Planners for the Mississippi Department of Transportation are exploring whether a high speed bus from Tunica to Downtown Memphis is feasible.
“This is something that’s been talked about as early as 1996,” said John Houghton, senior planner with Gresham Smith and Partners. “Including east/west routes, we estimate it would have about 1,700 riders a day.”
Potential users are tourists traveling from downtown Memphis to Tunica, as well as people who fly in or out of Memphis International, and Tunica casino workers.
Houghton also cited DeSoto County’s rapid population growth. From 1990 to 2010, the county gained 100,000 residents.
Planners considered light rail, commuter rail, and high speed bus service but, with signal prioritization, the buses are similar to trains but at a fraction of the cost.
