The Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU) are closing in on our 3rd year of fighting for better public transportation in the Mid-South!
With your help, bus riders are putting our issues in the spotlight.
Please join us for our 3rd Anniversary BBQ on Saturday March 7th, 12PM – 3PM, at the Memphis Center For Independent Living, 1633 Madison Ave. (bus # 2)
2014 was a positive year for the Memphis Bus Riders Union and public transit in Memphis! Here are some of our accomplishments from last year:
Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU) joined the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center, which has provided the resources and fund raising ability that has sustained our work.
MBRU leaders met with TN state representatives in Nashville for Lobby Day and joined labor unions and social justice organizations for a rally on the State Capitol.
MBRU began strategic outreach efforts at Southwest Community College working to build a partnership between student and employee riders, MATA, and Southwest administration to ease the financial burden on students by reducing fares and creating routes that better serve their needs. MBRU is now in the process of chartering campus rider’s organizations at Southwest, Lemoyne-Owen and University of Memphis.
MBRU co-organized a public forum with Livable Memphis and the MATA Board of Commissioners for the public to provide input on what qualities they would like in a new president of MATA, as the administration conducted it’s national search for candidates.
MBRU successfully lobbied our elected city officials to increase MATA’s operations budget by 2.4 million, which stopped cuts to transit service.
MBRU successfully pushed for rider representation in the MATA Board of Commissioners. As a result, our co-chair was appointed by Mayor Wharton and is currently the only transit dependent board member.
After leading MATA board members on a tour of the dilapidated North End Terminal, MBRU won several improvements to the terminal including new and ADA accessible soap and paper towel dispensers for the bathrooms, a cell phone charging station, a large system map displayed for public use and new crosswalks for safety and we continue to push for more improvements.
MBRU has begun synthesising data and personal stories from riders that will inform our People’s Transit Plan, a guide to the current state of public transit and a plan for more equitable service that prioritizes the needs of bus riders.
Join us for in 2015 as we continue to build a movement for better public transit!
In Unity,
Executive Committee
Memphis Bus Riders Union
3573 Southern Ave.
phone: 901-205-9737
email: MemphisBRU@gmail.com
web: www.mbru.org