NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — How can the WeGo Star better serve the people of Nashville?
That's the question the folks who run the commuter train want neighbors to help answer.
But in many ways, Tuesday's public outreach event meant to arrive at some of those answers reflected the same problems that the commuter train itself is facing: there were far more WeGo employees and contractors at the meeting than actual riders and potential riders that WeGo undoubtedly hoped to reach.
WeGo Star says it wants to hear from people in Nashville to learn what would get them to ride the commuter train, as it considers possibilities like a connection to the airport or additional stops along the line between Downtown and Lebanon.
Sami Harrell was one of just two or three members of the public who showed, who says she worries the WeGo star has become irrelevant.
"I imagine more people would want to ride it, so it has to be something of the planning of it," Harrell said.
Harrell grew up in Chicago, taking the train around town and to special events like concerts.
"I used to ride the train growing up, specifically to a Beyonce concert," Harrell said. "It was a whole day event."
The Star was not running during this weekend's Beyonce concert, or during the record-breaking Taylor Swift concert in May.
"Riding public transportation to the airport would be nice, or on the weekends it would be helpful. There are places that are too far to drive," Harrell said.
There are four other public meetings in different areas along the WeGo Star Route in the coming days.
WeGo says it has gotten back hundreds of responses to surveys it has sent out, and it says it's going to also conduct interviews with riders on the trains themselves to get their ideas.
