The Memphis Bus Riders Union is a grassroots organization fighting for accessible, affordable, and equitable public transit in our city. Our members are people who depend on MATA and supporters, and our work is essential for highlighting the racism and classism present in Memphis’ grossly inadequate bus system.
Greetings, transit warriors! Thanks to everyone who came out to our 6th Anniversary Fundraiser this past Saturday! We had a great time celebrating with you. We cut a cake, watched some short films, and talked to folks about our hard-fought victory in the 31 Crosstown campaign. We also recognized three of our rank-and-file members with the Freedom Rider Award for their dedication and service to our group. Thanks so much to Nancy Balazadeh, Dorothy Conner, and Michael Krause for all your hard work!
If you weren’t able to come but still want to support our work, please consider donating at www.midsouthpeace.org/mbru!
Also, Memphis 3.0 has just released a new stage of their transit vision! This transit vision is meant to be a long-term plan for developing MATA. Recently, the Memphis 3.0 team released a draft map that shows what things could look like if we invested millions of new dollars in making bus routes more frequent. We want to make sure that the voices of riders are heard throughout this process–so look at the map here and give them your feedback!
Finally, MBRU members will be watching Mayor Strickland’s budget proposal on April 24th at City Hall. In 2016, MBRU and the ATU Local 713 (which represents MATA drivers, mechanics, and information specialists) lobbied the Mayor to add $7.5 million to MATA’s yearly budget. This was a good start, but not enough. We need the City of Memphis to commit to significantly investing in MATA, so that MATA has the resources to give Memphis riders the service they need. Let’s make transit a priority!
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MBRU holds meetings on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 12-2 PM. Our next meeting is May 12 at the Gaston Community Center in South Memphis. If you have any questions, or you’re interested in joining our work, contact organizer Justin Davis at justin@midsouthpeace.org. And follow us on Facebook and Twitter to see more updates!