WeGo reports double-digit ridership gains; Journey Pass cited as major factor, route 18 to be adjusted

WeGo staff told the MTA board that ridership rose substantially year-over-year in early 2026 and outlined targeted service changes to address localized declines.

Katie Freudberg, director of service development, presented the quarterly route performance report for January through March 2026 and said ridership was up about 15% over last year and that preliminary April figures showed increases of roughly 20% on many routes. She attributed much of the uptick to the Journey Pass program while noting other ride categories also contributed to growth.

Freudberg highlighted one exception: Route 18 (airport–Elm Hill Pike) was down nearly 10% year-over-year, with the loss concentrated on Elm Hill Pike rather than the airport segment. Staff said early-morning frequency (45 minutes) hurt reliability for some riders; to address this, the agency plans service changes effective in July that will increase Route 18 frequency to every 30 minutes and route trips via Murfreesboro Pike and Arlington to avoid CSX track crossings that cause delays.

WeGo Link service showed particularly strong growth, up about 171% versus last year, concentrated in the South Nashville free zone (a TDOT-sponsored trial zone where some passengers do not pay a copay). On-time performance also appeared to improve dramatically this quarter, but staff cautioned that last year's reporting contained errors and that the year-over-year percent increase is inflated; an apples-to-apples comparison is expected next quarter.

Board members asked staff to provide a deeper Journey Pass data analysis and recent customer-experience surveying to better understand where riders are traveling and which routes face overcrowding. Staff committed to a Journey Pass briefing by July and said new articulated buses and cautious service rollouts will help manage increased demand.