platforms in the middle of the street, right? For people to stand on while waiting?

 

[AndyD]

lol, what?

Yep. Here's a concept video. Platforms in the middle with crosswalks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pnrJ3V0q_I

Sounds cool for a suburb area maybe, but the road where this is proposed is incredibly crowded as it is, I drive it almost daily. There are already buses serving the route shown, and they don't get much ridership. So while the idea may be good, it may just not be right for that exact location/route.

 

[Goodlife]

Wait, so because people didn't like one proposal for a bus schemes (which may be fair enough, not all proposals are good) they have banned all new bus schemes, across the state?
Have I got that right?

 

[Bulbo Urethral Baggins]

Thank god there was somebody out there that cares for the safety of poor people.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Poor people use buses and you don't want those cats getting in the way of prosperity.

I was thinking this is code word for 'no Black's or Brown's'.

South has been anti bus for decades. Just say the phrase 'busing them in' and they get jittery. They don't even like it for church.

 

[AndyD]

Wait, so because people didn't like one proposal for a bus schemes (which may be fair enough, not all proposals are good) they have banned all new bus schemes, across the state?
Have I got that right?

No. They are preventing this project on this route.

peaker Beth Harwell said after the Senate vote that she opposes The Amp's current route but does not want to "tie the hands" of the Dean administration.

The route has a lot to do with it. There are honestly other parts of the city that would be better served by this, or smaller versions of this.

 

[slit]

What a wonderful country we live in. The crooks can buy and sell the entire federal, state and local gov't and don't even need to hide it anymore.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

Sigh. So much of America just makes me so depressed.

Move to England bruv

 

[figadapaura]

How could anybody ever think this is a good idea? Who benefits from this?

 

[GaimeGuy]

Self-parody doesn't even begin to describe this kind of stuff. It's like the Koch bros are just fucking with the right now.

They're fucking with my country. I couldn't care less about political games when they're sabotaging the well-being of millions through their bullshit.

And I say this while living like 900 miles away from TN

 

[Stet]

People may not realize this but the AMP was to run down the middle of the road with stations in the middle of the road and thus passengers would have to cross the road to board or exit.

Oh nooooo they'd have to cross the road??

 

[Crocodile]

Real talk, fuck every city without a respectable transit system :/

If I'm understanding what's going on (it seems so stupid I feel like I have to assume I'm missing something) this just seems like a short-sighted way to fuck over poor people, increase congestion, increase pollution, waste energy, etc. :/

SO STUPID

 

[Makai]

Any conservatives in the house that can explain the rationality behind this?

 

[iamaustrian]

That's probably the most stupid thing I've heard in a while.
only in america

a bus ban. wtf?

smh

 

[entremet]

Wow. Just wow.

Reads like an Onion article.

 

[charlequin]

lol, what?

It's a thing a lot of systems are looking into now. Having stops in the center of the street allows for level loading, which makes for much more efficient stops and greater accessibility for disabled riders; having triggered lights keeps the bus on schedule efficiently. It's basically just taking the principles of urban light rail and applying them to freestanding bus transit.

I have no idea if it's an appropriate choice for development in Nashville (good transit policy is incredibly specific to the place it's being applied), but a statewide ban is the worst kind of corrupt nonsense.

Any conservatives in the house that can explain the rationality behind this?

This is only a conservative policy in the sense that America's corrupt oligarchs are primarily de facto conservatives like the Kochs; I don't think anyone would defend this ban specifically as a reasonable application of conservative political theory.

 

[Fenderputty]

What a Koch.

This made me laugh. Then I got sad.

 

[slit]

We should just go back to the early part of the 20th century and have street cars with power lines and concrete islands in the middle of the streets.

 

[Baby Milo]

Added.

States to never live in:

Florida
South Carolina
North Carolina
Missouri
Oklahoma
Tennessee

2 new states in 2 days!



Fixed for accuracy.[/QUOTE

shits easy bruh i just go with every flyover state

 

[AnotherNils]

South has been anti bus for decades

Fucking Rosa Parks had to ruin it for everyone.

