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Good afternoon, everyone. CHYM sales tax subsidizing 20 percent of WeGo rides… NewsChannel 5 cancels GOP gubernatorial debate after Blackburn and Rose opt out… O’Connell claims attorney-client privilege over records on $1.5M nonprofit payments… And much more!
New American Frontiers Join us this Thursday, July 16th, for a conversation with Kevin Dolan, founder of the EXIT fraternity, on institutional decline, parallel power, and where political opportunities are. (Buy Ticket)
New TN U.S. Congressional District lookup Use your address to find your new district here.
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FY 2026 WeGo numbers are trickling in, and Nashville taxpayers are paying for about 20 percent of the rides.
From Megan Podsiedlik
Your tax dollars are hard at work funding free bus passes that are projected to account for about twenty percent of WeGo’s trips in FY2026.
Back in September, Choose How You Move launched its new Journey Pass to provide free rides to qualified Davidson County residents:
“Nashville's fare-free transit program now has more than 12,000 riders who have taken more than 2 million trips,” said CHYM Chief Program Officer Sabrina Sussman during the mayor's media roundtable last week.
“The results are still preliminary, but we're projecting our ridership for fiscal year 2026—which just for us ended on June 30th—to have increased over 10 percent compared to the prior year,” WeGo CEO Stephen Bland followed up. "And as we mentioned, we'll be at just over 10 million rides this year, which is precedent-setting for us."
If those projections ring true, Journey Pass holders will account for about 20 percent of FY2026’s rides. It only takes some quick napkin math to conclude that though overall ridership has increased, fare-paying ridership has decreased.
As of last quarter, total passenger revenues through April sat at just over $8.6 million. According to June's MTA Board agenda packet, Journey Pass revenues made up about $2.786 million of that total. The total revenue contributed by traditional fare-paying rides (non-Journey Pass) is about $5.8 million through April.
By comparison, total passenger revenues through April in FY 2025, before Journey Passes were implemented, were about $6.8 million. In other words, while WeGo has gained in both subsidized ridership and subsidized revenue, it’s taken a significant hit to its only self-sustaining revenue source: traditional fare-based riders.
Nashville’s MTA Board meeting on FY 2026 is expected to take place next week.
Tennessee: Best of the "Worst" States in the Country
Earlier this week, CNBC released their annual “quality of life” rankings for American states. And just like last year, Tennessee ranked dead last. The criteria? I’ll let Kevin Dolan, Thursday’s guest, relay that information to you via Twitter:
Reasons states wind up on this list (not exaggerating)
1. Not enough abortions
2. Not gay enough
3. "food insecurity"
4. Not enough HR rules
5. Not enough gun laws
6. Not enough therapists
7. Not enough working moms
8. Not enough affirmative action
Thursday, we’ll hear more from Kevin on how to prepare for a world in which the institutions we take for granted become increasingly dysfunctional.
Get your tickets here.
✹ NEW AMERICAN FRONTIERS
New American Frontiers Kevin Dolan, founder of the EXIT fraternity, argues the institutions most people still rely on have turned hostile to competence and entered a slow decline that can't be reversed from within. After being doxxed and fired in 2021, he set out to build the alternative: parallel institutions and the high-trust networks that hold up when formal ones don't.
Join us Thursday, July 16th for a conversation on institutional decline, parallel power, and where the political openings actually are.
This event benefits The Pamphleteer, Nashville and is priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free admittance.
HEADLINES
- ❌NewsChannel 5 cancels GOP gubernatorial debate. NewsChannel 5 canceled its planned July 20 Republican gubernatorial debate. The media outlet said the debate was called off after Senator Marsha Blackburn declined the invitation and Congressman John Rose later withdrew, leaving only state Representative Monty Fritts willing to appear. The cancellation comes as early voting for the Republican primaries starts this Friday. (NewsChannel 5)
- 🤐 O’Connell claims attorney-client privilege over records on $1.5M nonprofit payments. Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s office withheld most records requested about nearly $1.5 million in FY2027 budget funding for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors (TNJFON), citing attorney-client privilege. The records request sought documents explaining the justification and intended use of the funding, but Metro provided only five documents in response (TN Star)
- 🏆 Trump endorses state Sen. Brent Taylor for Congress in new TN District 9. President Donald Trump endorsed state Senator Brent Taylor in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s newly redrawn 9th Congressional District, praising him as a “highly respected” businessman and state senator with support from Tennessee GOP leaders. Taylor, a longtime Memphis-area Republican who has championed conservative policies on education, immigration, and crime, is running against state Representative Todd Warner in the GOP primary. The redrawn district, which was historically Democratic, now heavily favors Republicans after the 2026 redistricting process. (Tennessean)
- 📊 Blackburn poll indicates her lead is double the margin of Rose survey. A new poll shows U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn maintaining a commanding advantage in the Republican primary for governor. The poll found Blackburn well ahead of her GOP opponents, reinforcing her status as the clear frontrunner heading into the August primary. (TNJ)
DEVELOPMENT
- Midtown property listed for sale for $10M (Post)
- The Nations Area On Track For New Retail Building On 51st Ave In Nashville (Now Next)
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony @ Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 6p, $69+, Info
🪕 The Infamous Stringdusters @ Ryman Auditorium, 7p, $75, Info
+ jam bluegrass
🪕 The French Family Band @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
🎸 Twang Tuesday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 7p, Free, Info
🎸 Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $10, Info
+ two-step lessons @ 7p, The Cowpokes @ 8p
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.