NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville volunteer group has placed 50 to 60 handmade wooden benches at bus stops and sidewalks across the city, but the Nashville Department of Transportation has collected roughly 17 of them, saying they were obstructing the public right-of-way.
The effort, called To Nashville, With Love, was started by a small group of friends who wanted to make their community more welcoming.
Charlie Weingartner is one of the volunteers who helps build the benches.
"One of the fundamental things that makes an environment welcoming is a place to sit," Weingartner said.
The group noticed many places where people wait for buses with nowhere to rest. At a stop on Shelby Ave near South 8th Street in East Nashville, Weingartner placed a bench and watched a man sit down before boarding a bus. Minutes later, a man who needs help walking sat down and waited for the next bus.
"I hope it gave him a nice place to sit on, you know, a more deeper level than that. I hope it gave him some solace... he has a community that, you know, cares about the little things in his day-to-day life," Weingartner said.
Weingartner said the group has placed around 50 to 60 benches across Nashville, but NDOT removed the bench at that very stop on Shelby Ave. A photo shows about 17 removed benches held at NDOT.
Weingartner said the removals were frustrating.
"You know, it was frustrating if there were actual ADA right-of-way issues or other concerns, that could have been addressed directly with us instead of just having them gone," Weingartner said.
NDOT said in a statement that the benches were collected due to their placement obstructing the right-of-way and that the agency is working with the organization to find a path forward.
NDOT staff is working directly with the To Nashville, With Love organization to permit the installation of wooden benches in the right-of-way through our Tactical Urbanism Program. The benches currently held at NDOT were collected last year due to their placement obstructing the right-of-way. We must always ensure that the right-of-way is safe and accessible and we're committed to working with partners to keep that the priority. We've been in communication with the organization that made and placed the benches, and we're working to return the property.
Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin said the community effort highlights a real need.
"It's really incredible to see the community coming together, putting benches together, putting them out… we've seen them in bus stops where people had to stand before they get to sit," Kupin said.
Weingartner said he plans to keep building benches and hopes to work with the city to find places where they can stay.
Have you seen one of these benches at a Nashville bus stop — or noticed one that's been removed? We want to hear from you. Watch the full story in the video above, and share your experience or thoughts with reporter Kim Rafferty at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com. Your story could help shape our continued coverage of public spaces and transit in Nashville.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
Here’s a beautiful story of how one mother turned her grief journey into a gathering of gratitude… and organ donation awareness.
Robb Coles highlights a special event organized by Cari Hollis – whose 26-year old son Austin died two years ago. Austin agreed to be an organ donor – and that single gesture saved multiple lives.
Cari reached out to as many recipients she could find – several of whom traveled to Nashville for an emotional celebration in Austin’s honor. One woman – whose life was saved by receiving Austin’s lungs – put it simply: “He’s my angel”.
- Rhori Johnston
