TransPro – Memphis Flyer

MATA Board Votes To Consider Temporary Leadership Changes

The Memphis Area Transit Authority’s (MATA) current administration may be replaced by consultants from the transportation consulting agency, TransPro.

The news comes after the agency’s new board of commissioners voted 5-4 during yesterday’s board meeting for the MATA board to continue to work with the city and TransPro on a contract initiating the change.

As proposed, TransPro employees would take over as interim CEO (John Lewis), interim COO (Steve Hamelin) and interim CFO (Aaron Headley). TransPro said this would be to “enhance the reliability, timeliness, and customer satisfaction of mobility services offered by MATA.

TransPro was originally hired by Mayor Paul Young to audit the transportation agency as it faced financial struggles and performance issues. The consulting firm highlighted these changes in a draft report which ultimately led to Young replacing the former board of commissioners with the existing board.

The resolution indicated that TransPro submitted their “Phase 2 Proposal” to the City of Memphis which outlines a “comprehensive plan” for MATA addressing accountability, service quality, safety, and operational efficiency. This includes reviewing current bus routes, schedules, ridership, and more.

TransPro’s oversight will last for eight months and will cost the city $1,298,023, and will be paid in “non-federal funds.” The bulk of the costs stem from labor, totaling $1,018,989. The firm promises their oversight will be beneficial to MATA in many ways including accountability and financial compliance and management.

While the resolution passed, several board members voiced their concern as they said there were still details that needed to be cleared up.

Prior to the vote, board member Jackson McNeil said he was hesitant to engage in discussion, as it seemed as if an interim “part-time CEO” would be making $400,000.

“I think because of the importance of the work that needs to be done, I think we need to make sure we as a board are accepting or considering a proposal that includes full-time leadership of the agency.

Board chair Emily Greer said this was part of the negotiation.

Commissioner Cynthia Bailey said the board hadn’t been involved in discussions regarding the contract and commented on the ambiguity regarding interim leadership and how the transition would work.

“We have to think on this very toughly,” Bailey said. “We have to listen to the community. I’m going back on things that Mr. John Lewis was saying so bad about MATA — yet you want to be a part of that team to work with him.”

It was later clarified that two people would not serve in a role simultaneously, and if approved, interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin would serve in her previous role, deputy CEO. At the end of the eight months, TransPro would leave and the board would determine who the agency’s next CEO would be.

While the motion passed, the board decided to form a committee that would work through details that needed clarification and bring them back to the board.

Towards the end of the meeting, Mauldin said she has been able to advocate for better transit on multiple levels, and is now being asked to support TransPro in rebuilding MATA.

“If that’s where the mayor and the board feel like my talents are best utilized in Memphis, then that’s where I’ll serve,” Mauldin said. “I’m fully in support of the mayor’s vision. I’m supportive of this board and what you all decide to do.”

The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is undergoing significant change following the release of a draft report from TransPro, a transportation consulting organization.

MATA has replaced its entire board of commissioners under the direction of Memphis Mayor Paul Young, and the mayor is also urging the agency to delay service changes and cuts. While these measures are taking place in order to ensure the viability of the agency, transportation advocates are unsure that MATA can implement these changes without proper funding.

Better Transit For A Better Memphis (BTBM), a coalition founded by Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH) and Sierra Club Chickasaw Group, said these changes are a “temporary win” but found the decision to continue current service is “unrealistic.”

“Years of underfunding have left MATA without enough buses to meet even the existing, limited schedule. Interim MATA CEO Bacarra Mauldin has been scrambling to secure more buses, but 151 of the fleet’s vehicles require repairs and the wait time for a new bus can be up to a year,” BTBM said in a statement. “Regardless, MATA lacks the funds to purchase parts and supplies or to place an order for new buses.”

The previous MATA board voted to cut six bus routes, including Route 16 Southeast Circulator, Route 28 Airport, Route 34 Central and Walnut Grove, Route 37 Perkins, Route 69 Winchester, and Zone 3 Cordova Ready! On Demand. The cuts were slated to go into effect November 3rd. However, during last week’s City Council meeting, Young said he wanted to halt these changes after TransPro released its report.

Prior to those changes being passed, the agency held 19 public meetings prior to the board meeting to discuss the changes. After hearing from the community, the agency said many had a desire to maintain the current bus service, and they wanted service to last longer and an improved on-time performance.

“The public hasn’t changed in what they want and what they need. It’s just our ability to deliver these services,” John Lancaster, MATA’s chief development officer said during a previous board meeting.

In addition to route suspensions, the board also decided to raise fares for MATA’s fixed-route buses. Adult base fare will be $1.75 compared to the current fare of $1.00. The increases also affect fares for students, senior citizens, and individuals with disabilities. Fares for FastPasses were also increased.

TransPro said these cuts would make it harder for MATA to deliver reliable service, which they argued should be the primary goal of the agency. However, BTBM said TransPro failed to consider that the agency is not able to provide these services consistently due to their lack of buses in the fleet.

“How can the report recommend maintaining service levels when the system doesn’t even have the buses to run those routes reliably?” BTBM co-chair Dorothy Conner asked. “ It’s not supported by data or resources, and it contradicts its own findings, which highlight that Memphians want reliable transit – not an overstretched system that can’t deliver.”

BTBM said the report also failed to show the “underfunding” from previous city councils, as the city is the primary funding source of the agency. Leo Arnoult, spokesman for BTBM said both the mayor and city council have “failed to provide inflation-adjusted budgets or release Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) funds.”

The organization said these issues were unaddressed in the report, and that replacing the entire MATA board would not fix these issues. The agency has been open about the cost of doing business as they need an additional $7.5 million for personnel costs, and $5 million for operating expenses. BTBM is urging both Mayor Young and the City Council to increase funding for the agency to resolve these issues.

“