[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6476515,"mediaKeyId","5724648-dc33d72a4e33e5e8c320fb96005f6d2a","parentId",5724648,"title","Riders praise WeGo pass programs but urge earlier notice on price increases; residents seek shelters and better customer service","audioSeconds",531,"startMs",81000,"endMs",612000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5724648-dc33d72a4e33e5e8c320fb96005f6d2a&start=81&end=612","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5724648-dc33d72a4e33e5e8c320fb96005f6d2a/thumbnail_81000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6476515/Tennessee/Riders-praise-WeGo-pass-programs-but-urge-earlier-notice-on-price-increases-residents-seek-shelters-and-better-customer-service","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476515-726f6477e06e280d4d70dafcaab9f720/orig.mp4?Expires=1770660469&Signature=kRllUXID0TDe93nmNZBMC3lMtIP~XNEKM6dGTzBNdRb0-mwYqQLt4hk-4lfks6HJOHbrZKrnCwyknCvcRtYmEqrjYZtM1wqxAQVpT3MsOH28UzEjqD7AZU3PSoVXN2rVHL0enEYVmMjjPikMJsfSc5AuCaU8MSdh8vc3M7cafLRB5vjrsBceng9mpFgOsG6XP3gDVPNVhlU-uOPqDRCqgaST0FIqnCDAgIYcl1jKx~vhFD~n2ug4WoEt2qbmGDwkLj3yLRwvmV1hmz16F3MC4-sOKaiHwyqaiNH2XJ08A53cwcg7sZ7ZNlvSmFbtGOUq2CzpcjXMywJNjgu8QvATAA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Metro Nashville Network","date","2025-08-29T00:00:00Z","article","Four public commenters addressed the board during the public-comment period, praising WeGo’s discounted pass programs while urging changes related to pricing notice, bus shelters and customer service.

Wesley Smith, who identified himself as a Water Pike Nashville employee and a member of a newly formed advisory committee on transportation, thanked WeGo for continuing access to the WalkBike (also described as WalkBike Nashville) quick-ticket pass and said his organization helped arrange a renewal after WalkBike paused its program. Smith said the WalkBike program generated roughly 80,000 rides last year and that the program is highly public-facing and effective. He said his organization was notified of a 100% price increase three weeks before a contract renewal (from $25 to $50) and that the short notice created administrative headaches that nearly led to cancelling more than 800 quick-ticket passes. Smith asked the board to work with WeGo staff to provide at least 90 days’ notice for rate increases and to improve program sustainability.

Peter Robinson, who said he chairs the Vision Zero advisory committee, also praised the WeGo pass program and described it as life-changing for his family; he said his daughter uses the pass to travel to Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro and that the pass encourages ridership over driving.

Peter O’Connor (public commenter) asked the board to install shelters at stops on Lebanon Pike near the water-department entrance where riders currently have nowhere to sit. He also asked that customer service be available from the time the first bus leaves Central to the time the last bus completes its run. O’Connor added a complaint that ride-hailing vehicles (Lyft and Uber) sometimes park at bus stops and that “high-rise” buses labeled for school pickups passed his stop and did not serve general riders.

Darius Knight urged staff to treat one another respectfully and asked that new bus operators receive stronger customer-service training. Knight recommended that senior customer-service staff assist in operator training because, he said, those staff “work magic” calming riders and de-escalating incidents; he also encouraged employees to report safety issues to supervisors or security. Knight thanked staff and urged everyone to “keep yourself safe.”

