Thanks again to WLOK’s Twana Coleman for having MBRU on her show, Let’s Talk About It!]
Greetings, transit warriors! This Thursday, the MATA Board of Commissioners will vote on all the service changes that would go into effect this fall. These changes include cutting seven routes, like the 31 Firestone, 46 Whitehaven, and 5 Central, and changing frequency and weekend service on many more. If these massive cuts go through, bus riders all over the city will have their jobs, schools, and livelihoods disrupted. Come to MATA Headquarters on September 27th at 3:30 and tell the Board how service cuts will affect you!
Also, MBRU leadership has been staying in the media talking about the need for more neighborhood bus service. Last Friday, our organizing coordinator Justin and outreach coordinator, Charles Johnson, were on Channel 3’s Live at 9 segment! They got to talk about who’s getting impacted the most by MATA’s plan, and how our vision lines up with bus riders around the country who are demanding more service. Watch the full interview here! This week, MBRU intern Roland Donnelly-Bullington published an article for a new outlet at Rhodes College called The Lynx Liberator: “I, as a person with a conscience, do sincerely hope we can make buses not only equitable but also pleasant to riders. But we cannot sacrifice our current riders to meet that goal…We owe it to our bus riders to provide them with equitable access to the city as is afforded to car owners.” Go here to read their excellent piece on why we should all care about MATA’s upcoming cuts!
Finally, our friends at Our Grass Our Roots have been educating the North Memphis area about participatory budgeting: it’s a new way of thinking about local government that focuses on how the community wants see their money used. Come to OGOR’s upcoming town hall to learn more and get involved! It’ll be Tuesday, October 9th at 6 PM, at the Hollywood Community Center (1560 N. Hollywood). Bus riders can get there on the #32 East Parkway!
***Take MBRU’s new TRANSIT SURVEY! We want to hear from riders all over Memphis about how you use MATA service in your neighborhoods. We’re working on making versions that are accessible for even more Memphians. Take the online version in English here, and here is la encuesta en Español. We’ll also have paper surveys at all our town halls this year!***
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MBRU holds meetings on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 12-2 PM; our next meeting is October 13th at A Step Ahead Foundation, in the Crosstown Concourse. 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, Twitter, and Instagram to see more updates!