A View of Middle Tennessee's Transit Future from West End
- jessicadauphin
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
From the 19th floor of Vanderbilt’s West End Tower, you can see a lot of Nashville. West End Avenue stretches east toward downtown until the skyline rises in the distance just two miles away. Below is the steady rhythm of buses, bikes, and people moving through one of the city’s busiest corridors. It’s a fitting place to talk about the future of transit.
Last week, Transit Alliance partners, supporters, and graduates of the Transit Citizen Leadership Academy (TCLA) gathered there for our latest Transit Champions event. Vanderbilt graciously hosted us in a space that felt symbolic in more ways than one. The space is elegant with wooden panels, chandeliers, and a ceiling painted with star constellations as they appeared the night of Vanderbilt's commencement in 2021, the year the tower opened. It's connected, right along WeGo's frequent 3/3B West End/Bellevue bus route. Active, with bike racks steps from the door. In other words, exactly the kind of place a thriving transit network should serve.
But the real story of the evening wasn’t the view. It was the people.
A Room Full of Transit Champions
When Transit Alliance Board Chair Stephanie Tillman welcomed the room, she asked a simple question: How many of you are TCLA alumni? Nearly 85 percent of the room raised their hands.
That moment said something important. The Transit Citizen Leadership Academy has quietly built a powerful network of engaged advocates across Middle Tennessee, including neighbors, professionals, and civic leaders who understand that transportation isn’t just about getting from Point A to Point B. It’s about opportunity, safety, and the future of our region.
The room reflected that community.
Some attendees hadn’t connected with the Alliance in nearly a decade but showed up because they care about where Nashville is headed. Others came to reconnect with classmates from their TCLA cohorts. A few came simply to see the inside of West End Tower, and stayed for the conversation.
And there were new faces too: people curious about transit, eager to learn more, and ready to join the conversation.
That mix — longtime champions and brand-new supporters — is exactly how movements grow.
From Vision to Implementation
Our featured speaker, Sabrina Sussman, Program Director for Choose How You Move, gave the room an engaging update on how Nashville is beginning to implement its historic $3.1 billion transit plan.
The funding itself was a major milestone. Years of advocacy, education, and coalition-building helped make it possible. Many of the people in that room played a role in getting Nashville to this moment.
But as Sabrina reminded us, the real work is just beginning.
She illustrated the challenge with a scenario most Nashvillians know all too well: You’re walking down a sidewalk toward your destination, feeling safe and comfortable — and suddenly… the sidewalk ends. You’re dumped into a muddy ditch or forced to navigate a busy road with cars rushing past.
It’s a moment of frustration many of us have experienced. But it’s also a powerful reminder that mobility is a system. Sidewalks, bus stops, safe crossings, bike infrastructure, and frequent transit all have to work together.
Choose How You Move is about building that system piece by piece, corridor by corridor, so that moving around Nashville is safer, more reliable, and accessible to more people.
And as Sabrina emphasized, teamwork is essential. Implementing a plan of this scale requires coordination across agencies, community leaders, and everyday residents who care about their neighborhoods.
This is not a spectator sport.
A Community, Not Just an Event
One of the best parts of the evening wasn’t the formal program — it was the conversations that followed.
The networking energy in the room was palpable. Old friends reconnecting. New supporters asking thoughtful questions. Transit-curious attendees discovering the powerful movement and momentum that exists in Nashville.
Several people shared how much they appreciated Sabrina’s presentation style: engaging, rooted in real-life experiences, and deeply relevant to Nashville’s future.
Others wanted to know how they could learn more about where transit investments are happening.
For those looking to dig deeper, the city has made detailed information available at nashville.gov/transit.
Transparency and public engagement are essential as these projects move forward. The more informed our community is, the stronger our transit system will be.
The Road Ahead
Events like Transit Champions remind us that progress doesn’t happen in isolation.
It happens when people show up, stay curious, and choose to invest their time, energy, and resources into building something bigger than themselves.
The Transit Alliance exists to help bring those people together and to keep the momentum moving forward.
Dedicated funding for transit is a historic achievement that took over a decade of raising awareness and building a movement. Implementation will require the same level of commitment and community leadership that got us here.
So here’s how you can help:
Financially Support the Work. Donations make it possible for the Alliance to continue educating, convening, and advocating for better mobility across Middle Tennessee.
Spread the word. Tell your networks why transit investment matters for safety, affordability, and economic opportunity.
Stay engaged. And if you haven’t already, consider joining the next cohort of the Transit Citizen Leadership Academy. Registration for the 28th class will open later this year.
At one point during the evening, a TCLA alum stood at the window facing east toward downtown. One by one, he pointed out different buildings.
“New. New. New.”
Tower after tower rising above the horizon between 24th and downtown was a visual proof of just how much Nashville is changing.
Someone nearby looked out at the same view and said, “Imagine how different this will look in ten years.”
It was a fitting reflection.
The view from West End Tower reminded us how much Nashville has grown and how much it continues to grow. The work ahead will determine how well we move through the Nashville that’s still being built.
And if last week’s gathering showed us anything, it’s this: We’re not shaping that future alone.