Ending: The chair closed public comment after those remarks and moved to the information items on the agenda. Board members did not take action on the specific public requests at this meeting; staff and board members referenced the concerns during later agenda items addressing service and customer operations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","08/28/25 Metro Transit Authority","oneSentenceSummary","Public commenters thanked WeGo for discounted passes but pressed for better advance notice of price changes, shelters at stops on Lebanon Pike, consistent customer service hours and improved operator training.","taxTitle","Transit Authority Meetings, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee","taxId",69328,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6476520,"Quarterly ridership: modest overall growth, big corridor swings and a 300% increase on WeGoLink",296,1469000,1765000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5724648-dc33d72a4e33e5e8c320fb96005f6d2a&start=1469&end=1765","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5724648-dc33d72a4e33e5e8c320fb96005f6d2a/thumbnail_1469000.jpg","/articles/6476520/Tennessee/Quarterly-ridership-modest-overall-growth-big-corridor-swings-and-a-300-increase-on-WeGoLink","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476520-32b40c699bdd4291be5d1b5db5ab2ad9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770660469&Signature=DTCAvZCiwZAOtNXpQns2Nlugzz7OzPTl6hpPnkoD6nSmCgdXHTuJ-rqLQ8-QppQ1TaY0NweM968Tm5T7HwM4dPzUIuWwA1kaQdbw-R4DLLUzZfz7ypJCoR~Y4LIiGhPMwJTv9F8bj~xqA2C8auxozE8JP3zQq6bm16~cl3QaSTWvdiBGpVCgQ1RJaWYMGDh7noPZhlTywiwNjY5FWzsCoCxyMb8bp5iUnMUIUJQwO5dNI4zFqHshhI2dO3VJS7GOk1ABaQ0ieuspAU3svYBn9pvHj7J6-WVktdlTWte~KATCVRnyatPUmz5oUGCV7lNllaEQb5p1AlTKb31jcWYm2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WeGo staff presented the agency’s quarterly performance for April–June 2025, reporting a modest overall increase in ridership but large variations by route.

Katie Freudberg, presenting the quarterly report, said total ridership for the quarter was about 2% higher than the same quarter a year earlier, but that gains were uneven across routes. She highlighted several notable movements: Route 34 (Opry Mills) was roughly 11% higher and saw about 20% higher Saturday ridership; Route 41 (Golden Valley) increased about 45% after being converted from peak-only service to hourly service from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Route 56 grew by more than 7%, adding about 21,000 rides compared with the prior year with the largest proportional growth after 7 p.m. Route 23 (Dickerson Pike) showed the largest decline, with ridership falling across the corridor and peak ridership and student trips accounting for much of the decrease.

Freudberg said the Nashville Auto Diesel College relocation to Brick Church Pike (a stop on Route 41) and access to shift work at nearby employers such as UPS and FedEx contributed to increased use on Route 41. She also said WeGoLink ridership rose about 300% year over year after adding four new zones; staff noted the new zones accounted for less than 20% of WeGoLink’s growth and that the South Nashville zone—operating as a free zone with Tennessee Department of Transportation support during major construction on Nolensville Pike—was a significant contributor.

Freudberg said route-specific changes in January 2024 and the July 6, 2025 service change influenced ridership patterns and that staff are planning additional frequency and span improvements in the January service expansion, including supplemental buses for Route 34, extended hours on Route 41, and evening and weekend frequency improvements on Route 7.

Board members asked staff to continue investigating the decline on Route 23 and to report findings in future quarterly updates.

Ending: Staff said they will include follow-up analysis on the Route 23 decline in the next quarterly report and proceed with service adjustments planned for January.","WeGo reported a roughly 2% increase in ridership in April–June 2025 versus the prior year, with notable growth on Route 41 and WeGoLink and declines on Route 23.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6476525,"WeGo board approves claims contract increase and $1.097M ERP consulting contract",397,1046000,1443000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5724648-dc33d72a4e33e5e8c320fb96005f6d2a&start=1046&end=1443","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5724648-dc33d72a4e33e5e8c320fb96005f6d2a/thumbnail_1046000.jpg","/articles/6476525/Tennessee/WeGo-board-approves-claims-contract-increase-and-1097M-ERP-consulting-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476525-5c17c42365e47aa145bcc511a2fef4e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770660469&Signature=aHtOYec8VkFNKf7vbayonvyPDheMRFO41gGvGw5vHScAlmHuOAalus-GD76nLgtMiNc921KIGclcmwv6agDzqo549QYezH6SG6CM6U5zjtj9RGtj0h5BRRTiNzBDM7UM5gH703mjtaCC3l1WuIsCiPBjtqVNpf9f26C0cNcw1nCRJn9-raZNtikHg1qIvGuG03pdoU8zOR3n1VekQOYVmprLo5Eu~PPhj7c8vm5pPpG535eHCL60qb3bBfgYl9p3Ok4ehULpuOhrkc3SJrl5HObj7-UMuKVlUqSX6UD9IAvMH8aOe4dFBpGAeQQfT~GFMz0bCmMEG9KrZRLpGjy~wg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Nashville MTA board approved two staff-recommended procurement actions during the meeting: a contract modification to increase funding for claims-management third-party administrative services and a consultant contract to support an enterprise resource planning (ERP) selection and implementation.

