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Transit Center: For once, eminent domain could serve the people of Clarksville
Successful Main Streets and Downtown Districts have a transportation hub at their core, in other words, mass transit. Something to bring people directly into the downtown area for jobs, shopping, city business, arts centers and museums. They don’t shift to the outskirts and out of sight. If they must send the primary station to the outskirts, they run free shuttles to key downtown sites (a perfect use for old fashioned trolley-style buses).
Progressive cities also don’t have car dealerships and acres of single-level church parking lots at their core. They make certain that ample handicapped accessible parking slots are available on every downtown street, that parking (garages) are both plentiful and convenient for all citizens.
In downtown Clarksville, a parking garage is admittedly needed; that is a fact. It is also a fact that the Transit Center has outgrown its location. But even if a city builds/expands said parking garage, it stil needs to provide designated handicapped slots on each of its downtown streets: Franklin Street is one example of non-handicapped acessible streets. When Strawberry Alley has a street festival, its’ handicapped slot are usually behind the boundary line for special events, off limits to vehicles, with no other provisions for handicapped access to parking. Thanks, Johnny.
I keep hearing about the relocation of the CTA transit center to a new but “undisclosed” location. Why “undisclosed?” If there is more than one possible site, why not let the people (CTA ridership and prospective transit center neighbors) know about it. The answer in one local editorial was to insure that the price of the transit center site in question doesn’t rise to unrealistic levels. Yeah, right. An asinine answer if there ever was one. The need for secrecy and behind the scenes activity on this issue is questionable. Who owns the land parcels under consideration? How many homeowners will be angered by the proximity of CTA buses to their homes?
Isn’t this, for the first time in memorable downtown history, a realistic, practical and responsible use for eminent domain? To build something in the public interest? To build something that will be used by and for the public? Isn’t it time to do the requisite planning with public input rather than presenting said public with a “fait accompli?”
About Christine Anne Piesyk 
In my 40+ years in media, I have worked as feature writer, investigative reporter, editor, publisher, and film/theater/arts critic. I brought my liberal New England activism to Tennessee several years ago, having finally completed a mid-life undergraduate degree in community organizing and women's studies, and an MA in Interdisciplinary Arts with a concentration in Alzheimer's Disease. I served on Future Search Commissions for two colleges and on homelessness for the City of Northampton (MA), where I applied some of my undergrad work in urban planning and community development. I am a member of FreeThinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties. I am a certified storm spotter just because weather fascinates me. In my spare time (define spare time please?) I am a voracious reader, obsessive movie buff, ballroom dancer, and classical music junkie. I also create sci-fi/fantasy and renaissance costumes. I see life as an ongoing opportunity for learning and adventure (one current interest is mastering preparation of foods from India and Southeast Asia). My dream: a return trip to Machu Picchu. After all, the best things still to come. All posts by Christine Anne Piesyk as presented on Clarksville Online are copyright ©2006, 2007, 2008 to the author.
Email: womanspeak@gmail.com
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"Main Streets", bus service, CTA, downtown development, Eminent Domain, Main Street development, parking garage, Redevelopment, Transit Center2 Responses to “Transit Center: For once, eminent domain could serve the people of Clarksville”
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October 30th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
As Ms. Piesyk so aptly points out, Clarksville desperately needs progress to remain viable. This article should be required reading for the mayor and all city councilors.
October 31st, 2008 at 8:39 am
I agree Christine. Downtown needs an adequate parking garage, instead they are pushing a $10 millon dollar unpopular Marina.
You make a good point about the “undisclsoed site” option, why not let us know and get our input? It is OUR transit system.
I live in the county (Sango); It makes my daily commute to Nashville easier, but I wish the CTS routes were set up so we could utilize them.