Knoxville News-Sentinel

Transit headed in right direction

by Chris Woodhull
March 4, 2007


Every week, Knoxville families make hundreds of decisions, big and small. In the big ones -- such as balancing the needs of family members with paychecks -- parents struggle to make wise decisions that will increase the impact of their resources, getting more of what they want for less of what they have. This is one of the crucial roles of government: balancing the needs of its citizens in the face of limited resources and competing demands.

One of the key objectives for the current administration and City Council in our upcoming budget cycle is making wise decisions about limited resources while building a safer, healthier, more competitive city. A new downtown transit center clearly heads us in this direction. Vivid issues recently promoted in the media, however, disrupt our primary responsibility of making a wise decision.

It is worth noting that the discussion regarding the transit center has touched on many important issues ranging from the value of property to the difficulties of moving a business to the impact on nearby residents and workers. I am satisfied that Mayor Bill Haslam is doing everything he can to fairly and respectfully work with the displaced business owner.

Yet, to date, the public dialogue has not touched on the critical importance of the transit center for the future of Knoxville and the thousands of Knoxvillians who rely on public transportation to get to work, school, shopping and medical services every day.

A transit center near the heart of downtown will assist in providing a critical economic opportunity to those in the core of our community. With downtown booming, more and more jobs are being created. Reliable, safe public transportation provides an opportunity to further support the momentum of our growing city while reducing traffic congestion and the need for more parking spaces.

Many of the 3.5 million people who ride the bus each year are deserving of the safety and dignity that a transit center provides. They deserve to be protected from the rain, wind, heat, and cold when they transfer, just as those of us who more often travel in our cars. Direct access to our central business district, public buildings and trolleys will benefit not only those who ride the bus because of need but also those who ride the bus by choice.

The proposed transit center will replace the "temporary" site in front of the City County Building, where people have to brave the elements when transferring to their next bus. There is no bathroom, no ticket office -- only the most rudimentary seating area. Buses have to pull into traffic, and pedestrians are at risk.

While finding a site in the small downtown footprint has been challenging, the city has chosen an efficient location for the transit center with its plan to expand the Church Avenue Bridge, literally creating new real estate downtown. This location helps undo some of the damage done decades ago when East Knoxville was separated from downtown. It does not use any of the limited amounts of land in the downtown area at a time when downtown is booming. It is the least expensive of the available sites to build, and it puts the least burden on taxpayers to operate. It is close to downtown without taking a part of downtown. It negatively affects the fewest people.

It is critical that we all work together to place the final remaining pieces into the puzzle of our growing downtown and to do so without delay. Let's make a wise decision that is future-oriented and serves the greater good of people today and tomorrow. The downtown transit center at the Church Avenue site is a wise and responsible decision.