Public transit users and citizens are reacting to Memphis Area Transit Authority’s (MATA’s) 2023 proposed winter service changes, with some saying that “MATA needs a complete do over,” and “MATA don’t care about the people.”
MATA said it may stop running buses after 7 p.m. It has also proposed several changes such as the suspension of a number of routes throughout the week. Route 16 Southeast Circulator, 28 Airport, 34 Walnut Grove, and 102 Madison Trolley will be suspended throughout the week, if accepted. Other routes such as 7 Shelby/Holmes and 37 Perkins will be suspended on certain days of the week.
The proposed service changes is a reflection of MATA’s “commitment to more timely arrivals” and a way to provide “more effective communication with riders.” They also said this is to make sure that replacement buses are immediately available.
The transit company published their proposed service changes on their website, and has also been presenting these changes during public meetings, which have also been live-streamed on their Facebook page.
According to MATA, these changes will be made effective on Sunday, December 3rd, and are being made to “give the community service it can rely on.” These changes are also based on MATA’s “low ridership” and “improving efficiency.”
However, many users believe that the low ridership is a reflection of MATA’s service. A Facebook user named Karen English commented that the loss of riders is because “it’s too undependable for people to get to work.”
“You blaming the bad service on not having mechanics,” said Facebook user Grady Mangum. “The service has been getting [bad] over the years. You need to have bus service for the citizens that work late. Having the last bus leave Downtown at 7:30 [p.m.] is not helping the citizens that work late.”
Mangum also said that MATA’s low ridership is a reaction to the amount of changes to routes.
“The reason the ridership has dropped [is because] MATA keeps changing the routes,” Magnum said. “It use to be a time when a person could ride a bus anywhere in the city.”
In order to make these changes, MATA is required to have public hearings, as well as have a “Title VI and Environmental Justice Equity Analysis in accordance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
“The Title VI analysis has been completed to make sure that the impact of our services to low income and minority areas are minimized and that there are no disparate impacts to their groups,” said Chundra Smith, community engagement manager for MATA. Smith said that the conclusion of this analysis is that these changes “do not create a disparate impact.”
Despite this, there are members of the ridership and community that disagree.
One of the most controversial changes is that MATA has proposed changes to their fixed routes on weekdays and weekends. MATA has proposed a 60-minute minimum headway on weekdays and Saturdays, and a two-hour (120 minutes) headway on Sunday.
John Lancaster, MATA’s Chief Development Officer, said this is to make the system more reliable, and on time.
Facebook user Kimberly McClain said that MATA “has never and will never care about their riders!” McClain also said that they believe the bus changes and route eliminations are a reflection of this.
“Who wants to wait 90 minutes to two hours for a bus!!,” McClain commented.
MATA’s board will review these proposals during its meeting on October 24th. No changes can be made without that approval.