NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — WeGo Public Transit is signing up Davidson County residents for the Journey Pass, which provides three years of free rides on Nashville's bus system.
"Journey Pass is the largest fare-free program in Nashville for transit," said Eric Melcher of WeGo Public Transit.
Melcher said the program is designed to remove financial barriers that have been limiting how often some riders use the bus system.
"We've heard a lot of folks that were kind of limiting how many rides they might take during an average week just because of the money involved," Melcher said. "It really frees them up to be able to say, 'I can go to that doctor's appointment, I can visit the grocery store, I can go out and see friends.'"
For current riders, the pass is already making a difference.
"If you're out on the streets, they'll give you one for three years, so that's really useful because it's really hard to come up with that $2 like every single time," said Jordan Napier, a Journey Pass user. "If you pay $2 to get on a ride, then you gotta pay another $2 to come back. Sometimes you gotta catch two or three buses — that ends up adding up and being like $12 to $15 a day."
Stephen Stenton, a disabled veteran who relies on the bus system, said the pass has been essential to his daily life.
"I have been riding the bus ever since I came back from the military," Stenton said. "Being able to drop me off at my house, take me to my job — it's been a great benefit."
Journey Pass sign-ups are open now through Nov. 30 at the Elizabeth Duff Transit Center downtown, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Applicants will need to bring a valid photo ID and other documents. You can find out the specifics of what you need to bring by clicking here.
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