The Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) in collaboration with its non-profit Center for TDM, held a half-day charrette in conjunction with the annual Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Forum in Nashville, Tennessee in November 2018. The charrette brought together representatives from public and private organizations from across the Nashville region and TDM professionals from across the country to identify TDM solutions to address Nashville’s regional transportation challenges, which had gained national exposure after the defeat of the local transportation referendum that would have provided over $5 billion in new funding for a new light rail system, public transit improvements, and other transportation enhancements.

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During the Charrette, professionals broke into different discussion groups focused on potential TDM solutions for Nashville.  Both Rob Henry, GVF’s Executive Director, and Maureen Farrell, GVF's Deputy Executive Director, facilitated two of these round table discussions (pictured above). Concluding the Charrette, ACT compiled these findings and produced a report for Nashville, "Addressing the Region's Mobility Challenges", which can be found below. GVF's Executive Director and 2018 ACT Board President, Rob, was part of the strategic committee reviewing the document and TDM recommendations. Rob is also on the Board of Directors for the Center for TDM, which helped to organize the Charrette.

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A panel session moderated by Rob Henry included Steve Bland (WeGo Public Transit), Ralph Schulz (Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce), Miranda Clements (Nashville Connector), and Erin Hafkenschiel (Vanderbilt University), kicked off the morning with a discussion on the region’s challenges and opportunities, setting the stage for group discussions that followed. Attendees were presented with several questions to prompt discussions around what mobility in Nashville will look like in the future and how to develop strong collaboration between the public and private sectors.

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Upon compiling and analyzing the responses of participants, ACT and the Center for TDM developed a list of recommendations intended for the region’s stakeholders and decision makers in Nashville. 

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Miranda Clements, Program Manager for the Nashville Connector, stated, “Nashville Connector is delighted to have the expertise and guidance of the Association for Commuter Transportation, the nation’s leading advocate for TDM. ACT’s report will help inform and guide us as we work with our partners to shift trips to non-drive-alone options.”
 

For a full report of the TDM recommendations suggested for Nashville, click on the report.  If your city or community is interested in implementing TDM strategies, please contact us today!