Matthew Studer, a regular AccessRide rider, told the Nashville MTA board he has seen improvements but continues to face long waits when multiple rideshare drivers accept then drop his prearranged trips. "It gets to a point where I think there should be some sort of communication to where when you pick a ride, you need to commit to it," Studer said, noting waits of "20, 30 minutes" when pickups cycle through several drivers.

John Bull, speaking separately during public comment, urged the agency to review its rideshare contracts, saying some vendor terms (he cited Lyft as an example) limit riders to individual suits rather than class actions and called the shared-ride options "not safe." The board did not discuss contract language at the meeting.

Representatives from St. Luke's described how transit stop placement affects food security. Philip Manning said clients often carry roughly 50 pounds of groceries and that the nearest bus stop being a half-mile away can cause food to be dropped or lost on the walk. "A small shift in a bus route could mean a life changing shift for a family," Manning said.

CJ Sentel of St. Luke's Community House framed transit as "food access infrastructure," asking the board to consider reroutes or an additional stop to serve seniors, children and other residents who rely on transit to reach grocery stores and farmers markets.

Studer also asked whether the Journey Pass program — a reduced- or capped-fare initiative staff has discussed in other forums — will ever include people receiving federal benefits such as SSI. Board and staff responses at the meeting acknowledged the question but did not provide a timetable or a firm commitment for expanding Journey Pass eligibility.

The appeals were made during the public-comment portion of the meeting; the board did not take immediate policy action during the session but heard the requests and thanked speakers for their testimony. The agency's winter service changes, funded in part by the "Choose How You Move" program, were described in staff reports as taking effect Jan. 4 and include extended Sunday hours and frequency improvements on select routes — changes staff said are designed to better match service with demand.

The next procedural step for riders seeking changes to routes or stops is to follow up with agency staff, who were invited by the chair to receive additional questions and materials after the meeting.