This article is part of our Moving to Nashville guide.
Last updated October 20, 2026
Nashville public transit is almost all buses. WeGo Public Transit runs the local bus network across Davidson County, with most routes meeting downtown at WeGo Central, plus one weekday commuter train, the WeGo Star, from Lebanon. A 2-hour unlimited bus fare is $2 and a calendar-month pass is $65 (WeGo, October 2026). Transit works well if you live and work near one of the frequent bus corridors. Outside them, most people also drive, bike or use rideshare.
How does the WeGo bus system work?
WeGo Public Transit is the transit agency for Metro Nashville-Davidson County. Its bus network is built like a wheel. Most routes run out from downtown along the big “pikes” (Gallatin, Dickerson, Nolensville, Murfreesboro, Charlotte, Hillsboro and others), and most of them start and end at the Elizabeth Duff Transit Center at WeGo Central downtown. If you are going from one side of town to the other, you will often ride into downtown and change buses there.
WeGo groups its buses into a few types (WeGo, “Buses”, October 2026):
- Frequent routes: every 15 minutes or less on major corridors in Davidson County.
- Local routes: every 20 to 60 minutes, with regular stops across the county. Examples are 4 Shelby, 6 Lebanon Pike, 14 Whites Creek and 42 St. Cecilia-Cumberland.
- Connector routes: cross neighborhoods without going downtown, such as 70 Bellevue, 75 Midtown and 79 Skyline.
- Express and regional routes: commuter buses from outlying counties, where riders park at a park and ride and travel to downtown. Examples are 84 Murfreesboro and 95 Spring Hill-Franklin.
- WeGo Link: discounted on-demand rides to and from bus stops in set zones (more below).
- WeGo Access: paratransit for riders with disabilities who qualify.
Check schedules before you rely on a route. Hours vary by route and day, and WeGo posts each route’s timetable on its site and in the Transit app and Google Maps.
Which Nashville bus routes come most often?
WeGo lists eight frequent routes that run every 15 minutes or less (WeGo, “Buses”, October 2026). If you want to live without a car, start your apartment search along one of these:
- 3 West End
- 7 Hillsboro
- 22 Bordeaux
- 23 Dickerson Pike
- 50 Charlotte Pike
- 52 Nolensville Pike
- 55 Murfreesboro Pike
- 56 Gallatin Pike
Each route is named for the street or area it serves, and most run out from downtown. Look up the full route map on WeGo’s site before you choose an apartment, since a route can serve one end of a neighborhood and miss the other.
- Why it matters: a bus every 15 minutes means you can walk out the door without checking the schedule.
- The trade-off: a local route that comes every 30 to 60 minutes means you plan your day around it.
Being near a frequent route matters more than anything else. Our guide to the best Nashville neighborhoods for newcomers notes which areas sit on these corridors.
How much does the bus cost in Nashville?
WeGo’s local bus fares are simple. The basic fare is a 2-hour pass, not a single ride, so you can change buses within two hours at no extra cost if you pay with QuickTicket or a contactless card. Cash buys only one ride with no transfer. These are the current fares (WeGo, “Fare and Ticket Information”, fetched October 20, 2026; the page lists no effective date):
| Fare type | Adult | Reduced fare | How you can pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-hour unlimited | $2.00 | $1.00 | QuickTicket or contactless tap |
| Full day | $4.00 | $2.00 | QuickTicket or contactless tap |
| Full calendar month | $65.00 | $33.00 | QuickTicket or contactless tap |
| Cash, 1 ride (no transfer) | $2.00 | $1.00 | Exact cash only |
| Regional bus, 1 ride | $4.25 | $2.00 | See WeGo fare page |
| Children 4 and under | Free | Free | No fare needed |
A few things to know about passes:
- There is no 7-day pass and no 31-day pass for local buses. WeGo sells a 2-hour pass, a full-day pass and a full calendar-month pass. The month pass runs for the calendar month, so buying it late in the month gets you fewer days. (The only 31-day product is for the WeGo Star train.)
- You don’t have to buy a pass up front. WeGo says that with its “Best Value” fares on QuickTicket you never pay more than $4 a day or $65 a month (WeGo, October 2026). Pay $2 at a time and the system stops charging once you reach those amounts.
