To support student mobility and academic access, Nashville's Mayor O'Connell and the city's public transportation body, WeGo, have announced new transit services for two Metro Nashville high schools. McGavock and Glencliff High Schools are set to benefit from additional WeGo bus routes during the upcoming academic year. Route 6 will now service McGavock High School while Route 52 will cater to Glencliff High School, according to the official announcement from the Mayor's Office.
"We know many of our high school students rely on transit to get to their classes and for some of them, gaps in that service have made it challenging," said Mayor O'Connell, as the new transit options not only aim to bridge those gaps but also to ensure students have a smoother commute to their educational institutions. Sabrina Sussman, the Chief Program Officer for Choose How You Move, mentioned the benefits of this initiative, stating, "Choose How You Move makes using public transportation more convenient and accessible for everyone." She explained that the service adjustments were driven by the overarching goal of making public transport more aligned with the needs of the city's residents, particularly the younger population, per the Mayor's Office.
District 15 Council Member Jeff Gregg highlighted the impact of the added routes and the improvements for the students' journey to school. "In District 15, I know there are many students who routinely use WeGo to get to and from McGavock," Gregg said, as cited by the Mayor's Office. His observations reflect the community's sentiments, where students previously walked from the number 6 bus stop on Lebanon Pike up McGavock Pike to their school. Introducing the new link cuts down on their travel time and inches toward bolstering student safety.
Alongside the enhanced routes, the partnership known as the StrIDe program also permits students and staff to ride WeGo buses at no charge. This initiative has been fruitful, as WeGo CEO Steve Bland published statistics confirming its utility; over the previous year, the program facilitated 712,381 rides, including 16,446 for MNPS staff. "MNPS students and staff are an important part of our WeGo service," Bland stated, as per the Mayor's Office. Dr. Adrienne Battle, Superintendent of Metro Nashville Public Schools, echoed the sentiment, appreciating the dedicated efforts that removed obstacles and broadened access for the students and staff of Metro Nashville Public Schools.