 

[The Technomancer]

This doesn't even make any goddamn sense. Public transit is how most people who work for Koch companies probably get to work

 

[AnotherNils]

Any conservatives in the house that can explain the rationality behind this?

Not a conservative, but I think the shorthand is this required government funding and the government spending money is bad.

 

[AnotherNils]

This doesn't even make any goddamn sense. Public transit is how most people who work for Koch companies probably get to work

The free market and charities will get Koch employees to work. No need for pesky government interference.

 

[Sendaquill]

No. They are preventing this project on this route.

Yeah, the actual wording of the bill makes this ban sound a lot narrower than the OP:

This amendment prohibits metropolitan governments and any transit authorities created by a metropolitan government from constructing, maintaining or operating any bus rapid transit system using a separate lane, or other separate right-of-way, dedicated solely to the use of such bus rapid transit system on any state highway or state highway right-of-way unless the project to do so is approved by the legislative body of the metropolitan government and by the commissioner of transportation. This amendment also prohibits such entities from loading or discharging passengers at any point within the boundary lines of a state highway or state highway right-of-way not adjacent to the right-hand, lateral curb line, or in the absence of curb lines, the right-hand, lateral boundary line or edge of the roadway.

http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/billinfo/BillSummaryArchive.aspx?BillNumber=SB2243&ga=108

 

[Crunchy20XX]

I've lived in Tennessee my whole life and have lived in Nashville for about two years. I've also worked in the news industry for going on five years. This place is strange. The city is almost at direct odds with state government. Nashville is fast-growing and progressive, while the state government is archaic and totally white-washed with one way of thinking. This most recent ban is just another in a long line of bonehead decisions made by the state. The state legislature recently "condemned" the University of Tennessee for hosting a sex education week and has been trying hard to push a law allowing guns in parks. I just don't get it.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Yep. Here's a concept video. Platforms in the middle with crosswalks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pnrJ3V0q_I

Sounds cool for a suburb area maybe, but the road where this is proposed is incredibly crowded as it is, I drive it almost daily. There are already buses serving the route shown, and they don't get much ridership. So while the idea may be good, it may just not be right for that exact location/route.

The Cleveland bus system on the east side uses the center lanes and it works beautifully. It's not like people don't already cross the street.

 

[old]

Because building infrastructure is bad. Unless it's privately owned.

 

[DryvBy]

Sigh. So much of America just makes me so depressed.

I currently live in TN. No idea why I moved here. TN is the most depressing place I've ever lived.

On top of it, these are the 2nd worse drivers I've ever seen (in East TN, at least). I'm almost certain the way you get a driver's license here is to buy a Cracker Jack box.

 

[phxxBullet]

I read this as, Tennessee passes statewide ban on bus rapist transist and I was very confuse. Carry on.

So I read the thread title as, "Tennessee passes statewide ban on bus rapist transit."

Same here, was wondering about that rape thing, that's why I clicked on it haha

 

[The Technomancer]

Yep. Here's a concept video. Platforms in the middle with crosswalks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pnrJ3V0q_I

Sounds cool for a suburb area maybe, but the road where this is proposed is incredibly crowded as it is, I drive it almost daily. There are already buses serving the route shown, and they don't get much ridership. So while the idea may be good, it may just not be right for that exact location/route.

Er what? Looks like there's still an actual rail platform in the middle of the road unless I missed something. We have those kind of platforms in downtown Minneapolis and its fine

 

[onadesertedisland]

Gotta make 'Merica like the old days. Can't be havin' them bus sittin' freedoms if there ain't no bus, cans ya?

 

[ElRenoRaven]

Holy crap and I thought Oklahoma here was bad. We don't hate mass transit at least.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Er what? Looks like there's still an actual rail platform in the middle of the road unless I missed something. We have those kind of platforms in downtown Minneapolis and its fine

And we even have them in the worst part of downtown (The warehouse district/hennepin ave station gets off right in front of the Gay 90s, Sneaky Pete's, Dreamgirls)!

Then again, it's Minnesota. We're pratically Canadian.

 

[Enron]

Yeah, the actual wording of the bill makes this ban sound a lot narrower than the OP:



http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/billinfo/BillSummaryArchive.aspx?BillNumber=SB2243&ga=108

Oh wow. This is WAY different than the clickbait thread title. OP fail. We've all been discussing essentially nothing.