- Reduced fares are for youth 19 and under, seniors 65 and older, people with disabilities and Medicare cardholders. You need a WeGo Discount ID, which you get in person at the Elizabeth Duff Transit Center at WeGo Central (WeGo, October 2026).
- Fare-free rides for income-eligible riders: Metro’s Journey Pass program offers fare-free WeGo rides to residents who qualify by income, and it was expanded in August 2026 (Metro Nashville, “Program Progress”, September 2026). Ask WeGo or Metro about eligibility if money is tight.
How do you pay for the bus in Nashville?
You have four ways to pay on local buses (WeGo, October 2026):
- QuickTicket app: load money in the app and scan your phone at the validator.
- QuickTicket card: a reloadable card you tap on the validator.
- Contactless tap: tap a contactless debit or credit card, or a phone wallet, on the validator. This gets you the same 2-hour, day and month products as QuickTicket. American Express is not accepted.
- Exact cash: drivers can’t give change, and cash gets you a single ride with no transfer.
For most newcomers, the easiest start is to tap the card already in your wallet. If you ride often, switch to QuickTicket so your daily and monthly totals are tracked in one account.
What is WeGo Link?
WeGo Link fills gaps where the nearest bus stop is hard to reach. In set zones, you book a discounted ride through the Uber app, using a reusable WeGo voucher, between designated stops in that zone, usually to connect with a bus route. WeGo lists 19 zones, including Antioch, Bellevue, Hermitage, Goodlettsville, Old Hickory, Sylvan Park and East Thompson Lane (WeGo, “WeGo Link”, October 2026). Rides in the South Nashville zone are free until further notice. If you need an accessible vehicle or want to pay cash, WeGo lists two partner providers on the same page. Each trip must stay within one zone and start and end at a designated stop.
How does the WeGo Star train work?
The WeGo Star is Nashville’s only passenger rail line. It runs east from Lebanon to Riverfront Station downtown (108 1st Ave. S.), stopping at Hamilton Springs, Martha, Mt. Juliet, Hermitage and Donelson. It runs on weekdays only, in the morning and afternoon peaks (WeGo, “WeGo Star”, October 2026). It is a commuter train for people who work downtown and live along that eastern line. It is not an all-day subway, and there is no weekend service.
Fares depend on the station you board at (WeGo, “Fare and Ticket Information”, October 2026):
| Boarding station | 1 ride | 10-ride | 31-day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | $5.25 | $47.25 | $176.50 |
| Hamilton Springs or Martha | $5.00 | $45.25 | $168.00 |
| Mt. Juliet | $4.75 | $43.00 | $158.50 |
| Hermitage | $4.50 | $40.00 | $150.25 |
| Donelson | $2.00 | $17.75 | $67.25 |
A single ride bought at a station costs $5.25 everywhere except Donelson, where it is $2.00. Lebanon and Mt. Juliet are separate cities outside Davidson County, so the Star mainly helps people who live in those suburbs and commute into the city.
How do you get to the Nashville airport by bus?
Take WeGo Route 18 Airport. It runs between the Elizabeth Duff Transit Center at WeGo Central downtown and BNA’s Ground Transportation Center, on Level 1 of the Terminal 2 Garage. Express trips take about 20 minutes and local trips take 35 to 45 minutes, depending on traffic. The fare is $2 each way for adults, paid with QuickTicket, a contactless card or phone, or exact cash, and you can bring luggage (WeGo, “Nashville International Airport”, October 2026). Check the Route 18 schedule for times before a flight, especially early in the morning or late at night.
What is Choose How You Move, and what has it changed?
On November 5, 2024, Davidson County voters approved Choose How You Move with 65.5% support. It is a $3.1 billion, 15-year plan for more bus service, sidewalks, bike lanes and traffic signals, paid for by a half-cent sales tax surcharge (Tennessee Lookout, November 11, 2024). The surcharge took effect February 1, 2025, raising the local sales tax rate in Davidson County to 2.75% (Tennessee Department of Revenue, December 2024). That is part of why Nashville’s combined sales tax is 9.75% on most purchases, which our cost of living guide covers.
