Recent research has proven that even suburban areas can and will utilize public mobility options when they are available (see our previous blog “WeGo Transit: What’s in a Name” or the CityLab story). So, if you’ve been wondering what’s available in the Middle Tennessee region you are in luck! See a collection of regional transportation services below:
WeGo Public Transit (formerly known as Metropolitan Transit Authority, MTA—see blog on name change). WeGo Transit serves Davidson County. It supports crosstown routes, frequent buses, Bus Rapid Transit lite, and even has a free Music City Circuit that connects downtown, TSU, and the Gulch—it’s great if you work downtown and don’t want to give up your parking spot for an offsite lunch meeting. Visit the WeGo website to view schedules and fares.
The AccessRide program operates specialized van services for persons with disabilities and provides door-to-door paratransit service within Davidson County. See more information on the website.
The Regional Transit Authority (RTA), while based in Nashville, serves the 10-county region of Middle Tennessee with Express buses and one commuter train, the Music City Star, ferrying working professionals to work and back home. Express buses and the Music City Star run during morning and evening rush hours.
Express buses run daily from Clarksville, Dickson, Murfreesboro, Springfield/Joelton, Gallatin/Hendersonville, and Spring Hill (see image above) and often have comfortable seating, a bathroom, and wifi for those who prefer to be productive on the way to the office.
If you are commuting in on I-40 from the East/Lebanon area, the Music City Star offers double decked seating and pastoral views. The Music City Star even provides special event service for the Wilson County Fair, Tennessee Titans games, New Year’s Eve, and 4th of July.
All Relax and Ride services come with the added perk of an ‘Emergency Ride Home’ option if you need to get home sooner than the afternoon ride allows. Visit the RTA website for more on benefits of riding the Relax and Ride service.
Ridesharing is also available through the RTA. They can help you organize vanpools and/or carpools. Vanpools and carpools can be an oft-overlooked form of transportation. More flexible than buses or trains but more effective than driving alone, ‘pooling can help save money on gas and parking and headaches from daily traffic stress all while saving space on congested Nashville corridors and reducing daily CO2 emissions. With the added bonus of ‘Emergency Ride Home’ service, it can be a real problem solver. Vanpools and Carpools throughout the region are organized by the TMA Group. See more about starting a ‘pool’ on their website.
Outside Davidson County, there are still many options for public transportation.
Clarksville has their own local service: the Clarksville Transit System (CTS). CTS supports a frequent bus service throughout Clarksville and also provides ‘The Lift’. The Lift is a service for qualified disabled and elderly passengers. Visit their website for more information on routes and fares.
Murfreesboro has the Rover, a public transportation system that serves the city of Murfreesboro with ADA-compliant buses that run Monday-Friday. The Rover system was recently a recipient of a sizable grant to build a comprehensive transit hub. See more on their website.
Franklin has Franklin Transit. Franklin Transit operates several reliable routes radiating out from downtown Franklin to Williamson Hospital, Cool Springs Galleria, and Fieldstone Farms. See more on their website.
Columbia offers public transportation with their Muletown Trolley operated by the South Central Area Transit Service (SCATS). The Muletown Trolley and SCATS connects Maury County cities Columbia, Spring Hill, and Mount Pleasant with four routes and recently expanded services. See more on their website.
In addition, for those with special needs in the region, the Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency offers rides to doctors’ visits and more. See their website for more information on their scope of services.