Nashville Volunteers Build 50 Bus Stop Benches, City Joins In

When Charlie Weingartner placed a handmade wooden bench at a bus stop on Shelby Avenue, he watched two people sit down within minutes of each other.

One man rested briefly before boarding his bus. The other, who needed help walking, sat down to wait for the next one.

"One of the fundamental things that makes an environment welcoming is a place to sit," said Weingartner, a volunteer with To Nashville, With Love. The group noticed many bus stops across the city had no seating, leaving riders standing while they waited.

Over several months, the small group of friends built and placed 50 to 60 wooden benches at bus stops and sidewalks throughout Nashville. Each bench gave transit riders a place to rest, especially those with mobility challenges or long wait times.

But earlier this year, the Nashville Department of Transportation collected about 17 of the benches. The agency said they were obstructing the public right of way, which must remain accessible and safe for all users.

Weingartner said the removals felt frustrating. He wished the city had reached out directly about any accessibility concerns instead of removing the benches without warning.

The Ripple Effect

What could have become a standoff between well-meaning volunteers and city regulations turned into collaboration instead. NDOT is now working directly with To Nashville, With Love through its Tactical Urbanism Program to officially permit the wooden benches.

The city plans to return the collected benches and help the group identify locations where seating can stay permanently. Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin praised the community effort, saying it highlights a genuine need in Nashville's transit system.

"It's really incredible to see the community coming together, putting benches together, putting them out," Kupin said. "We've seen them in bus stops where people had to stand before they get to sit."

For Weingartner, the benches represent more than just furniture. When he thinks about that man who needed help walking, he hopes the simple act of providing a seat offered something deeper: proof that his community cares about the small things that matter in daily life.

The volunteers plan to keep building benches, now with the city as a partner rather than an obstacle.