NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — This week marks three years since an emergency "Safer at Home" order forced people in Nashville to stay home except for essential activities.
WeGo Public Transit ridership took a nosedive, dropping nearly 60 percent. But now Metro's public transit system reports activity is almost back to pre-pandemic levels.
"In terms of fixed routes we're at about 87 percent of pre-pandemic levels, so we're excited about that," said WeGo spokesperson Eric Melcher. "A lot of work has gone into that. So that puts our ridership numbers averaging 25,000-26,000 people a day."
That's across the board. A few of the busier routes have surged past 2019 numbers, like the 55 Murfreesboro Pike route. Ridership is not only back to pre-pandemic level, it's surpassed it by around 30 percent, Melcher said.
And overall weekend ridership is higher than before. WeGo thinks construction and hospitality jobs may be a reason why.
Last week WeGo launched a new campaign to grow the numbers further. The group is using social media to target certain neighborhoods to make sure residents know where their closest bus actually goes.
You may see posts on Twitter, NextDoor and other sites. WeGo started with the 4 Shelby Ave Route, advertising that the bus can connect people to places like Frothy Monkey, Rosepepper Cantina and the Riverside Village Pharmacy.
"We're also sending out flyers to businesses," Melcher said. "You know put this on your bulletin board and it shows customers where they can get to on the Route 4 Shelby. We're targeting those neighborhoods very specifically (like) Historic Edgefield, Parkway Terrace, East End – all these East Nashville neighborhoods. Very particular targeting for that and trying to get people talking about their neighborhood bus route."
With parking a growing issue across town, WeGo thinks people may turn to the bus once they realize they can get to many popular businesses and places of interest (schools, hospitals etc.) for just a couple bucks. Riders can even pay by app.
To check times and plan a route, head to WeGo's website.
