This month, MBRU will NOT be meeting at the Cossitt Library. Instead we’ll be joining ATU Local 713 at a town hall meeting to discuss how bus cuts and route consolidation negatively affect underserved communities in Memphis. The town hall will take place from 11 AM to 1:30 PM at Gaston Community Center, 1046 South Third Street.
Thousands of citizens in Memphis rely on bus service to get to school, work, medical care, and other daily needs. In the past decade, the removal of bus routes like the 31 Crosstown have disproportionately affected low-income and historically black neighborhoods like New Chicago and Riverside, where the need for public transit is most pressing.
“Any time you remove infrastructure from a community, you kill the neighborhood, and then you force people into poverty. We need transportation, and we need these communities to be vibrant.” –ATU local rep Terry Moss
ATU Local 713 represents MATA’s bus and trolley operators, mechanics, laborers, and information specialists. We partnered with ATU this past April for our #BusCrisis campaign seeking more city funding for new buses, which resulted in a $7.5 million increase for MATA’s budget this fiscal year. Now, we’re setting our sights on restoring bus service in areas like North and South Memphis, where cuts have most affected quality of life for black residents.
“It’s just a lose-lose situation for the public when we’ve got to get out theres and routes are constantly being cut.” –ATU local rep Fred Williams
We hope to see you there!
*Remember that we are NOT meeting at Cossitt Library this month. Please help spread the word!