Explore Nashville, Not by Car
Nashville and tourism have been synonymous since country music became a tourist draw in the 1970s. Tourists dropped in to Opryland, visited the rehabbed Ryman, drove along Music Row, sweated while waiting at Fan Fair, and remembered the past at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Nashville has changed since those years in which it was dubbed Music City, U.S.A. The attractions have changed, the music has shifted to digital, and Nashville’s reputation as a redneck haven is more polished. When I think of the 1970s in Nashville, I think of hot, unairconditioned, leaded-fueled cars and smog trapped in the Nashville basin. Today, driving is still the way most people get around Nashville, but more and more people do not want to drive. There’s no need to rent a car for $100, call cab companies from location to location, valet park, or pay for parking multiple times over one weekend. It takes some pre-planning, but you can enjoy Nashville without a car for a week and not spend more than $34 on transportation.
Transit
The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is the primary transit operator in the city. All MTA buses have a bike rack on the front to hold up to two bikes of riders.
Two routes currently have BRT Lite service (or Bus Rapid Transit Lite) with more frequent buses, faster travel times between stations, and arrival times displayed at station locations. BRT Lite service is denoted with gray station shelters, a large sign with a map of the route, a bike rack, and trash bins. These routes are the 55-Murfreesboro Pike BRT Lite and the 56-Gallatin Pike BRT Lite. The 55 will take you to Trevecca University, Antioch, and Hickory Hollow/Global Mall areas. The 56 will take you to East Nashville, Inglewood, Madison, and Rivergate areas.
The Music City Circuit is also operated Downtown. There are three circuit routes: blue, green, and purple, and they are all free. Just hop on board. These buses are usually lime green and stops are denoted with lime green signs and maps of the circulator routes.
Local service and BRT service is $1.70 one-way. There are no transfers, so each time on board you will need to pay the $1.70. An all-day pass is $5.25. A 7-day pass is $24. Passes can be purchased on-line ahead of time using a Visa or MasterCard. Otherwise, you must use cash when you board.
Use MTA’s Trip Planner or Google Maps to plan your transit trips. All maps and schedules are also available on MTA’s website. Bookmark m.nashvillemta.org for information on your phone.
Most bus routes go to Downtown at Music City Central. You can purchase fares there and transfer to most other bus routes in the city.
Still don’t feel comfortable taking the bus? Watch the video below from Transit Now Nashville.
Bicycling
Nashville recently launched a bikeshare system called B-Cycle. There are 25 stations around the center city. Neighborhoods like East Nashville, Hillsboro Village, and Sylvan Park are easily accessible by a quick bike ride via the B-cycle network. Look for the rows of red bikes at docking stations denoted with a large “B.”
You will need a credit card to use the bikeshare network. A 24-hour pass is $5. That allows you to check the bike out for an hour without incurring additional fees. After one hour, it’s $1.50 for each additional 30 minutes you have it checked out. The 7-day pass is very economical at only $10! Don’t be intimidated by the stations and the way rates are calculated. Once you use it, you will get the hang of it. Just remember that you can check out a bike for an hour. Dock it before that hour is up, and you won’t be charged any additional fees beyond the $5 24-hour pass or $10 7-day pass. You can always check the same bike right back out after docking. It resets the one hour clock.
Download the B-Cycle app for your Android or iPhone for station docking information and a map of the station locations. There are other bikesharing apps that may also be helpful. A blue dot will show your location and from there you can figure out where the nearest station is located, the number of bikes available, and the number of docks available.
If you bring your own bike or check out a bike at a bike shop, racks to lock your bike securely are located around town. Check out the artist bike racks for fun! Take a tour of them. If no rack is in sight, try attaching to a street sign or ask the business if they mind you bringing in your bike. Some places do not mind. If they say no, don’t be offended, but also be sure it lock it up outside.
Metro Public Works and TDOT regularly add bike lanes and buffered bike lanes across the city. Metro Parks also has an extensive greenway system that is still expanding. Download the NashVitality app on Android or iPhone to help you find those connections. The Groove map is helpful in finding more bike-friendly streets and so is Google maps. These resources will help you avoid streets with high amounts of traffic. Walk/Bike Nashville also has numerous resources on their website.
Walking
Most of Downtown and surrounding neighborhoods have sidewalks. Most traffic signals also have pedestrian countdown timers. These let you know how much time left you have to cross the street. Outside of the 440/Briley Parkway loop can be difficult to traverse on foot. Sidewalks are lacking in many neighborhoods built from the 1950s to the 1990s. Be careful crossing streets as most cars will not stop for you even in crosswalks. Some exceptions might be if you are near a university campus.
Within Downtown and neighborhoods near the city center, look for signs to help you find destinations while walking. Some signs will also have information about the history of an area.
Driving
So the goal of your trip is not to use a personal car while in Nashville, but I understand something might happen that necessitates a car. You might get further out than you anticipated, or there might be an emergency along the way. Nashville has taxi companies(Yellow Cab, Green Cab, Checker Cab, etc.), Lyft, and Uber. Go to their websites for information on how to use their services.
Lodging
I suggest finding a hotel in Downtown along the #18 Airport/Downtown Hotels bus route from the airport. Hotels on the route include: Renaissance Nashville Hotel, Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel, The Hermitage Hotel, Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Nashville Downtown, Courtyard Nashville Downtown, Hilton Nashville Downtown, Hyatt Place Downtown Nashville, Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Nashville, and Omni Nashville Hotel. Hotels in Midtown and West End are also options, but you will need to bike from Downtown or transfer to the #3-West End/White Bridge route at Music City Central. Note that Music City Central is denoted with the yellow M symbol on the map. You might also try Air BnB. Look for rooms in East Nashville, Sylvan Park, Hillsboro, West End, and Sylvan Park. Those will be most convenient for biking or transit.
One decent, more affordable hotel option that is within walking distance or a short bus ride to Downtown is the Clarion Hotel. Formerly the Days Inn-Stadium, it was recently remodeled. Keep in mind that this is not the most pleasant walk between Downtown and the hotel, but it’s only because there is not a lot of development along the way. Be mindful of your surroundings because there are trucks pulling into and out of the Travel America down the street. I see tourists walk or catch the bus between the hotel and Downtown all the time. You can transfer to the #23-Dickerson Road route or walk. It’s little over one mile or about 20 minutes to the hotel by foot.
$34 is All You Need to Get Around
You can buy a 7-day MTA pass ($24) and 7-day B-cycle pass ($10) before you get to Nashville. That is only $34. You can spend less if you know you only need to take the bus on 2 days and buy two all day passes for $5.25 each. That totals just $20.50! I’ll soon post a 3-day, non-car itinerary for exploring Nashville without spending more than $34 on transportation while in town.
