Nashville high schools gain access to expanded transportation services through WeGo, funded by Choose How You Move program.
Nashville, Tennessee, is taking significant strides to improve the transportation options for high school students and staff, with the introduction of a new public transit service. This initiative, set to commence during the 2025/26 academic year, will provide direct access to McGavock High School and Glencliff High School through WEGO Nashville.
The collaboration between Nashville's public schools and the transit system is aimed at enhancing student mobility and promoting sustainable travel. The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), also known as WeGo, has been actively engaging with youth through its Youth Action Team, which includes student representatives from various schools. This team focuses on promoting youth-focused travel training programs, advocating for increased ridership, and supporting sustainable transit funding.
The new service is expected to offer numerous benefits. Increased accessibility will make it easier for students to attend school, participate in extracurricular activities, and engage with their communities independently. By using public transit, schools can help reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a more sustainable environment. Additionally, public transit can be more cost-effective than maintaining extensive school bus fleets or relying on personal vehicles for transportation.
Sabrina Sussman, the Chief Program Officer of Choose How You Move, stated that students will be able to take transit straight to their first class of the day with the new service. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell also expressed his support, stating that the new service will make it easier for high school students to get to their classes.
The new service is part of the Choose How You Move program, which aims to make public transportation more convenient and accessible. This voter-approved campaign has funded the new transit service, and the StrIDe program, a component of the service, allows high school students to ride WeGo at no cost.
The StrIDe program has already made a considerable impact, providing 712,381 rides over the past year, including 16,446 for MNPS staff. The MNPS Superintendent, Adrienne Battle, is grateful for the priority given to transportation access for students through this partnership.
For the latest and most accurate information on the Choose How You Move campaign, it would be best to contact WeGo Nashville or the Metro Nashville Public Schools directly. This initiative is another step towards ensuring every student can engage fully in their education and choose the academic program that is right for them.
The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is working with schools to implement education-and-self-development programs focusing on travel training and promoting sustainable transit use through its Youth Action Team. With the new service in place, high school students will receive management assistance in navigating public transit, facilitating their independence, participation in extracurricular activities, and academic engagement.
