NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville resident Marlos E'van said he used to ride the bus. Nowadays, he gets around quicker in his car.
"Let's cut down some of the wait times," he said. "Routes is a big thing, too."
E'van said he'd like to see more frequent bus routes.
"I would love to see it beefed up a little bit to where the buses hit every 10, 20 minutes."
He was among audience members at a WeGo community meeting Monday. The meeting focused on a new WeGo Transit Center under construction in north Nashville. The $17 million center will be named after civil rights activist Dr. Ernest Rip Patton Jr.
"The north Nashville neighborhood that we're sitting in today has one of the highest concentrations of transit ridership in the city," said Steve Bland, CEO of WeGo. "We also see high concentrations of folks with low auto ownership characteristics, so zero and one auto ownership households."
The center will include wifi, air-conditioned waiting rooms, restrooms, multiple bus bays and public art reflecting the culture of north Nashville. It will join two other centers in Nashville — one outside Hillsboro High School and one yet to be built in Antioch.
"In Nashville, it takes a really long time for individuals to get anywhere on public transportation because it's so scattered throughout," said Teri Jo Fletcher, executive director of Dream Streets TN.
The facility will also come with three new additional bus routes, including a cross-town connection.
"Having transportation is one of the most equitable things that we can offer," Fletcher said. "People always think of food and housing and education but you can't get to any of those things without transportation."
Construction on the center is expected to be completed by spring 2024.
"2023, 2024 — I'm back on the bus," said E'van.
