Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Tennessee

A Memphis Area Transit Authority bus in downtown Memphis. gg1electrice60/Flickr

Can Memphis Turn Around Its Struggling Bus System?

By Stephen Miller | May 5, 2017 | 6 Comments

The current level of transit service in Memphis is bleak. So a week ago, 11 Shelby County public defenders took part in Bus Rider's Day, which Commercial Appeal columnist David Waters called "an exercise in empathy and, as it turned out, endurance" to understand the transportation challenges facing their clients.

Nashville's "nMotion" plan is a bold long-term vision for transit. But will the city also take care of the basics?

As Nashville’s Mayor Pushes Light Rail to Win Referendum, What Will Happen to Buses?

By Stephen Miller | Apr 27, 2017 | 2 Comments

sustained Koch Brothers-funded attack. Since then, the city has elected a new mayor and decided on a new vision for transit. Yesterday, Mayor Megan Barry said a light rail line would be the first project funded under her plan, which is likely to go before voters next year. While that moves forward, there is a lot Nashville can do in the meantime to improve its lackluster bus network.

A driver struck several protesters in Nashville late last month -- and the authorities are rushing to protect him. Photo: Too far, Liz/Twitter

Nashville Police Call Driver Who Struck Protesters a “Victim”

By Angie Schmitt | Feb 15, 2017 | 58 Comments

A 68-year-old man who ran his car through a group of protesters in Nashville not only won't be charged, but is being treated by local law enforcement as though he were the victim of a crime. And to make matters worse, a state legislator wants to codify legal immunity for drivers who strike protesters.

Attack on Street Safety Funds Sets Off an Uprising in Tennessee

By Angie Schmitt | Feb 22, 2016 | 1 Comment

A bill to restrict spending on biking and walking infrastructure in Tennessee has ignited “a firestorm,” as the Chattanooga Times Free Press called it. Thousands of angry Tennesseans are urging representatives to vote against a bill from state senators Mike Carter and Todd Gardenhire that would forbid any state gas tax revenue from being spent on bike/ped projects. A partner bill has been […]

Tennessee Town Cites Grandmother for Letting Grandkids Bike in the Street

By Angie Schmitt | Nov 26, 2013 | 5 Comments

Here’s yet another story illustrating why we have an obesity problem in the United States. The town of Charlotte, Tennessee, is going after a local grandmother for letting her four grandchildren — ages 7 to 12 — ride their bikes in the street. Victoria Mathis has been cited for violating city code — which states […]

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