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WeGo reports small quarterly ridership decline; North Nashville Transit Center reshapes travel patterns
Summary
WeGo told its board ridership fell about 2% in the January–March quarter versus the prior year, while service changes and the new North Nashville Transit Center produced major shifts in how passengers travel and increased transfers on cross‑town routes.
WeGo staff told the Nashville MTA board that ridership for January through March 2025 was about 2% lower than the same quarter last year, and that service changes tied to the new North Nashville Transit Center are altering travel patterns.
Katie Freudberg, scheduling and service planning manager, said winter weather contributed to the modest ridership decline and cited year‑over‑year continuations of recent trends. “Ridership this quarter was down about 2% from the same quarter last year,” Freudberg said. She highlighted steady increases on Route 56 (Gallatin Pike) and unexpected declines on Route 8 (Eighth Avenue) and Route 55 (Murfreesboro Pike).
Freudberg said one major local effect of the North Nashville Transit Center and the related service redesign was a redistribution of trips. Route 22 (Bordeaux) showed a large decline partly because portions northwest of the river were renumbered into other routes; however, overall ridership serving the transit center has more than doubled since last year. The two crosstown routes operating there last year — Route 75 (Midtown) and Route 77 (Thompson/Wedgewood) — had ridership five times higher this quarter than they did last year, according to staff.
The agency also reported substantial increases in transfer activity where cross‑town and frequent routes intersect, with several intersections showing 30%–500% increases depending on the pairing. Staff said these shifts are the intended result of the transit center and the service redesign and that a deep dive into maps and ridership graphs is planned for upcoming months.
The quarterly report concluded with staff saying they will continue monitoring whether the observed changes are seasonal fluctuations or sustained shifts in travel behavior.
