NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

TDOT sets Harding Place Extension Meetings TDOT wants Public Comments TDOT will conduct public meetings on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 and Thursday October 2, 2008 to discuss a proposed extension of SR-255 (Harding Place), from Donelson Pike/Ezell Pike to I-40 in Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County, TN. * The meeting on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 will be held from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., at Hickman Elementary School Gymnasium, 112 Stewarts Ferry Pike, Nashville, TN 37214. * The Thursday October 2, 2008 meeting will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Una Elementary School Cafeteria, 2018 Murfreesboro Road, Nashville, TN 37217. **The SAME materials will be presented at BOTH meetings.**

Save the date: Walk to School Day

Parents, if you’re interested in participating in this year’s Walk to School Day with your child, mark your calendars. The day has been set for Wednesday, Oct. 8. Nashville hosts one of the largest International Walk to School Days in the country.Last year, 42 schools and about 7,000 people across Davidson County walked to school.This year, MNPS hopes to increase that number of participating schools to 50.Walk to School Day is one of the events during Walk Nashville Week. This week-long celebration seeks to spotlight walking as a component to healthy living.

The mass transit push: Mayor Dean says it's time to get serious

Job one is startup funds, regular revenue; legislature and voters must approveBy CHRISTINA E. SANCHEZ • Staff Writer • September 11, 2008 Each city has set up fees or taxes to guarantee millions of dollars for mass transit. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and other community leaders say it's time to stop talking about doing something like that in Middle Tennessee and get on with it. "In areas like Nashville or the suburban areas or the more rural areas, there is increased desire from the public to see mass transit," Dean said Wednesday, two days after he issued the challenge in a speech to the Rotary Club of Nashville. "The public expects us to get something done. We are closer than we ever have been before." Nashville and some of its suburbs have bus service. The 10-county Regional Transportation Authority operates a commuter train, express buses and vanpools. But recent service cuts, fare hikes and budget shortfalls add pressure to find the means — and the will — to guarantee a way to fund those services. Leadership Middle Tennessee, an organization that promotes regional planning, will talk about how to get sustainable funding and other regional transportation issues at a meeting today in downtown Nashville. Figuring out what the revenue source might be is just a small piece of the puzzle. The long and complicated process would require approval from the legislature, and probably voters, before anything would be implemented. Also, leaders would have to determine who or what agency would handle the funding. Tax groups are watching Advocates for responsible taxation say they will wait to hear about any proposals before they pass judgment on talk of creating another tax. Ben Cunningham, spokesman for Tennessee Tax Revolt, said he would want details. "As far as taxpayers are concerned, it is way too early to be talking about a tax," Cunningham said. "We need to see what is being proposed, and we need to tie down the cost very closely. You have to tell us why you need a dedicated funding source and what benefit we'll get from it." Don Bailey, who commutes an hour each way between Dickson and Nashville, has dreams of a commuter rail line that he could take to work. He spends about $600 a month on gas and would prefer to pay for a monthly transportation pass. He said he would entertain the idea of an extra tax or a fee, depending on the proposal. "Food and gas taxes would concern me; people are already struggling," said Bailey, who works at Vanderbilt. "If it was a tax on luxury items or a tax on vehicle tags, I could go for that." Dean has been meeting with county and city mayors from communities surrounding Nashville, as well as with regional planning groups, to discuss how to move forward. "The first step is to get authorization from the state to receive funding and collect funding, and then the next step would be identifying the source," he said. "There have been several recent success stories where this was approved in other cities." Officials in Allegheny County, Pa., home to Pittsburgh, passed in January a 10 percent tax on poured alcoholic drinks in restaurants and bars as well as a $2-a-day rental car fee. The combined taxes are expected to generate at least $30 million annually to operate mass transit, and anything above that amount will go toward capital transportation projects, said Kevin Evanto, communications director for the county. "We are also looking toward public-private partnerships to expand some of our systems, including for possibly expanding rapid transit from downtown Pittsburgh to the Pittsburgh airport," Evanto said. "We are trying to be creative." In Birmingham, Ala., beer bought in bars provides about $2 million toward transit funding. And in Charlotte, N.C., a half-cent sales tax is dedicated to transportation. Funding remains issue Funding transportation in Middle Tennessee has been a challenge. Two of the region's major mass transit agencies struggled through the budget process to fund public transportation for the 2009 fiscal year. Dollars had to be stretched to do the same with less and expenses had to be reduced. Nashville's Metro Transit Authority cut some routes, reduced service and stopped providing buses in July for the Regional Transportation Authority's relax and ride Gallatin-to-Nashville route. The RTA's Music City Star commuter rail budget has a $1.7 million shortfall, which could be filled pending a multi-way deal involving MTA and state and local governments. MTA is also slated to take over the financial operations of the Star on Nov. 1. "Dedicated funding is not a new topic in the region. It has just become more pronounced," said Michael Skipper, director of the Nashville Metropolitan Planning Organization. "Because there is not a dedicated funding source, we're going to go though a pretty cumbersome budget process every year." With the scheduled October opening of MTA's new indoor-transit station on Charlotte Avenue and a soon-to-be-restored express bus between Gallatin and Nashville, leaders want to make sure they can provide current services and grow transportation options in the region. Bus rapid transit and light rail are often mentioned as potential expansion projects, said Paul J. Ballard, chief executive officer for the MTA. Pending approvals, Ballard also will become head of the RTA when the MTA takeover begins. "We need to start to come together and see, how do we pay for these things," Ballard said. "We can go out and get 50 percent federal money to do that, but beyond that there has to be a long-term commitment

