From Post staff reports

Mt. Juliet was chosen as one of eight locations to receive funds from the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization for construction of a greenway trail under the recently adopted 2035 Regional Transportation Plan.

The Nashville MPO’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee awarded $2.5 million in project rewards to eight locations including Mt. Juliet, Gallatin, Spring Hill and more.

The greenway will be located in vacated right-of-way space along Old North Mt. Juliet Road, connecting the local citizens with the Music City Star transit station. The linear park will contain fitness stations and benches at an estimated cost of $21,680.

The Mt. Juliet Star station is the second-busiest stop along the route from Lebanon to downtown Nashville.

The Active Transportation program targets at least 15 percent of available Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Transportation Program resources for walking, bicycling, or transit-supportive projects that may not have otherwise received funding through more traditional revenue streams.

According to the MPO, one-third of Americans do not drive or own cars, and 12 percent of all U.S. trips are by walking or bicycling, yet these modes account for 14 percent of traffic fatalities and only 1.6 percent of federal transportation funding.

With Tennessee ranked second in the nation for obesity rates, the MPO is pursuing infrastructure policies that reflect a desire for healthier options to get around communities, including safer, more convenient means to walk or cycle for routine trips.

Proposals were funded in urban and suburban areas of Middle Tennessee, creating connections to schools, downtowns, libraries, public transit and other community destinations. Although $3.8 million in requests were received from member jurisdictions for the $2.5 million in available funds, the MPO was nonetheless able to award monies toward active transportation projects in every jurisdiction that submitted a proposal.