Transportation committee accepts Bloomberg sustainability grant; approves art, easement and encroachment measures, defers bridge engineering agreement

The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Transportation & Infrastructure Committee voted unanimously to accept a Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities program grant and approved several consent items while deferring a preliminary engineering agreement with CSX Transportation.

The committee—chaired by Chair Parker—approved a resolution to accept the Bloomberg grant, which the mayor’s office said will place Nashville among 25 U.S. cities participating in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ sustainable cities initiative. Dave Rosenberg, a representative of the mayor’s office, told the committee, “Nashville has been selected as 1 of 25 cities to join the Bloomberg American sustainability sustainable cities initiatives, aiming to reduce emissions, further adaptation to climate change, expand economic opportunity, and improve lives.” Rosenberg said the program includes “a 3 person innovation team for 3 years, as well as technical assistance and other resources to help create solutions using a 14 month design process.”

The committee also discussed funding uncertainty for project implementation. Rosenberg said Bloomberg Philanthropies “has acknowledged that the federal funding landscape significantly changed, since this was first, sent our way, and they're working to identify alternative funding, sources that can be sought as uncertainty reigns.” That funding uncertainty was noted by the…