Progress at MATA?

Riding the Road to Transit Equity in Memphis

By Allison Donald

Public transit in Memphis has long reflected scarcity—of funding, trust, and consistent leadership. For riders, that scarcity shows up in missed connections, long waits, and limited options that shape daily life. Recent updates from MATA Trustee Rodrick Holmes signal movement in a more responsible direction, but progress alone does not equal transformation. Memphis needs a transit system that is affordable, accessible, and reliable for all.

For tens of thousands of Memphians, riding MATA is a necessity, not a convenience. It’s the mother rushing to a second job, the student racing to class, the father relying on MATAplus for critical appointments. These rides are lifelines—but they have been fragile for decades.

Buses fail to show on time. Shelters are very few in our city and offer little protection from the heat, the cold and a hard rain. Routes are limited. Schedules are unpredictable. These gaps are not minor inconveniences—they limit opportunity, drive up traffic congestion, overload parking and reinforce inequality.

Some improvements are worth noting. The Free Fare Pilot has increased ridership 18% overall according to the Daily Memphian (12/2/2025). This has shown that removing fares expands access to jobs, education, and essential services. Fifteen new vans for MATAplus riders help address delays, buses have been revitalized, shelters built, and customer service staffing increased with de-escalation training.

These changes matter—but they are incremental. Paratransit (MATAplus) riders still face delays, and fixed-route service remains limited in coverage and reliability. Staffing shortages, aging infrastructure, and limited fleet capacity continue to restrict access. 

“Due to capacity constraints I am now having to pay extra money for rides,” explains MATAplus rider Kendra Brown, “because I cannot get a ride on a consistent basis.”

Her experience shows that gaps in service don’t just inconvenience riders—they have tangible financial and life consequences.

Some operational decisions illustrate both caution and vulnerability. Holmes canceled previously ordered buses after staff found them mechanically unsound. Expansion slowed, but unsafe vehicles were kept off the road. Safety matters—but deferred investment continues to constrain the system.

“It is encouraging,” said Organizer Ron Davis, who has worked so riders voices are heard by the MATA management, “that Mr. Holmes is working with community partners and his staff to change the narrative regarding MATA.” 

Building a truly equitable system requires organized, sustained community engagement. More than 40,000 Memphians signed up for the new payment system a year ago. The 40k Strong campaign, a movement designed to center the stories of riders themselves, is looking to include all the potential daily bus riders in the area. 

Holmes’ updates at City Council committee meetings are one opportunity for accountability—but participation cannot stop at observation. Riders, advocates, and residents must attend the monthly City Council committee meetings when Holmes presents MATA updates and push for concrete outcomes.

Better Transit for a Better Memphis invites community members to join the Transit Equity Team. Help monitor policy decisions, advocate for sustained investment, and ensure that riders—especially those most affected by disinvestment—remain at the center of every conversation. Your involvement is essential.

February 7, 2026, will be Transit Equity Day in Memphis. This is not symbolic. It is a day to demand that public transit be treated as essential infrastructure and a civil right. Showing up, in person or virtually, transforms acknowledgment into accountability.

Public transit is more than moving people. It is connection, opportunity, and the backbone of a city that values all its residents. The 40,000-strong movement shows that Memphians care deeply about a system that works equitably. The future of Memphis transit depends on who engages, who holds decision-makers accountable, and who refuses to accept incrementalism over equity. Progress is happening—but without sustained, organized advocacy, it will not deliver true justice.

For ongoing advocacy, resources, and updates, visit Disability Midsouth.

MATAplus Must Change

MATAplus Must Change

Planning progress for MATA includes upgrades to the paratransit system.

By Allison Donald and Tim Wheat

Using MATAplus in Memphis should feel like freedom for people with disabilities, not a fight. For too long, the disabled community in Memphis has dealt with a frustrating and often unreliable transportation system, one that asks people to plan their lives around a reservation system that’s frankly insulting in its inefficiency. While MATA “Ready-Ride” is able to schedule on-demand transportation, MATAplus still requires people with disabilities in Memphis to schedule rides three-days in advance. Federal law requires “next-day service,” but MATAplus is so mired in illegal capacity constraints on the system that they don’t even try to follow the federal regulations. - Read more about Capacity Constraints - 

The most immediate and critical change the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) must enact is a shift to next-day paratransit service. It’s the top priority, a matter of human dignity and equal access. Asking a person to call three days in advance for an essential ride is a fundamental barrier to employment, healthcare, and social engagement. This lack of equitable service is an additional hurdle to the disability community and a harm to social determinants of health. Poor access to transportation isolates our community and expands the costs both individually to people with disabilities and the costs to the community.

