Transit Ambassador Program

WeGo Public Transit is seeking a qualified vendor to design, launch, and operate a Transit Ambassador Program that will enhance the customer experience, improve the perception of safety across the system, and provide compassionate, visible support to riders and frontline employees. The program is intended to place trained, non-law-enforcement ambassadors throughout the transit environment to assist customers with wayfinding, de-escalate low-level conflicts, connect vulnerable individuals to appropriate community resources, and serve as a welcoming presence at key transit locations and onboard the system.

The Ambassador Program will help strengthen WeGo’s broader safety and security strategy by filling the gap between traditional customer service, contracted security, and police response. Ambassadors will be expected to engage riders proactively, support individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health challenges, substance use issues, or other vulnerabilities, and help reduce unnecessary reliance on operators, security personnel, and law enforcement for non-criminal matters. The selected vendor should bring experience in community-based outreach, trauma-informed engagement, de-escalation, transit or public-space operations, workforce supervision, training, data tracking, and partnership coordination.

Through this program, WeGo aims to create a more welcoming, responsive, and human-centered transit experience while supporting system reliability, operator safety, and stronger connections between public transit and the region’s social service network. The ideal vendor will be a collaborative partner capable of building a professional ambassador workforce, developing clear operating procedures, coordinating with WeGo staff and community partners, and delivering measurable outcomes that demonstrate improved rider support, issue resolution, and public confidence in the transit system.

WeGo Public Transit serves as a critical mobility lifeline for thousands of residents, workers, students, visitors, and vulnerable community members across the Nashville region. As public transit continues to function not only as a transportation system but also as a shared public space, WeGo is increasingly encountering complex social challenges within the transit environment. These challenges include individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health crises, substance use issues, medical needs, lack of access to basic resources, and other barriers that often surface at transit centers, bus stops, shelters, and onboard vehicles.

While WeGo currently relies on operators, customer care staff, contracted security, and law enforcement partners to support daily operations, there is a recognized need for a more human-centered, non-law-enforcement response model that can address non-criminal issues before they escalate. Operators are responsible for safely transporting passengers and maintaining service reliability, while security and police resources are best reserved for safety threats, criminal activity, or situations requiring enforcement. The Transit Ambassador Program is intended to fill the space between customer service, security, and policing by providing trained personnel who can engage riders proactively, offer assistance, de-escalate low-level concerns, and connect individuals to appropriate community-based services.

This project is important because it supports WeGo’s broader commitment to safety, security, customer experience, operator support, and community partnership. A successful Ambassador Program should help improve the overall sense of safety and welcome throughout the system, reduce unnecessary calls for enforcement-based responses, support vulnerable individuals with dignity, and strengthen coordination between WeGo and the region’s homelessness, mental health, healthcare, and social service networks. The program should also provide WeGo with consistent reporting, performance data, incident trends, customer engagement outcomes, and practical recommendations for improving service delivery and public-space management.

The selected vendor should understand that this work requires more than simply placing uniformed personnel in the field. The most successful proposal will demonstrate a strong operational model, a well-trained and well-supervised ambassador workforce, trauma-informed and culturally competent engagement practices, de-escalation expertise, clear coordination protocols, and the ability to build trusted relationships with both transit users and community partners. The vendor should be prepared to work in a dynamic transit environment where ambassadors may encounter people in crisis, people who are distrustful of institutions, and people whose needs cannot be resolved through a simple referral or brochure.

A proposal would “hit the ball out of the park” by presenting a comprehensive model that not only provides visible ambassador coverage, but also creates real pathways from transit spaces to meaningful assistance. This includes the ability to conduct warm handoffs to service providers, coordinate directly with shelters, mental health providers, outreach teams, healthcare organizations, veteran services, and other community resources, and provide or coordinate transportation for vulnerable individuals so they can be safely connected to services rather than simply being redirected away from the transit system. WeGo is especially interested in vendors who can demonstrate that ambassadors will be equipped to move beyond passive observation and become an active bridge between public transit, public safety, and community care.