During Operations & Finance, Vince Malone, the staff presenter on claims, asked the board to authorize the chief executive officer to increase the Charles Taylor claims-management contract to cover higher-than-expected claim administration costs. Malone said a September 2023 contract for auto, general liability and workers’ compensation claims management had an initial total of about $610,500 and an assigned project budget of roughly $671,500 with a $61,000 discretionary amount. Malone described an outlier motor-vehicle accident in August 2023 that involved about 16 personal injuries and additional upticks in automobile liability claims and parts costs. He asked the board to authorize an additional $100,000 for auto and general liability claim processing and $30,000 for workers’ compensation claim processing, increasing the total contract value to about $801,500; funding will be assigned to the authority’s operating budget.

Jessica Dauphin, as chair of the Operations & Finance Committee, moved approval of item MA25034; a second was recorded and the board approved the modification by voice vote.

Later in the committee, Shelley McElhinney presented staff’s procurement process to secure ERP consulting services to guide selection and implementation of an enterprise business-management system. McElhinney said the procurement team issued an RFP that drew six responsive proposals out of more than 2,000 firms contacted, and an evaluation considered project approach, team qualifications, key personnel and cost. eVision Partners was recommended at a not-to-exceed price of $1,097,145; staff said the range of cost proposals ran from roughly $650,000 to just over $4.3 million and that the recommended price appeared fair and reasonable. Funding for the project will come from the capital investment plan; an initial $150,000 was already programmed for task 1.

Dauphin moved approval of the ERP consulting contract (MA-AD-25-035) as recommended by staff; the board approved the recommendation by voice vote.

Both actions were approved by voice vote with no roll-call tallies recorded in the meeting transcript.

Ending: Staff said the increased claims funding is intended to carry the contract through the current three-year term and the two optional one-year extensions, and staff will continue to monitor claims costs; staff also said the ERP consulting contract will support the selection and implementation of a new business system and that staff will return with implementation plans and procurement steps as the project proceeds.","The board authorized an increase to a third-party claims management contract and approved a contract with eVision Partners for ERP consulting services, both by voice vote; staff described funding sources and procurement details.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6476530,"WeGo outlines Journey Pass to give free rides to eligible Davidson County residents; soft launches with partner verification planned",1324,1886000,3210000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5724648-dc33d72a4e33e5e8c320fb96005f6d2a&start=1886&end=3210","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5724648-dc33d72a4e33e5e8c320fb96005f6d2a/thumbnail_1886000.jpg","/articles/6476530/Tennessee/WeGo-outlines-Journey-Pass-to-give-free-rides-to-eligible-Davidson-County-residents-soft-launches-with-partner-verification-planned","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476530-a5a336a6464be4f16ebcce731d485c10/orig.mp4?Expires=1770660469&Signature=T2rsb1~mkFkuvxZwn0EJYAG4bUIWOsCAK7kvD1fM-nWflTeZInOvOVEI2h2Ax0Wy5dMXkdSxxE8jeeDdOBZukSDsSm0afZHAar0jGMkBiO~~6aEWfdQ6UOXUqMm~t3ywBHUioYBVd7QQBSSMBLzIzV9yTir2zJsQ8uVsoehiK0OdOWfKG~jmidQVmYYdoPvM6FNZxHmrYN-1UC6rCUGW1slp~99PFaDLc2xkUYXFxy1xrldMn7ebggvgO7rIDdprYBdhyAFcLbSJtPcNlZwUQyf~2mSqTYytw7ADiSapmRjYputaDI1P3UEOPQa~uVw4J02SktroaX6OAv1zcu6lRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WeGo staff presented a phased plan on the Journey Pass program designed to provide free transit to Davidson County residents who demonstrate need and to begin limited soft launches through partner organizations.

