Charlotte Pike Mapped (Pt. 1) – What Development Mixes Can Increase WeGo Ridership & Reduce Car Trips.

I attended my first WeGo public meeting a couple of weeks ago; I left the meeting excited about the potential of mass transit in Nashville. On my way home, I started to think about how many daily trips I make and if I could supplement some of them with taking the bus. In true Looper form, I mapped out the trips I take from Nations for my basic needs excluding work and the “occasional” cocktail.

Once I completed the map I noticed the following:

• I could get to most places within 15 minutes by driving. Therefore, creating compelling destinations will be key in exchange for a longer trip.
• If I considered riding the bus currently, it would likely be limited to the weekends.
• With the exception of grocery stores, retail formats haven’t really evolved to accommodate new patterns in urban development.

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Considering small-format retail options is one way of reducing car trips. When development mixes evolve with the way people move and live; it reduces traffic congestion & allows for the growth of alternate modes of transportation.  Many major retailers have made the shift to small-format concepts in other major cities. Here is a look at some smaller format concepts across the country:

Smaller format retail can complement local businesses and fit relatively well in the right urban settings. Most of these concepts are incredibly successful when the development densities are right and communities support idea.

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From there I decided to look at the current development mixes along Charlotte Pike. My ultimate goal is to see if the current & proposed development mix would result in the type of ridership that we need to sustain rail and other multimodal services. I created these maps along a segment of Route 50( from 11th Ave N. To 440) to simply look at What’s Now & What’s Next. The radius around the bus stops is (+/-)1,000 feet. Studies show that a person is willing to walk up to a 1/4 mile( or 1,300 feet) to a bus stop. I will eventually make my way up the entire Route 50 in 1-2 more separate posts.

11th Avenue North

17th Avenue North

20th Avenue North

23rd Avenue North

28th Avenue North

Summary

Apart from Capital View & One City, this segment of Charlotte Pike primarily consists of Medical Service mixes. Most of the education, retail, and service offerings are specialized and requires the use of car.  There is approximately 893 units of high-density residential under construction.  However, none of them front Charlotte Pike & will require walking to the bus stop.  I will start working on the next segment from 440 to White Bridge Pike to show the bigger picture.  What types of Development Mixes do you think would increase WeGo ridership and reduce car trips along this segment of Charlotte Pike?

If there is something missing or more you’d like to see feel free to send me a message.

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