NASHVILLE, TN (TN Tribune) – Mayor John Cooper announced his FY2021-22 Metro Operating Budget proposal, which includes a $53,656,100 funding allotment for WeGo Public Transit services. This allotment will allow WeGo to advance its goals toward an equitable public transit system in alignment with the recently adopted Nashville Transportation Plan and to better provide service to Nashvillians.
“WeGo Public Transit applauds Mayor Cooper’s proposed FY2021-22 Metro Operating Budget, and specifically its major commitment to public transportation service,” said WeGo CEO Steve Bland.
“Last year, WeGo was able to absorb a budget cut from Metro during a very difficult year for the city due to available funding from the Federal Government,” said Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (Nashville MTA) Board Chair Gail Carr-Williams. “With Mayor Cooper’s budget proposal this year, we look forward to stabilizing service and actually increasing service levels as early as this fall.”
The direct impact of these investments will be for the thousands of Nashvillians who rely on public transportation services every day.
“The service improvements that WeGo will be able to start with this budget are very exciting,” frequent WeGo Public Transit rider John Bull said. “Later service hours, in particular, are absolutely essential to so many workers who’ve been hit really hard by the pandemic over the past year. The fact that they’ll be able to access more jobs and more available shifts will help raise Nashville up even faster.”
The Nashville MTA Board of Directors will begin considering next year’s budget and service improvements at its regular meeting in May.
