Transit’s Dirty Secret
🗑 Choose how you move, but watch where you step · Lee wants to put Dolly’s name on BNA · Nashville hospital drug disaster bigger than one mistake · Much more!
Support The Pamphleteer! If you would like to support our work, you can sign up for a monthly membership or give a tax deductible donation our charitable partner (Membership or Donate)
Like what we do? Forward us to a friend.
Choose How You Move, but watch where you step.
From Megan Podsiedlik
The dirty little secret about choosing how you move in Nashville? It takes more than simply having access to a bus. As Mayor Freddie O’Connell continues to push his WeGo transit initiative, he’s also having to confront some less-than-savory barriers to getting Nashvillians on board.
Over the years, violent crime has plagued WeGo buses and stations—one of the latest incidents being a disorderly passenger wielding a butcher knife. But safety has been the most politically palatable problem to address.
As Mayor O’Connell’s administration has racked up promising WeGo stats after successfully implementing a free bus pass program, it has also invested in transit safety, including the creation of a dedicated MNPD Transit Safety Division and other security measures across the system. While those strides may look good on paper, their impact as an optic stands in stark contrast to the day-to-day experience of passengers.
Why is it uncouth to talk about this? The truth is, along with safety, homelessness and sanitary issues prevent would-be travelers from ever stepping foot on a WeGo bus.
During last month’s Metro Transit Authority meeting, a frequent passenger expressed the danger and difficulty of addressing and reporting aggressive behavior. “We don’t want to make it look like we're calling the police,” explained Peter O'Connor. “Can we set something up so that maybe we can do some texting to contact the police?”
Last week, frequent rider Richard Garnier said the quiet part out loud about the condition of some of Nashville’s most central bus stations.
“It’s the nastiest thing,” Garnier said. “Whoever cleans them things, whoever the supervisor is, evidently he’s not checking those bus stops when they clean them because they’re nasty, dirty, homeless people laying all over the place.”
Garnier argued that the condition of some bus stops discourage both tourists and Nashville residents from using WeGo, particularly those who may already be unfamiliar with the city’s transit system.
“Something needs to be done about this,” he said in a final plea to the transit authority.
✹ THE ARCHITECTURE OF OUR GLORY
Back to Our Roots We're sponsoring an event with the Meriwether Academy as they host Justin Shubow to speak about how beauty, civic architecture, and public design shape American culture and identity.
Shubow is president of the National Civic Art Society and a former chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, best known for championing classical and traditional architecture in American public life.
For gentlemen only. Buy Tickets.
HEADLINES
- ✈️ TN Governor announces partnership to name Nashville airport in honor of Dolly Parton. Governor Bill Lee and the Nashville International Airport announced plans to rename BNA in honor of Dolly Parton as a tribute to Tennessee’s country music icon, recognizing her enormous cultural and philanthropic impact on the state. The proposal still needs to go before the Metro Nashville Airport Authority, which is scheduled to discuss changing its naming policy at its Sept. 17 meeting. Parton’s team has said it is open to continuing the conversation. (TN Governor’s Office)
- 💉 State investigation into drug mix-up at Nashville hospital pharmacy finds multiple and systemic failures. A state investigation into the drug mix-up at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown found multiple failures across the pharmacy, surgical services, and hospital management, rather than a single employee mistake. Four patients undergoing routine joint-replacement surgeries were accidentally injected with potassium phosphate instead of an anesthetic, and investigators identified three instances of “immediate jeopardy”—conditions that put patients' lives at risk. (NewsChannel 5)
- 🌊 Tennessean among Americans missing after Nepal flooding. At least one Tennessean is among 22 Americans unaccounted for after catastrophic flooding struck an Isha Foundation trekking group near the Nepal-China border. The group had just completed a two-week trek and arrived at an immigration center at about 9:05 a.m.; nine minutes later, floodwaters rushed into the facility, burying the area under debris. (WSMV)
- 🚔 TBI leading investigation into fatal police shooting on Cheshire Drive. On Saturday, a 12-year MNPD veteran and SWAT member fatally shot 54-year-old Jason William Sexton on Cheshire Drive after police said Sexton was holding a sword and a woman inside his vehicle reported she was being held against her will. An officer fired three shots after MNPD had spent more than an hour attempting to persuade Sexton to surrender; Chief John Drake subsequently relieved Baney of police authority while the TBI investigates the shooting. (Nashville Gov)
✹ PROPERTY TAX CALCULATOR
What Moved Your Bill? Use our handy new tool to see what contributed to your property tax bill increase: the reappraisal or the rate hike. (Try It Out)
DEVELOPMENT
- Sylvan Park's Lion's Share slated for rebrand 4 months after opening (NBJ)
- Lower Broadway building eyed for interactive game business (Post)
✹ 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
🎸 Social Distortion @ The Pinnacle, 7p, $79.93, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Mondays with Kyle Tuttle @ Dee's Lounge, 6p, $10, Info
🪕 The Time Jumpers @ 3rd and Lindsley, 8p, $25.61, Info
💀 Grateful Monday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 7p, Free, Info
🕺 Motown Monday @ The 5 Spot, 9p, $5, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.