Amanda (WeGo staff member) told the Nashville MTA board the Journey Pass, previously referred to in drafts as the LIFT program, was announced by Mayor Freddie O’Connell as one of the Choose How You Move projects funded by the county referendum and that staff have worked with internal and external partners through the spring and summer to define goals and rollout steps.

The program’s stated goal is “to provide free transit services to Davidson County residents who need it the most,” Amanda said. Staff described three design goals: maximizing access for eligible users, simplifying administration for both customers and program partners, and minimizing abuse while protecting legitimate use.

Under the proposed design, the Journey Pass would be a ticket type within the agency’s existing Quick Ticket system. A Journey Pass would provide free fares on MTA bus services, WeGoLink and WeGo Star services and on RTA bus base fares; staff told the board the pass would not include WeGo Access on-demand paratransit or RTA vanpool services. Journey Passes would be tied to an individual by name and date of birth and loaded onto a Quick Ticket account or a newly issued Quick Ticket if a rider lacked one.

For rollout, staff described a two-phase approach. The initial soft-launch phase would distribute passes through partner organizations that verify eligibility for their clients, including the mayor’s office Choose How You Move team, the Metropolitan Action Commission, Metro Social Services, Metro Schools’ HERO program, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA), and the Office of Homeless Services. An expansion phase later this year or next would open an online portal through HUB Nashville and an in-person registration option at WeGoCentral for residents not served by partner organizations.

Amanda said staff are intentionally starting with partner verification to limit administrative burden and to monitor operational and financial impacts before a full public rollout. “We feel this is really less risky and more conservative so that we can . . . monitor the program and make adjustments in real time based on the data we’re seeing,” she said. Staff listed items they will track, including pass distribution and verification workflows, changes in ridership (new riders versus existing riders), WeGo Access demand, safety and security needs, and impacts to the Choose How You Move revenue stream.

Staff indicated reimbursement will follow the board-approved fare policy at $2 per ride funded through Choose How You Move; they cautioned the program is likely to reduce traditional farebox revenue in proportion to use. Staff also said connector cards and cold-weather cards that currently lack associated farebox revenue would be funded through the Journey Pass program over time.

Staff emphasized privacy and stigma concerns: passes would appear and function like standard Quick Ticket media when tapped, and agency staff are exploring methods so the Quick Ticket response does not flag a rider as a Journey Pass holder to others. The agency also plans to enforce the MTA Code of Conduct and to temporarily suspend passes for code violations.

Amanda said staff are developing memoranda of understanding with the mayor’s office and partners and plan two board action items in October—a MOU action and a board policy governing the program. The agency’s Title VI analysis will accompany winter service-change work. Amanda said staff have not finalized every detail, including the prospective length of eligibility; a three-year certification cycle was discussed but has not been adopted.

Board members asked about data management, re‑certification timing, whether households could include dependents aged 5–18, and how partner programs will be mapped to automatic eligibility. Amanda said partners will help define which of their programs and clients qualify automatically in the soft-launch phase and that WeGo will administer the later public application option through its customer service portals.

Next steps listed by staff included finalizing MOUs, returning in October with the two action items, continuing partner onboarding, running small tests with partners, and monitoring outcomes before any broader expansion.

While staff sought feedback and next-step approval to proceed to soft launches with partners, the Board did not take a formal vote on the Journey Pass program at this meeting; staff said formal approvals will be requested in October.

Ending: Staff told the board they intend to begin partner testing in the weeks ahead and will return with required policy and MOU actions next month for the board’s approval.","WeGo staff presented the Journey Pass program, a phased plan to provide free transit to qualifying Davidson County residents, to begin soft launches with partner agencies and return with two October action items for MOUs and a board policy.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Riders praise WeGo pass programs but urge earlier notice on price increases; residents seek shelters and better customer service

Quarterly ridership: modest overall growth, big corridor swings and a 300% increase on WeGoLink

WeGo board approves claims contract increase and $1.097M ERP consulting contract

WeGo outlines Journey Pass to give free rides to eligible Davidson County residents; soft launches with partner verification planned