In a world where on-demand ride-sharing services exist, a three day wait for a vital public service is unacceptable. Advances in transportation in the past 40 years have left people with disabilities behind. There are not equal options of accessible taxis or Lyft and Uber. MATA needs to find the operational will to ensure that people can book a ride today for tomorrow. That basic request is not just reasonable, it is our civil right. 

However, it is not just the reservation system that harms the Memphis community and stagnates MATA’s service. Consulting firm TransPro’s assessment revealed a crippling inefficiency where a vast majority of trips were made with only one passenger on the vehicle. Because ADA-mandated paratransit is designed as a shared-ride service, MATA’s operational inefficiency represents a severe failure, driving up the cost per trip and contributing to the system's overall fragility. 

Achieving this level of service requires a cultural and administrative overhaul, beginning at the very top of the paratransit division. MATA must resist the urge to fill the crucial role of Paratransit Director with a long-time MATA administrator who is steeped in the agency's existing, failing protocols. This position demands an outsider, a proven leader with extensive experience specifically managing and modernizing paratransit operations in a metropolitan area. This individual must possess a deep understanding of ADA compliance, eligibility and, crucially, a user-centric approach to service delivery. Their mandate should be clear: modernize the system and prioritize the rider experience, not just the budget.

The agency also needs to stop operating in a vacuum when it comes to the community it serves. A vital partner for this shift is Disability Connection Midsouth (DCM), an organization staffed by people with disabilities who inherently understand the daily challenges of navigating Memphis. MATA should formally include DCM in the paratransit eligibility and service appeal process. When a person’s application is denied, they deserve a fair and informed review. Having DCM on the appeals committee would ensure that lived experience and a non-agency perspective guide decisions, adding a layer of transparency and empathy that is currently lacking. 

Furthermore, DCM must be brought in to revamp MATA’s travel training programs. Their expertise in independent living skills, including training on navigating transportation options, makes them an invaluable resource for teaching people how to use the fixed-route services when possible, which benefits both the rider and the paratransit system's capacity. Collaborating with DCM is a necessary step to embed genuine community input and expertise into the fabric of MATA's services. 

MATAplus Capacity Constraints and its impact on people with disabilities

 Full Comments of Tim Wheat

at the August 27, 2025 MATA Board Meeting

Thank you. My name is Tim Wheat, Co-Director of Disability Connection Midsouth. I want to talk about MATAplus Capacity Constraints and its impact on people with disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires paratransit services to be comparable to fixed-route services. For MATAplus, this means riders should be able to schedule a trip for the next day. However, a recent review by Disability Connection and past findings by the FTA reveal the system is illegally capacity constrained. 

In fact, yesterday I asked a MATAplus rider to show me. She called and asked for a ride to this meeting. No questions, no talk of destination or times, no negotiation. Just no trip. Another rider had called Friday for a ride to work this past Monday, at 8:30 AM and they were told no more trips Monday.  

MATAplus reports a minimal 3% denial rate and 97% on-time performance, but these numbers don't tell the full story. The service is capacity-constrained, meaning a certified rider can't be confident they will get a ride if they call for a ride the next day. Riders have been trained to call three days in advance to secure a trip.

This isn't a new issue. The FTA found capacity constraints 20 years ago and again five years ago. The 2020 report noted that MATA agents were directly denying trips, particularly those made one or two days in advance. The agency also undercounted denials in several ways, such as not logging trips that were denied but still accepted by the rider outside of the 60-minute reservation window. They also logged denials as "trip refusals" and used bureaucratic terms like "advanced cancellation." This all served to lower their official denial numbers, despite not providing the necessary transportation.

