News Summary
Students from McGavock and Glencliff High Schools in Nashville will experience improved bus transit routes, enhancing accessibility and safety. Funded by the ‘Choose How You Move’ initiative, these changes will shorten students’ walks to school. Additional safety measures include a free ride program and the introduction of Metro Police Officers dedicated to transportation security. The initiative aims to significantly enhance public transportation for students, ensuring they have safe and efficient routes to their schools.
Nashville, Tennessee – High school students attending McGavock and Glencliff are set to benefit from significant changes to bus transit routes, thanks to improvements within the WeGo public bus system. These enhancements will provide shorter walks to school for students, creating a more accessible and safer transportation experience.
The changes are funded through the Choose How You Move initiative, which is backed by a recent sales tax increase. Currently, students from these schools face walks ranging from a mile to a mile and a half after disembarking from their buses. The new initiative aims to establish special bus service routes that will allow students to be dropped off much closer to their schools during the school year and on school days.
Michael Briggs from the mayor’s office is overseeing the Choose How You Move initiative. He emphasized the substantial distances that students currently have to walk, revealing that feedback from McGavock students played a crucial role in highlighting the need for improved transportation options. The city leaders acknowledge that the changes are vital for ensuring safe travel for students.
As part of these transportation improvements, students and staff will also have access to a free ride program, which has seen immense usage, with over 710,000 rides taken during the last school year. This program not only saves students money but also encourages greater use of public transportation.
Safety remains a significant concern for city planners, and funding will also be allocated to enhance security resources for students. The revised bus routes are specifically designed to offer safer alternatives, steering students away from narrow sidewalks, which can pose risks. A new initiative will introduce 28 Metro Police Officers dedicated to transportation security, although full implementation of this unit may take a few years.
In detail, the forthcoming bus routes will include WeGo’s Route 6, which will serve McGavock High School, and Route 52, which is slated for Glencliff High School. These changes are expected to roll out in conjunction with the 2025/26 academic year and will include further enhancements in the future.
To support these developments, the StrIDe program, a partnership between WeGo and Metro Nashville Public Schools, is being implemented to allow students and staff to ride buses for free. MNPS Superintendent Adrienne Battle has expressed appreciation for the focus on improving transportation access for students, recognizing its importance in fostering educational journeys.
Significant funding for these improvements is also coming from federal grants, totaling nearly $12 million, which will facilitate technological advancements along key thoroughfares. One notable aspect of this funding is a SMART Grant award, which will provide resources for the installation of LiDAR technology along Nolensville Pike. This advanced technology will enhance transit safety and efficiency by mapping distances and shapes without capturing personally identifiable information. It serves as a preventative safety measure to detect near-miss incidents.
Additional enhancements will incorporate artificial intelligence to streamline and optimize transportation operations. Notably, it is worth mentioning that the Murfreesboro Pike route currently experiences the highest ridership in the WeGo system, accommodating approximately 5,000 of the typical 30,000 daily riders.
These changes represent not just an upgrade to the bus system, but a broader commitment from city officials to improve student accessibility, safety, and overall public transportation experiences within Nashville.
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Author: HERE Nashville
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