Making National Connections
On August 7th, MBRU Co-Chair and MATA Board Member, Shelia Williams, was featured along with other transit justice leaders from around the nation on a national audio conference at 2pm CST to discuss strategies for connecting people to work through expanding public transit. Be on the lookout for our follow up report on the conference.
To read more about Shelia’s journey to the MATA Board, check out this Commercial Appeal article.
MATA Bus Riders Transit Plan
In July, MBRU began the process of gathering input for a Bus Riders Transit Plan. MATA will be presenting service changes, cuts and potentially, fare hikes this fall. MBRU will simultaneously provide a riders plan, with recommendations for new routes in underserved neighborhoods, shelters and other transit infrastructure. Through August we’ll be hitting the road, surveying riders’ needs and talking with neighborhood groups to gather the input needed for a rider-focused transit plan. We want to be sure that as plans for service changes develop, MATA is informed by the knowledge and experience of riders.
A Tragic Loss
Following a tragic incident that resulted in the death of bus rider, Semaj, aka James Gray, MATA’s private security at the Hudson Transit Center (formerly the North End Terminal) has been transitioned to a new company. (R.I.P. Semaj, photo credit Pete Gathje)
MBRU has kept a watchful eye on the new company, Ambassador Worldwide Protection Agency. We are pleased that there are now female guards on duty. But to prevent the violence that occurred at the hands of the last security company, MBRU is working with the MATA Board to develop new policies of oversight and accountability that will bring issues with security to the Board for review. See some of the media coverage on our work here.