Transforming Transit Together Tour

Overview:

Over the course of two months, MATA engaged the community to gain their feedback on the following topics:

• How they used the system

• Proposed service changes

• Recommendations to current system

• Recommendations for increasing revenue for MATA

o Tax increase vs. increased fares

There were 19 meetings scheduled across the city of Memphis from August 12th to

September 24th. 15 meetings were held in person, 2 meetings with operations and

maintenance staff, 1 transit center pop up to talk to riders one on one, and a virtual link for

those who were unable to attend in person. To communicate these efforts the following

tactics were executed:

• Social Media Post (advised how to get to the meetings using transit)

• Press Release sent to local news outlets

• Posters delivered to every meeting location to advertise event

• Website (advised how to get to meetings using transit)

• Link to online survey sent to 500 rider emails and shared on social media

• Posters set up in all transit centers

• Host partners were given a digital toolkit to advertise on their platforms

• Media Coverage by:

• Daily Memphian

• Commercial Appeal

• ABC 24

• Fox 13

• WMC 5

• WREG 3

Attendance

172 people attended the meetings, and we received feedback from 98 people.

Summary of Findings

Community members share a strong desire to maintain the reliability of fixed bus routes

while exploring innovative, flexible solutions like Ready! On-Demand services to meet

diverse commuting needs. However, there is a mixed reception to funding these

improvements via tax or fare increases. There is also a demand for better service reliability,

more buses on the streets, and a transparent and responsive management team focused

on improving the rider’s experience and community engagement. Summarized comments

from the public are as follows:

• Increase Bus Frequency & Run Times: More buses should run late into the night (up

to 10-11 pm) and start earlier (3-4 am) to accommodate graveyard shifts. Routes

should have shorter intervals, especially on busy routes.

• Reduce Wait Times & Improve On-Time Performance: Riders want more frequent

buses that stick to scheduled times and reduced wait times across all routes

• Expand Routes: Suggestions include adding routes through town, introducing park-and-ride options, and creating new routes (e.g., to the Ford Plant).

• Improved Infrastructure: There's a demand for more bus shelters, clean stops, and

reliable route information (e.g., fixing signs and maps).

• Dedicated and Increased Funding: Calls for dedicated city and county funding,

avoiding tax increases. Requests for more electric buses to cut fuel costs and

repairs to existing infrastructure, such as the Trolleys.

• Management and Accountability: Transparency in managing funds and operational

decisions, reducing unnecessary spending. Calls to focus on customer service and

maintenance improvements.

• Fleet and Maintenance Upgrades: The fleet should be modernized, with better

maintenance, new buses, and improved air conditioning. Suggestions also include

reassigning administrative functions and repurposing available vehicles to reduce

rental costs.

• Better Communication and Transparency: Riders want clearer communication, both

within MATA and with the public. There’s a need for more education on available

services and ensuring accurate real-time bus tracking (e.g., Google Maps and MATA

Tracker).

• Improved Customer Service: Better interactions between drivers and riders,

especially on high-traffic routes, with a focus on enhancing rider experience and

safety.

• More Feedback and Community Meetings: Riders emphasize the need for

accessible ways to provide feedback and suggest holding community meetings

twice a year to maintain engagement.

• Leadership Change Requests: Several requests for leadership changes and greater

involvement from MATA's executive team, including suggestions that the CEO should

ride the buses for firsthand experience.

To view survey data from public meetings, CLICK HERE

What We Know | Transforming Transit 

 

Schedule

Location	Address	Date	Time	Host	Bus/Trolley Routes
Ed Rice Community Center	2935 N Watkins	12-Aug	6-7pm	Frayser Exchange Club	42
Raleigh Library	3452 Austin Peay Hwy	13-Aug	6-7pm	Moral Budget Coalition	11, and 37
Germantown Community Library	1925 Exeter Rd	19-Aug	6-7pm	Restore Corps	50
Orange Mound Community Center	2590 Park Ave	21-Aug	6-7pm	Orange Mound Kingdom Builders	57
Hudson Transit Station	444 N Main St	24-Aug	12-1pm	Moral Budget Coalition	1, 11, 12, 13, 19, 2, 28, 34, 36, 4, 40, 50, 52, 53, 57, 7, 8, 100, and 101
Whitehaven Community Center	4318 Graceland Dr	27-Aug	6-7pm	Greater Whitehaven Economic Development Corporation	42
Benjamin L. Hooks Library	3030 Poplar Ave	29-Aug	6-7pm	Greater Memphis Chamber	1, and 50
Airways Bus Station	3033 Airways Blvd	31-Aug	11-12pm	Agape Child & Family Services	12, 16, 28, 30, 32, 4, and 42
Bartlett Public Library	5884 Stage Rd	10-Sep	6-7pm	Bartlett Public Library	40
Gaston Community Center	1048 S Third	12-Sep	6-7pm	South Memphis Alliance	13, and 39
Mt. Vernon Baptist Church	620 Parkrose Rd	16-Sep	6-7pm	Mt. Vernon Baptist Church	39
Gaisman Community Center	4223 Macon Rd	17-Sep	6-7pm	Friends of Gaisman Park	19, and 37
Ed Rice Community Center	2935 N Watkins	18-Sep	6-7pm	Frayser Exchange Club	42
Cossitt Library	33 S Front St	19-Sep	6-7pm	Moral Budget Coalition	100, 101, and 102
Raleigh Library CANCELED	3452 Austin Peay Hwy	20-Sep	6-7 pm	Raleigh Library	11, and 37
Hickory Hill Community Center	3910 Ridgeway Rd	23-Sep	6-7pm	Innovate Memphis	30, and 36

 

 

 

MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6SoJS9JazVCxUGGM8