Nashville, TN – Officials with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) presented WeGo with $5 million Tuesday for a project that will build a regional mobility center in Antioch. The funds are part of $17.5 million that has been raised thus far. The Antioch Transit Center (ATC) will be part of the Metro Nashville redevelopment plan for the former Global Mall property.
“Today is an important step for Nashville, particularly for people in the southeast,” said FTA Regional Administrator Yvette Taylor. “We applaud WeGo Public Transit for creating a better transportation future with the new Antioch Transit Center, which will make it safer and easier for people to catch buses and get wherever they need to go in the city and beyond.”
“There has been talk about redeveloping this site for many, many years,” said Nashville Mayor John Cooper. “It’s the teamwork of the city, the state, and the federal government that gets us to where we are today. This long overdue regional mobility center would not be possible without all of us working together. I’m grateful for the collaboration and dedication of everyone involved.”
“This is another step in our ongoing commitment to increase service and provide people with new transit options across Davidson County,” WeGo CEO Steve Bland said. “Federal and state funding is crucial to that effort. We appreciate the leadership of Mayor Cooper and the Metro Council, and particularly Council Member Joy Styles. The transit center will be an integral part of the continuing transformation of the area into a community center piece.”
When completed, the regional mobility center will feature between six and eight bus bays with seating in a climate-controlled waiting area with amenities. It will help riders conveniently transfer between routes and modes, including pedestrian and bike access, car and van pool pick-up, car and bike sharing options, and it will include a park and ride. The site is on the southern end of the highest ridership bus route in the WeGo system- Route 55 Murfreesboro Pike. WeGo will implement new local and express services when ATC opens. The project was originally called the Hickory Hollow Transit Center (HHTC) when the grant award was first announced.