A facility in Nashville called the Landport has been built through previous congressional appropriations. Clement cited the success of commuter rail systems in other parts of the nation as evidence that Middle Tennessee can benefit and prosper from major, well-planned improvements in ground transportation. The 21st Century is upon us, and you can be sure that if we do not plan our growth well, it surely will plan us. Traffic counts have been steadily increasing on those three routes as the region experiences phenomenal population and commercial growth. Estimates indicate the Nashville Metropolitan Area's population will grow to more than 1.1 million in 2015, a 33 percent increase over the 1990 census report.
Commuter rail can help the state government put more resources into other areas of concern.
It will also help the environment by reducing daily automobile emissions an estimated 3,750 pounds.