Most Nashville bus users can now use a reloadable card and phone app to pay for their ride.
WeGo the city’s public transit agency has been developing and testing the new QuickTicket system for the past five years. But it’s been on its transit strategy plan since at least 2015.
Bryan Williams is WeGo’s performance oversight manager. He helped get the new system up and running. He says it’s finally being completed because the city received the $15 million needed to overhaul the payment system. In 2018 Nashville residents rejected a plan to overhaul mass transit, leading WeGo to rely on smaller budgets and grants.
“We have to go out each year and apply for different grants [and] request local funding to make initiatives like this a reality,” he says.
The bus system has mainly been using magnetic technology that reads the balance recorded on a card. This can wear out, causing a route to slow down since the bus operator has to stop to help passengers, and money can be lost due to malfunction. At the time of the NMotion 2015 report, the technology was still being used by other cities, though the agency recommended replacing it.
QuickTicket will allow riders to pay their fare using a smartphone app that links them to an online account. WeGo says customers will be able to add money remotely and transfer balances if they lose their card or phone.
Customers can also download a virtual ticket or purchase a reloadable card for $3, which WeGo credits for future rides. There is an additional $5 shipping cost. A card can be purchased online after creating an account and mailed, at WeGo Central on Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, or at partnered retailers like Walgreens.
“So any barriers that we see to access a QuickTicket, we do everything we can to remove them,” Williams says.
WeGo is still testing the new system on its train and services for people with disabilities, so it is currently unavailable for those riders.
On Feb. 4, WeGo will host an event celebrating Transit Equity Day, which honors Rosa Parks and other civil rights activists. The agency will give out merchandise and help riders set up their QuickTicket from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the WeGo Central station at 400 Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd.
Correction: This story originally stated that virtual QuickTickets are available for purchase. They can be downloaded free of charge.
This story also gave an outdated name and address for the location where reloadable cards will be distributed. It is WeGo Central at 400 Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd.
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