Metro’s targets for the program include 86 miles of new sidewalks and smart signals at 592 intersections (Metro Nashville, Choose How You Move Progress Update, August 2026). It is a long program, so most of it is still ahead. Here is the honest split as of October 2026.
What has actually changed so far
- More bus service. Metro says service has been expanded three times since the program launched. The biggest change came January 4, 2026: 12 new program-funded buses, longer Sunday hours on many routes (including 3, 4, 7, 14, 18, 22, 23, 50, 52, 55 and 56), better frequency on 3 West End, 7 Hillsboro and 52 Nolensville Pike, and a new WeGo Link zone around East Thompson Lane (Metro Nashville, August 2026; WSMV, October 25, 2025). That change improved existing routes; it did not add brand-new fixed routes.
- A bus queue-jump lane on Murfreesboro Pike, which lets buses get ahead of traffic at a signal, opened in November 2025 (Metro Nashville, August 2026).
- Sidewalks. The first program-funded sidewalk construction began in February 2026, and Metro reports the first project complete (Metro Nashville, September 2026).
- Street projects. The Chestnut Complete Street project broke ground in July 2026 (Metro Nashville, August 2026).
- Dedicated transit lanes moved closer: Gov. Bill Lee signed a measure (SJR 657) allowing them in April 2026 (Metro Nashville, August 2026).
- WeGo Access paratransit added evening and weekend service, and the Journey Pass fare-free program was expanded (Metro Nashville, September 2026).
What is still planned
- All-Access Corridors, the program’s upgraded bus corridors with better stops, signals and sidewalks. Planning and design are under way for Nolensville Pike and Gallatin Pike/Main Street (Metro posted a request for qualifications for the Nolensville Pike corridor in March 2026). None has opened, and Metro gives no completion dates.
- A new SoBro Transit Center downtown and a new bus operations facility. Metro describes both as advancing or being planned, with no opening dates.
- Smart signals on downtown streets and key pikes. Fiber and signal upgrades are under way, well short of the 592-intersection target.
- Most of the 86 miles of sidewalks, plus more stop and shelter upgrades and fleet expansion.
Sources for both lists: Metro Nashville’s Choose How You Move Progress Update (August 2026) and “Program Progress” page (updated September 23, 2026). The practical takeaway for a mover: buses are somewhat better than they were in 2024, but Nashville in 2026 is still a bus city without rail rapid transit or dedicated bus corridors. Choose where you live based on the service running today, not on what is planned.
Can you use bike share or scooters in Nashville?
Yes. Nashville BCycle is the city’s bike share. Its bikes are electric-assist, which helps on Nashville’s hills, and they are available 24 hours a day. You buy a pass in the BCycle app, unlock a bike at a station and return it to any station. BCycle says rides start at $10, and passes include a set amount of ride time per trip with fees for extra time (Nashville BCycle, October 2026). Check the app for current pass prices. Stations run from the Parthenon down Broadway, across the pedestrian bridge to East Nashville, and out to the Shelby Bottoms Greenway, with more spread through downtown.
Shared scooters and e-bikes are run by private companies under Metro’s Shared Bike and Scooter Program. Lime operates in Nashville. Lime’s Nashville page says riders must be 18 or older with a driver’s license, should not ride on sidewalks in business districts, should use bike lanes where they exist, and may be fined $10 for bad parking. The app also enforces slow, no-ride and no-parking zones (Lime, October 2026). Those are the operator’s stated rules; read the in-app rules before your first ride.
Is Nashville walkable and bikeable?
In parts. Downtown, SoBro, The Gulch, Midtown, Germantown and the core of East Nashville are easy to walk, and many errands there can be done on foot. Farther out, sidewalks often stop or never started, which is exactly what the Choose How You Move sidewalk money is meant to fix. Expect wide, fast pikes with long gaps between crossings in much of the county.
For biking, Nashville’s best asset is its greenways, the paved, off-street trails Metro Parks runs along rivers and creeks. They are mostly built for recreation, but some work for commuting if your route lines up. Shelby Bottoms Greenway in East Nashville, for example, has more than 5 miles of paved, accessible trail along about 3 miles of the Cumberland River (Metro Parks, updated September 2025). The pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River connects downtown and East Nashville for people on foot and on bikes, and BCycle stations sit on both sides. On streets, bike lanes are patchy, so plan routes with a map that shows protected lanes and greenways.
