A recent Forbes Home study of 25 major U.S. cities ranked Nashville as  having the overall worst commute in America – an experience that 2022 statistics show cost the average  Nashville commuter an extra 41 hours (the equivalent of an entire workweek!) due to congestion alone. 

“While Greater Nashville is a truly wonderful place and consistently ranks among the top cities to live in  nationwide, there’s trouble in Music City with 350,000 cars a day driving into Nashville from surrounding  counties,” shared Mark Cleveland, a recognized transportation thought leader and Co-Founder/CEO of  Nashville-based Hytch Rewards, a mobility incentive platform designed to help employers, employees,  and communities promote safer, greener, and smarter commuting. “Even with some of the best  highways and road systems in the country according to a recent study by U.S. News & World Report,  Metro Nashville is mired in gridlock, which threatens quality of life and economic development for the  entire Middle Tennessee region.” 

These facts are indisputable, but the solution is absolutely achievable and fully accessible by attending  “Nashville’s Drive to Work Solutions Symposium,” held at the historic Grand Lodge of Tennessee F. &  A.M. (100 7th Avenue North in Nashville) on May 31st. 

Sponsored by Hytch Rewards, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), and the Greater  Nashville Regional Council (GNRC) in partnership with such organizations as Cumberland Region  Tomorrow, Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Leadership Middle Tennessee, the Greater Nashville  Technology Council and the Transit Alliance, “Nashville’s Drive to Work Solutions Symposium will gather  the area’s top employers, city leaders, and innovative thinkers in activating readily available  opportunities to enhance quality of life, attract and retain employees, further grow our economy, and  support our environment, all by engaging a range of proven initiatives to manage traffic,” Cleveland  said. According to Cleveland, these include “money-ready” solutions and public-private partnerships  already in place that can successfully address Greater Nashville’s transportation challenges. 

The Symposium’s engaging and thought-provoking agenda includes a keynote address by Michael  Replogle, leading integrated congestion management strategist and senior advisor to governments,  corporations, and transportation stakeholders, as well as expert panels focused on “Regional Workforce  Talent Intelligence” (moderated by Demetria Kalodimos) and “Regional Mobility – Gridlock or Action”  (moderated by David Plazas). The event also incorporates fun opportunities to network with fellow  stakeholders who are equally invested in Greater Nashville’s continued growth and success. 

“State and local government leaders have been working tirelessly the last few years to expand the tools  we have available to address public concerns around roadway safety and traffic congestion,” noted  Michael Skipper, Executive Director of the Greater Nashville Regional Council. “Technology will play a  pivotal role, as will increased collaboration among the public and private sectors to brainstorm creative  solutions.” A panelist who will speak on the topic of “Regional Mobility — Gridlock or Action” at the  Symposium, Skipper will introduce and discuss this unique new public-private partnership – currently  the only program of its kind in the country.

“Transportation has been a major issue that every one of our 10 member counties has struggled with  over the years,” confirmed Lee Rucks, President of Hendersonville, TN-based Leadership Middle  Tennessee, which is celebrating its 24thyear driving community-based leadership programming. “We’re  excited to participate in Nashville’s Drive to Work Solutions Symposium, which promises to offer a  forum for out-of-the-box thinking and transformative solutions that can help ensure a better tomorrow  for our region.” 

“We hope key decision makers will join us at the Symposium to discover proven traffic-reduction  strategies from around the globe and dare to challenge the status quo in Greater Nashville,” said Jessica  Dauphin, President and CEO of the Nashville-based Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee. “The Alliance  is proud to help lead the conversation on practical strategies that can begin to break through our  bottlenecked highways. Together, let’s pioneer innovative public-private partnerships that empower  employers with matching grants to incentivize ridesharing and alleviate the burden of Nashville’s traffic  congestion.” 

“Let’s not just imagine change,” Dauphin concluded of the Symposium’s importance. “Let’s be the  change Nashville deserves.” 

MEDIA ALERT: FAST FACTS 

WHAT: Driving Change: “Nashville’s Drive to Work Solutions Symposium” – With traffic gridlock in Metro Nashville threatening quality of life and economic development for the entire Middle Tennessee  region, this unique symposium will educate attendees on “money-ready” solutions and public-private  partnerships currently in place that can address Greater Nashville’s transportation challenges. 

Keynote Address: “The One Year Plan” by Michael Replogle, Founder, Director Emeritus, and Past  President of the Institute for Transportation Development Policy. 

Panel Discussions: 

“Regional Workforce Talent Intelligence” with Panelists Michael McSurdy, Family and Children’s  Services, Kimberly Malone-Haddox, Nashville State Community College, and Jason Putnam,  Plum. Moderated by Demetria Kalodimos, Nashville Banner. 

“Regional Mobility – Gridlock or Action” with Panelists Bill Klehm, eBliss, Michael Skipper, GNRC, and  Patrick DeCorla-Souz. Moderated by David Plazas, Tennessean. 

Sponsored by Hytch Rewards, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and the Greater Nashville Regional Council in partnership with Cumberland Region Tomorrow, Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Leadership Middle Tennessee, the Greater Nashville Technology Council and the Transit Alliance, this  Symposium complements such other proactive initiatives as Nashville’s “Choose How You Move”  Transportation Improvement Plan. 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Greater Nashville’s key employers, business development leaders, legislative  agencies, and other major stakeholders in Greater Nashville’s continued growth and success.

WHEN: Friday, May 31st from 7-11 a.m.; doors open at 7 a.m. for a breakfast mixer (hot chicken and  waffles) and the program begins at 7:45 a.m. 

WHERE: The Grand Lodge of Tennessee F. & A.M. (100 7th Avenue North in Nashville). A rare public  tour of this exclusive Masonic venue will be conducted for attendees at the conclusion of the event. 

HOW: Early-bird tickets are FREE to anyone who registers before May 21st. After May 21st, tickets are  $75, with a walk up/day-of registration fee of $100. Learn more about this event at www.nashvillesdrivetowork.com. Limited seating available – Register Today! 

CONTACT: Michaela Marshall at mmarshall@Hytch.me