In Concession To Opponents, Dean Rolls Back The Amp’s Dedicated Lane

Mayor Karl Dean held a press conference on Tuesday announcing plans to scale back the Amp’s dedicated lanes. (Photo via Metro Government Photographic Services)

Mayor Karl Dean announced on Tuesday that he’s scaling back the Amp’s dedicated lane design amid concerns from residents along the western portion of the route that an exclusive lane would worsen congestion and complicate left turns for drivers.

Dedicated lanes on the two-mile stretch from Interstate-440 to White Bridge Road are expected to be to be eliminated. Instead, the bus will move with regular traffic.

Dean is also asking planners to nix the dedicated lane over the Interstate 40 overpass, which is near the auto dealership of Lee Beaman, who is fueling the backlash against the Amp.

Originally the project for the high-speed bus service sought a dedicated lane for about 80 percent of the route. Now, if Dean’s proposed changes take, the exclusive lane will account for around half of the 7.1-mile route.

Maintaining a dedicated lane is key to increasing bus speeds and keeping arrival times predictable. As a result of the expected changes, the project’s efficiency will have to be re-examined, Dean said.

Dean said the city has been in talks with federal officials about the change, and that they expected adjustments to appease community concerns.

“The risk of losing these funds, of losing this opportunity, of setting our city back another decade, in our quest to begin mass transit, is enormous,” Dean said.

Gathering with a scrum of reporters after the announcement, Beaman said Dean’s decision is a “vast improvement” over the current design, though he’d like to see the dedicated lane go away completely, saying it will only further clog traffic.

Asked about the lane reduction, House Speaker Beth Harwell said it “illustrates that we have a mayor who wants to work with state government to get something that’s pleasing to the people who are impacted.”

Dean also announced the formation of a citizen advisory committee to help steer the new plan.

Last week, the Senate passed a bill banning passengers from getting on and off the bus from the center lane, which goes against the current design of the project.

The House on Tuesday advanced a companion bill that asks that lawmakers have final approval on any mass transit project that utilizes a state highway.

Whether the final version agreed on by both chambers will outlaw the Amp’s current design remains to be seen.