CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A big, new Park & Ride lot near Exit 11 off Interstate 24 will open Monday to serve local residents, especially those who use the 94X Clarksville Express regional bus service to commute to and from Nashville.
The new lot replaces the Rossview Road Park & Ride lot in the median of I-24 at Exit 8, which will close at the end of the day on Friday, Oct. 7. The Rossview Road lot proved to be too small to handle the increased demand for parking spaces. On some days more than 140 cars have been parked there, with vehicles spilling onto undesignated paved and unpaved areas of the property.
Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan, who also serves as board chairman of the Regional Transit Authority, said the City of Clarksville is excited about the bigger Park & Ride lot, which is well-lighted, safer and more comfortable for local residents to use.
“This new location is bigger and better, and will provide more of our residents the option of choosing public transit when they need to travel to Nashville and back home,” Mayor McMillan said. “It’s great that we were able to work with the Tennessee Department of Transportation and RTA to improve these transportation service for Clarksville residents.”
A grand opening ceremony is set for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11 at the new lot. McMillan will speak, along with TDOT Commissioner John Schroer and MTA/RTA CEO Steve Bland.
The new park and ride was constructed on an undeveloped lot off of State Route 76 just east of the Exit 11 interchange. TDOT purchased the land and paid for construction of the lot, which has more than 200 parking spaces, covered shelters, and a dedicated turning area for buses.
In addition to the new park and ride, a fourth RTA round-trip to and from Nashville has been added. Customers catching a Route 94X bus at Music City Central in Nashville now board at Bay 13 on the lower level.