WeGo tells council budget would expand service, add buses and a low‑income fare subsidy

Gail Carr Williams, chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority board, and WeGo CEO Steve Bland told the Metro Budget & Finance Committee on May 20 that Mayor John O’Connell’s Choose How You Move program and the administration’s FY25‑26 budget proposal together would fund near‑term service improvements, new vehicles and an expanded low‑income fare subsidy.

"These funds will enable us to jump start several significant project and service initiatives," Carr Williams said, naming weekend expansion of Access on Demand paratransit, two new WeGo Link zones and an expansion in the agency’s transit security program.

The report to the committee said if the council adopts the mayor’s budget, customers would see route changes beginning July 6 including improved midday frequency on Route 6 (Lebanon Pike), and improved weekend service on Routes 23 (Dickerson Pike), 50 (Charlotte Pike) and 56 (Gallatin Pike). Bland said a further round of service changes is planned for January 2026, including earlier Sunday starts (5:15 a.m., up from 6:15 a.m.) on 13 busy routes and extending Sunday service end times from 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m. to match the rest of the week.

Bland said the mayor’s program and the proposed budget would permit rolling out a Lyft‑based low‑income fare subsidy by the end of the calendar year. "The adoption of this budget would also allow us to implement the Lyft or low income fare subsidy program by the end of this calendar year," Bland said, describing plans to coordinate enrollment with metro departments and advocacy groups to reach qualifying households.

Bland told the committee the dedicated funding in Choose How You Move would reduce pressure on the general fund. "If we were to provide the services proposed in this budget without Choose How You Move funding, we would require an additional $11,400,000 of general fund subsidy," he said.

The presentation outlined capital and workforce needs tied to expansion: the supplemental appropriation already allowed MTA to place an order for 12 expansion buses; Bland said the agency expects 14‑ to 24‑month lead times on bus deliveries and estimated it will need about 400 additional employees over the program term, primarily operators, mechanics and support staff. He also described plans for new neighborhood transit centers and a second downtown hub to relieve overcrowding at WeGo Central.

Security expansion was emphasized by Carr Williams and Bland. "For the MTA board, the safety and security of our customers and staff will always always be our top priority," Carr Williams said. Bland said the agency has engaged international transit security consultants, and that Metro Nashville Police Department secondary employment has been used historically while the city stands up a transit‑specific policing unit.

Committee members pressed on program design and operational detail. Chair Parker asked that the low‑income subsidy be low‑barrier, noting enrollment challenges when programs rely on other benefit certifications. Bland said the agency is coordinating with social services and advocacy groups and conducting best‑practice research; he also said the mayor’s program office and a chief program officer will provide early and frequent reports on rollout progress.

Council members asked about regional coordination and airport service. Bland said MTA is working with TDOT and neighboring counties and that studies (including work by CDM Smith) are under way to integrate transit into Choice Lanes projects. He said planned airport improvements include route extensions and a new cross‑town connection, plus signage and real‑time information; he gave a rough estimate that airport service could expand "about a 5 to 6 time" increase over time as connections and transit centers are built.

Other details reported to the committee: the completion of the North Nashville transit center produced a 36% ridership increase on connected routes; the agency’s passenger fare revenue is roughly $11–12 million annually; fare capping via the QuickTicket app limits costs to $4 per day or $65 per 30 days; and an open‑payment trial (credit/debit, Apple Wallet, Google Pay) is underway.

Several council members raised rider‑and‑operator safety concerns and asked for budget line items and briefings on security measures. Bland said major security spending is visible in contracted security lines and an increase in MNPD secondary employment, and he offered to return with additional briefings and documentation. He also credited Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1235 and its president, Tracy Ward, for partnership on security and workforce efforts.

No formal vote on the FY25‑26 operating budget occurred during the committee meeting; Bland repeatedly framed many items as contingent on council adoption of the mayor’s proposal. The supplemental appropriation described in the presentation was referenced as already adopted by the council several weeks earlier and has been used to place the 12‑bus order and to kick‑start other short‑term projects.

The MTA representatives asked for continued coordination with Metro departments, regional partners and advocacy groups as they implement the proposed service and fare changes; Bland offered to report back to the committee with more detailed schedules and metrics as projects progress.