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