The Largest Water Cleanup in Nashville's History

Way to go Nashville, we’re kickin’ butt on trash. Percy Priest needs your help! You can make a huge difference on Saturday, September 13 by participating in the second Nashville Clean Water Project. We have trash bags, gloves and sunscreen for you... we have snacks, hand sanitizer, T-shirts and hats... ...we even have gobs of giveaways and live entertainment. It’s the largest water cleanup in Nashville's history, and, oh yes, it's absolutely free. When: Saturday, September 13; 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at a *new location: Four Corners Marina (for directions, click on our link called "The Skinny"). Please sign up for a three hour block of fun, new friends and help for Mother Earth. Departures to specific lake locations at 8 a.m., 8:30 a.m., and 9 a.m. Our first cleanup in May 2008 was huge -- the largest Nashville has ever seen! Together we gifted more than 1,800 collective work-hours to the environment and filled five (5) commercial rolloff dumpsters from Waste Management, Inc. with trash. Bottles, cans, plastics, coolers, tires, styrofoam, chairs & BBQ grills, full-sized traffic light, office copier, a residential air conditioner, even a mannequin arm. All told, we collected 100 cubic yards of trash – more than an average shopping mall produces in a month! Unfortunately, that’s just 40% of the estimated surface trash at Percy Priest Lake – even Music City's largest water cleanup wasn’t enough. So join us as we continue this very necessary public campaign against litter on Percy Priest Lake's 24 islands and 213 miles of shoreline. Can't attend September 13, but still want to help? Your donation in any amount will help defray the cost of supplies and other expenses. The Nashville Clean Water Project is a 100% volunteer effort and appreciates all support.

Suspect sought in vending machine break-ins

Metro Police are searching for the person or people responsible for a rash of vending machine break-ins at apartment complexes and car washes in South Nashville. Video surveillance photos from one of the cases show a young white man with short hair, who police suspect to be involved with the break-ins. Police said the getaway vehicle is a white Chevrolet Cavalier convertible with a black top. Anyone with information about the thefts should contact South Precinct Investigations at 862-7763 or Crime Stoppers at 74-CRIME.

Briefs: Car museum holds Magic of Machine event

Lane Motor Museum, 702 Murfreesboro Pike, will offer "Magic of the Machine" 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 26. The cost is $5 for adults; $3 for seniors; and free to 17 years old and younger. For more information, call 742-7445 or visit www.lanemotormuseum.org. Bargain books available at Southeast library sale Some of the best bargains can be found at Friends of the Library book sales. The Southeast Branch Library, 2325 Hickory Highlands Drive, will have its Friends of the Library book sale 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Aug. 2. Hardbacks will be available for $2. Paperbacks cost $1. DVDs cost $2. All proceeds will go toward programs at the Southeast Branch Library. For details, call 862-5871. Retirement complex hosts Wellness Fair Windland South, a retirement complex at 3800 Sam Boney Drive, will have a Wellness Fair 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday, July 30. The fair will feature free health screenings, health information and doctors' presentations.For more information, call 834-1951.

New laws to take effect July 1

More than 4,000 bills were introduced during the legislative session on Tennessee's Capitol Hill over the last two years, but only a fraction of them officially become law on Tuesday, July 1. Bills about budget cuts, cable TV competition and long-term care received plenty of attention this year. Many other bills, like new sentencing options for judges in DUI cases, did not get that kind of attention. Mothers Against Drunk Driving pushed through a measure where drunken driving offenders can now be ordered to listen to stories from DUI victims. "The stories that they hear are absolutely gut-wrenching you will hear a father talk about the loss of his son or a mother talk about the loss of her daughter or her nephew," said Laura Dial of MADD's Middle Tennessee chapter. As a condition of his DUI sentence and probation earlier this year, state lawmaker Rob Briley agreed to participate in what MADD calls a "victim impact panel." Dial said 30 to 50 offenders take part monthly in its Middle Tennessee program. The group hopes judges in other parts of the state will take advantage of the program. Click HERE to view a complete list of the laws to take effect Tuesday.