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Riders and residents raise paratransit, shelter and frequency concerns during WeGo public comment
Summary
Three speakers during public comment told the board about paratransit access problems, requested shelters at specific stops, later bus service and problems with quick-ticket processing at retail outlets.
During the meeting's public comment period, three members of the public told the board about problems accessing WeGo services and requested improvements to stops and schedules.
Chanel Matthews described repeated issues with paratransit service for her mother, a rider with multiple sclerosis. Matthews said multiple drivers have refused to back into her driveway despite a written instruction in the account notes asking drivers to back in; she described an incident when a driver pulled up with a side lift and would not back into the driveway, leaving her mother unable to board without a risk of injury. Matthews said she filed complaints with WeGo, the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (file number given in public comment) and with her district representative; she asked the board to review the attachments she provided and to address the recurring drivers-not-backing-up issue.
Peter O'Connor, who said he recently moved to a location served by route 6 and previously frequented route 52B, asked for shelters at two stops on Lebanon Pike near the Metro Water Department for elderly riders and requested later and more frequent service, including service beyond 11:15 p.m. He said he had contacted customer service without success and asked staff to follow up. John Bull (resident, South Nashville) thanked Mobility Solutions and operators for supporting overflow-shelter trips on route 23, reported seeing a backlog of people using a single van for shelter trips and asked Metro to consider more overflow shelter locations to reduce concentration on a single route. He also reported that some retailers (Walmart and Walgreens) were not processing quick tickets and asked staff to investigate.
Board members accepted the comments and staff requested the speakers provide documentation; staff asked Matthews to leave the photos and complaint materials for the agency record so they could be investigated.
No formal board action was taken during public comment; staff committed to follow up on documented complaints and shelter/stop requests.