Adding to the problem, MATAplus riders often see their vehicles being used for other services, like "Ready Ride." This makes the disability community feel that the vehicles they rely on are being diverted, creating a very real and obvious operational capacity constraint.

This isn't just a scheduling issue; it's a matter of Community Commitment. As John Lewis said, it's not just about buses running on schedule; it's about the real-world impact on individuals. He provides you with a Community Commitment score for the fixed-route, but not for paratransit. Refusing people with disabilities a next-day trip should be seen as seriously as a bus not leaving the yard. If we apply that standard, MATAplus' service would get a score of roughly 30%, Making reservations only three days in advance, a clear sign of unmet needs.

I am disappointed by the work of TransPro. While they have had a difficult task with MATA, they have not solved this inequity and ensuring MATA has a functional paratransit system must be a priority for this board. Thank you.

Memphis deserves public transit that works.

MATAplus is unreliable

By Allison Donald, Disability Connection Independent Living Specialist

I rely on MATAplus — not by choice, but because it’s my only way to get where I need to go. Like thousands of other Memphians, I depend on public transportation for everyday needs: work, doctor’s appointments, community meetings, groceries — just living life.

Due to capacity constraints being practiced by MATA — which are actually illegal — riders like me now have to schedule every MATAplus trip three days in advance. That means if you need a ride on Thursday, you have to call Monday morning at 8:00 am sharp. I tried this recently, calling at 8:15 am — a little late, but still early enough, right? By the time the reservationist took my call, I was able to schedule my 7 am ride to work… but was told there was no return trip available for the afternoon.

This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a barrier that threatens my job and my independence. Without a guaranteed ride home, I’m forced to scramble for alternatives or pay out of pocket — which isn’t sustainable.

Not long ago, after finishing a long shift at work, I was denied a return trip home altogether. No explanation. No backup option. Just “No ride available.” I ended up paying for an Uber just to get home. That’s become part of my reality now — a constant gamble on whether I’ll actually be able to get where I’m going. And I’m not alone.

For disabled riders, these aren’t minor inconveniences. They’re disruptions that affect our health, our jobs, our safety, and our dignity. When the system fails — and it does often — there’s usually no one there to make it right. You’re just left dealing with the fallout.

So when I say that MATA is failing, I don’t mean that as a figure of speech. I mean it literally, daily, and at a personal cost. I mean people are being left behind — stranded, ignored, and treated like we don’t matter in a city that claims to care about access and equity.

Recently, a majority of MATA board members resigned in protest. Sandi Klink, one of the only voices on the board who truly understood the disability community, was one of the first to resign. Her departure matters more than people realize. She wasn’t just a name on a list — she was a disability rights advocate and a fierce defender of accessible transit. With her gone, the little trust many of us had in MATA’s leadership is quickly eroding.

Klink said it best in her resignation letter to Mayor Young:

“This Board has been working very hard and has been disrespected and undermined. It was an absolute honor working with very strong and talented leaders on this Board, not so with a distrustful City Council.

Personally I am very disappointed in your lack of support and commitment to this Board and to the Disability Community.”

She’s right. MATAplus is stretched thin. There are never enough drivers. You book your ride days in advance and still end up waiting or getting no ride at all. Calls go unanswered. Fixed-route buses aren’t reliable either — and let’s not forget the inaccessibility of many bus stops or the lack of proper driver training. If you rely on MATA, you learn quickly that “on time” and “dependable” are just words in a brochure.

When you don’t drive and can’t afford other transportation, you’re stuck. Not metaphorically — literally. Stuck at work, stuck at the grocery store, stuck at the doctor’s office, stuck outside in the heat. And all of this is made worse by how little urgency there is from MATA to actually fix what’s broken.

We need change. Not just new board members, but people who actually use the system, who understand what it’s like to wait two hours for a bus or have to pay $25 for a ride home because the one you scheduled never showed. We need real accountability, better training, better communication, and a commitment to accessibility that shows up in more than just statements.

Memphis deserves public transit that works. Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about buses — it’s about basic human rights. The right to move, to work, to participate in your community without constant barriers.

For the latest updates on MATA and MATAplus service, visit www.disabilitymidsouth.org