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Vanderbilt plays lead role in new transit initiative

Posted 2/15/2010

A new nonprofit corporation has been created to promote public transportation in Middle Tennessee, with Vanderbilt as the primary sponsor.

Vanderbilt has committed $100,000 per year for the next three years to help fund the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee.

“Mass transit is already an important part of the daily commute of many of Vanderbilt’s more than 23,000 employees,” said Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos. “This is an investment by Vanderbilt into the Nashville community and the convenience and comfort of everyone who teaches, researches, heals, studies and works at our campus every day. Vanderbilt is proud to be a leader in pursuing an expanded mass transit system in the interests of the environment, the economy and future generations.”

The corporation will work to galvanize community support for transit development, provide information on the benefits of transit, develop regional agreement on strategies for funding transit and advocate for dedicated funding for regional and local transit.

Gail Carr Williams, assistant director of Community, Government and Neighborhood Relations in the Division of Public Affairs at Vanderbilt, is a board member of the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee and also current chair of the board of directors of the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority.

“The Transit Alliance is a group of business leaders from across Middle Tennessee that have come together to lead a public education campaign on the need for development of a regional mass transit system,” said Mayor Karl Dean. “Mass transit is critical for our region’s future economic growth, and the work of the Transit Alliance will be key to developing community support. As a lead donor, Vanderbilt is setting the stage to make mass transit a reality in Middle Tennessee. I greatly appreciate their support and I appreciate the leadership of so many in our private sector as we embark on this important endeavor.”

Vanderbilt has already done much to promote mass transit options for its employees, including:

Vanpool/Carpool
All full-time Vanderbilt employees are eligible to participate in the Vanpool/Carpool Ride Matching program. This program matches people from similar general locations who wish to share a ride to Vanderbilt.
 
MTA/VU Free Ride to Work Program
All full-time Vanderbilt employees, graduate students and VMC volunteers are eligible to ride free to and from work on an MTA bus using their Vanderbilt identification cards.
 
Music City Star
RTA Commuter rail service provides up to a 60 percent discount to all full-time Vanderbilt University and Medical Center employees. Rail stops include Lebanon, Martha, Mount Juliet, Hermitage, and Donelson. A free shuttle bus service between the Nashville Riverfront Terminal and the Vanderbilt Campus coincides with train arrivals and departures.
 
Zipcar
To get to appointments during the day, rentals called Zipcars are available by the hour or by the day.

Contact: Jim Patterson, (615) 322-NEWS
jim.patterson@vanderbilt.edu

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