As panelists, the mayors of Clarksville, Nashville/Davidson County, Williamson County, Hendersonville, Gallatin and Franklin answered questions about regional transit system development from moderator Michael Skipper of the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) at the Convening the Region Summit in Nashville on May 27.

Cumberland Region Tomorrow hosted the event at War Memorial Auditorium in conjunction with Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, the Nashville Area MPO and the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

The objective of the Summit was to gain regional consensus and commitment among key public and private leaders to work collaboratively on defined steps for the planning, funding and implementation of a Regional Transit System for the 10-county Middle Tennessee region.

Transit system-related discussion topics included growth management, short-term successes, private development, local politics of long-term thinking, commuter rail and setting priorities.