Greetings, transit warriors! MATA has announced their new list of service changes for this month! This revised list has much fewer cuts, and this is a big win for bus riders. Thanks to everyone who called, canvassed, and showed up to support neighborhood bus service! MATA will be voting on these changes at their Board meeting THIS Thursday, October 25th at 3:30 PM. This meeting will be at the Hollywood Community Center (1560 N. Hollywood), and riders can get there on the #32 or #8 bus! See MATA’s new service changes here.
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Also, MBRU is working to get a dedicated funding source for MATA! Dedicated funding would give our bus system some stability, and would allow MATA to expand service and reach more parts of town. MATA is currently asking for $30 million in new funding every year to cover the cost of this new service. So, MBRU has joined a new joint committee with the City, County, and other stakeholders to figure out funding solutions–we want consistent funding from the City and County, that will keep MATA afloat without placing an unfair burden on bus riders. “I think we really have more options for getting this funding than maybe we’ve been thinking about up until this point,” said MBRU organizer Justin Davis. Check out coverage of this committee in the Memphis Flyer, Commercial Appeal, Memphis Business Journal, AND Daily Memphian! We look forward to working with officials to get our buses the dollars they need!
Finally, we had our Orange Mound Town Hall meeting this past Thursday! We had a great conversation with community members and leaders about how people are using the bus in Orange Mound, and what kinds of connections riders want to see. We can’t wait to keep spreading the word about transit justice in this historic neighborhood, and thanks so much to the Orange Mound Community Center for hosting us!
***And remember to take MBRU’s 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 November 10th 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!