Who does Nashville transit work well for?
Be realistic. Transit in Nashville works well for some people and poorly for others.
It works well if you
- Live and work along one of the eight frequent routes, so the bus comes every 15 minutes or less at both ends of your commute.
- Work downtown and live along the WeGo Star line in Donelson, Hermitage, Mt. Juliet or Lebanon, with regular weekday hours.
- Are a student, a senior or a youth rider who qualifies for half-price fares.
- Fly often and live near downtown, since Route 18 to BNA is $2.
- Live in a walkable core neighborhood and want transit as a backup to walking and bike share.
It works poorly if you
- Need to cross town without going through downtown, unless a connector route fits your trip.
- Live or work in the suburbs, such as Franklin, Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville or Smyrna. These are separate cities in other counties, and service there is mostly commuter express buses to downtown.
- Live on a route that comes every 30 to 60 minutes, or work hours outside a route’s schedule.
- Have kids to drop off, big grocery runs or a job that moves you around the region.
If you are in the second group, read do you need a car in Nashville? before you sell yours. It covers what a car costs to register and insure in Davidson County, and how people get by with one car or none. And if you are still at the start of planning, our Nashville moving guide links every post in this series.
How should a newcomer start using transit?
- Before you sign a lease, open the address in Google Maps or the Transit app and check which route serves it and how often.
- Tap a contactless card on your first ride so you don’t need the exact fare in cash.
- If you ride most days, set up QuickTicket so your fares cap at $4 a day and $65 a month.
- If you qualify for a reduced fare, get your WeGo Discount ID at WeGo Central downtown.
- Download the BCycle app for short trips in the core and along the river.
For more setup tasks in your first weeks, see what to do in your first 30 days in Nashville.
Frequently asked questions about public transit in Nashville
Does Nashville have a subway or light rail?
No. Nashville has no subway or light rail. Its only passenger rail is the WeGo Star, a weekday peak-hour commuter train between Lebanon and downtown. Everything else is buses.
Is there a weekly bus pass in Nashville?
No. WeGo sells 2-hour ($2), full-day ($4) and full calendar-month ($65) passes for local buses, with no 7-day or 31-day bus pass (WeGo, October 2026). With QuickTicket, your fares stop at $4 a day and $65 a month, so you don’t need to buy a pass up front.
Can I pay for the bus with my credit card?
Yes. Tap a contactless debit or credit card or a phone wallet on the validator. American Express is not accepted. You can also use the QuickTicket app or card, or exact cash.
Did the 2024 transit referendum add new train or bus lines?
Not yet. As of October 2026, Choose How You Move has added buses, longer hours and better frequency on existing routes, a queue-jump lane and the first sidewalks. The planned All-Access Corridors and SoBro Transit Center have not opened, and the plan does not include a new rail line.
Sources
- Bus fares, passes, payment, WeGo Star fares: WeGo Public Transit, Fare & Ticket Information (October 2026)
- Route types and frequent routes: WeGo Public Transit, Buses (October 2026)
- WeGo Link zones: WeGo Public Transit, WeGo Link (October 2026)
- WeGo Star route: WeGo Public Transit, WeGo Star (October 2026)
- Route 18 Airport: WeGo Public Transit, Nashville International Airport (October 2026)
- Referendum vote and cost: Tennessee Lookout, Nashville among wave of successful 2024 transit votes nationwide (November 2024)
- Transit surcharge: Tennessee Department of Revenue, Important Notice: Change of Local Tax Rate: Davidson County (December 2024)
- Program targets and 2026 status: Metro Nashville, Choose How You Move Progress Update (August 2026)
- Program status: Metro Nashville, Program Progress (September 2026)
- January 2026 route changes: WSMV, WeGo services expanding in January as part of Choose How You Move initiative (October 2025)
- Bike share: Nashville BCycle, Home (October 2026)
- Scooter rules (operator): Lime, Nashville (October 2026)
- Shelby Bottoms Greenway: Metro Parks, Shelby Bottoms Greenway and Natural Area (September 2025)
Author: Go Big City Team
Next step: see the full Moving to Nashville guide for rent, costs, transit, weather, jobs and neighborhoods in one place.