Greeting, transit warriors! Thanks so much to everyone who phonebanked our neighbors, passed out flyers, and pulled comment cards at the MATA Board meeting. The Board has decided to delay their vote on service cuts while they take the community’s feedback and adjust. Here’s some coverage from the Commercial Appeal:
“People packed a MATA meeting room Thursday afternoon, spilling into the hallway and an overflow room. They chanted “stop the cuts,” and some told board members they were out of touch with Memphis residents who rely on bus service to travel to work, church or the grocery store.”
This is a big win for bus riders, but the fight isn’t over! MATA says that will have an updated list of changes before their Board meeting on October 25th.
Also, we want you to join the movement! We know that riders have power when they get together to hold our system accountable. We’ll be talking about the Board meeting, elections, and more at our next member meeting: Saturday, October 13th from 12-2 PM at the Crosstown Concourse! Come talk transit, or ask us how to become a member!
Finally, we have another neighborhood town hall coming up soon! We’ll be at the Orange Mound Community Center (2572 Park) on Thursday, October 18th from 5-7 PM. We wanna talk with residents of Orange Mound, Bethel Grove, and surrounding neighborhoods about how to make MATA service work better for you. Hop on the #57 Park bus and join us!
***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!