 

[Vyroxis]

I'm sure this is what stopped them. Lots of people in Tennessee won't give up their land even for something good like bus transist.

They dont have to give it up, the city can just use Emiment Domain and fuck land owners over. Now thats its banned though, no worries.

 

[HallucinatingElvis]

Oh, don't even mention light rail to these people. That's a Pandora's Box of communism, socialism and Marxism all wrapped up into one.

I live in one of the libbiest areas that ever libbed, and we have light rail. Hell, we were among the first in America to have light rail. But you've never heard epic whining - even here - until you've heard responses to proposals to expand light rail service to outer suburbs. "We don't need light rail, we need MOAR ROADS!" I can't imagine how a rail proposal would go over in a red state.

Portland?

 

[SwiftDeath]

Yep. Here's a concept video. Platforms in the middle with crosswalks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pnrJ3V0q_I

Sounds cool for a suburb area maybe, but the road where this is proposed is incredibly crowded as it is, I drive it almost daily. There are already buses serving the route shown, and they don't get much ridership. So while the idea may be good, it may just not be right for that exact location/route.

all right now it sounds like they need to take it back to the drawing boards and try it again

But seriously how hard is designing a bus stop?

 

[ShutEye]

What exactly does the Koch machine hate about buses? Are they just determined to prevent any government anywhere in the USA from ever providing any service? Except of course regressive kick backs.

The US is so fucked. I feel sorry for you guys.

 

[AlphaTwo00]

Is this Toronto? Rob Ford just popped a boner hearing this news.

 

[fallagin]

It is pretty amazing how much red states are trying to fuck themselves in the ass. It's like they want a disadvantage vs the blue states. Next they are going to ban public roads.

 

[mavs]

Yeah, the actual wording of the bill makes this ban sound a lot narrower than the OP:



http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/billinfo/BillSummaryArchive.aspx?BillNumber=SB2243&ga=108

You bolded the wrong sentence. Though perhaps not many people would interpret "bus rapid transit" as "dropping people off at stations in the middle of the road"

 

[dr3upmushroom]

What the fuck is up with all this "banning" sounds like fucking big gov't to me. So what does this entail? No more buses or just no more expansions.

What exactly does the Koch machine hate about buses? Are they just determined to prevent any government anywhere in the USA from ever providing any service? Except of course regressive kick backs.

don't know about them specifically but iirc the auto company was pretty instrumental in uprooting trolley systems in towns. So yea i assume they got money to make somewhere.

 

[Valnen]

Pesky Bill of Rights! You're right, we should totally abolish the 10th Amendment.

The constitution isn't a holy document. This is going to do nothing but hurt people, so it shouldn't be allowed to happen.

Why are you okay with something that will only hurt poor people?

 

[HK-47]

Is this Toronto? Rob Ford just popped a boner hearing this news.

At least Ford is an alcoholic and drug addict. I'm just sure what possible excuse you could make for these fuckers.

 

[HK-47]

It is pretty amazing how much red states are trying to fuck themselves in the ass. It's like they want a disadvantage vs the blue states. Next they are going to ban public roads.

They already are. Arent the blue states supporting the money pits that are many red states, especially in the deep south?

 

[cashman]

Oh, don't even mention light rail to these people. That's a Pandora's Box of communism, socialism and Marxism all wrapped up into one.

I live in one of the libbiest areas that ever libbed, and we have light rail. Hell, we were among the first in America to have light rail. But you've never heard epic whining - even here - until you've heard responses to proposals to expand light rail service to outer suburbs. "We don't need light rail, we need MOAR ROADS!" I can't imagine how a rail proposal would go over in a red state.
)

It went over well enough in Dallas. The Dart is a decent way to get downtown.

 

[Hitokage]

Oh wow. This is WAY different than the clickbait thread title. OP fail. We've all been discussing essentially nothing.

Read the House Amendment.

Even without that, it guts the core design of the project by prohibiting center-of-road use.

Edit: Digging into the bill history, apparently the senate initially declined to repass the bill as amended in the house, but the house isn't yielding from its support of the amendment.