How About That Sidewalk?
Good afternoon, everyone. How your Choose How You Move sales tax is being spent... Rainy days ahead, but TN is still in a drought... Nashville Sheriff threatens to sue state over inmate backlog... And much more!
The Rise of Spencer Pratt Join us June 18th for a conversation with filmmaker Gabriel Mann on his work with Spencer Pratt and what's gone into his wildly successful campaign. (Buy Ticket)
New TN U.S. Congressional District lookup Use your address to find your new district here.
Like what we do? Forward us to a friend!
Last week, Metro Council held a special joint committee meeting to update Nashvillians on how the Choose How You Move sales tax is being spent.
From Megan Podsiedlik
Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s pitch was “Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” in that order. That said, three quarters of CHYM’s sales tax revenue is going toward WeGo bus services in FY 2027. Why? Because that’s the way the plan was written.
“The legal structure under which we're allowed to collect it says that we had to make a transportation improvement plan that said, 'These are the projects and this is how we're going to spend it,'” explained CHYM Chief Program Officer Sabrina Sussman during last week's meeting.
Sussman says Nashville will get the “86 miles of sidewalks, 600 traffic signals, 39 miles of complete streets, and really bountiful changes to WeGo” promised in the referendum.
WeGo will never be self-sufficient Council Member Tasha Ellis asked whether CHYM and NDOT will ever be consolidated and completely funded by sales tax revenues in order to free up the general fund dollars traditionally earmarked for public transit. The answer was a resounding no.
“We do not envision a future where the general fund does not contribute at all to WeGo,” said Sussman. “Part of what was happening is the general fund obligations and needed investments were rising faster than the general fund was, and so this dedicated revenue allows you to still make those investments [and] really support the system without that increased burden back on the general fund. But we are not going to move to a place where the general fund isn't funding WeGo at all.”
What has your sales tax gotten you so far? CHYM Finance Manager Andrew Walczak explained how CHYM’s FY2026 operating budget was spent.
“To date, we're just under $51.4 million, and it's worth noting that about $48 million of that $51.4 [million] has gone to direct transit services by WeGo,” said Walczak.
This includes the Journey Pass program, which has enrolled 11,000+ riders who will receive free WeGo rides for the next three years. That money has also gone toward expanded routes, more frequent service, and WeGo Link zones.
Sidewalks and signals So far, only one sidewalk project has been completed.
“Our first sidewalk funded through Choose How You Move was completed recently at Edge O Lake Drive,” said NDOT Interim Deputy Director Derek Hagerty.
Two other sidewalk projects are currently under construction, and four more are about to come online.
As for smart signals, officials started with the 115 signals that are easiest to upgrade.
“Eighty-three of those are downtown; 32 are on Nolensville and Harding Place,” said Hagerty.
That said, delivering similar upgrades to all 592 signals included in the CHYM plan may prove to be a challenge on streets where fiber installation is needed.
Airport routes aren't taking off quite yet. Several council members inquired about WeGo services connecting riders to the airport. According to officials, hour-long bus trips are still a deterrent when people are choosing how to manage travel plans.
“We used to run some of the trips express, and we found them to be very low patronage,” explained WeGo CEO Steve Bland.
Bland says the future corridor planned for the airport extension is more promising: “The more streamlined service would be the Murfreesboro Pike all-access corridor, which would extend along Donaldson to the airport with very frequent service, more limited stops, and kind of a direct shot into the downtown court.”
✹ THE RISE OF SPENCER PRATT
The Rise of Spencer Pratt Filmmaker Gabriel Mann, a California native who fled to Nashville in 2021 and made his name with the wildfire documentary Hotshots, has been behind the scenes for Spencer Pratt's improbable rise from reality-star-turned-aggrieved-homeowner after the Palisades fire destroyed his home to a competitive candidate in LA's mayoral race.
Mann witnessed Pratt's transformation firsthand, starting in the aftermath of the fires, and has produced every one of the groundbreaking campaign ads that've captured the nation. Join us Thursday, June 18, at Bungalow Studios for the inside story.
This event benefits The Pamphleteer, Nashville and is priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free admittance.
☔ Expect rain throughout the week, but Middle Tennessee is still in a drought.
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
HEADLINES
- ⚖️ Davidson County Sheriff threatens to sue state over inmate backlog. Sheriff Daron Hall says his jail is overcrowded with hundreds of state convicts who should have been transferred to Tennessee Department of Correction prisons, costing local taxpayers around $6 million a year. He is threatening to sue the state if the backlog isn't resolved, noting the irony that state inspections are citing his jail for overcrowding caused by the state's own inmates. (NewsChannel 5)
- 🦒 Proposed data center near zoo could be larger than initially reported. Permit documents reveal that the proposed DC BLOX data center near the Nashville Zoo could be significantly larger than first reported, including a three-story 40-megawatt building in addition to the initially mentioned one-story 69,220-square-foot facility, with stormwater runoff flowing directly onto the zoo's already impaired waterways. The Nashville Zoo has strongly opposed the project over potential impacts to animals (especially noise-sensitive clouded leopards), habitats, and visitors. (Scene)
DEVELOPMENT
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 Charlie Puth @ Ascend Amphitheater, 7p, $34+, Info
🎻 Celebrating 10 Years of Accelerando @ Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 6p, $25+, Info
🎸 Twang Tuesday @ Acme Feed and Seed, 7p, Free, Info
🎸 Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $10, Info
+ two-step lessons @ 7p, The Cowpokes @ 8p
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan