Transit Equity and Paratransit

Why are the civil rights of MATAplus riders treated as optional?

By Allison Donald, Independent Living Specialist, Disability Connection Midsouth

For thousands of Memphians who rely on MATAplus, that question isn’t hypothetical. It is reality. It is the only way to get to work, school, medical appointments, grocery stores, faith services, and community events. I am one of those riders. For the operators behind the wheel, it is demanding public service work that requires focus, patience, and care.

Accessible transit is not charity. It is infrastructure. But it must be more than available — it must be safe, reliable, and accountable.

During Transit Equity Day, our community affirmed that public transportation is a civil rights issue. That affirmation must include paratransit. MATAplus is not a side service, and it is not solely medical transport. It is the core infrastructure that enables people with disabilities to participate fully in community life.

Too often, MATAplus is treated like a safety net — framed primarily for medical appointments, or as an option for individuals whose families believe the fixed-route system is unsafe. At times, it is even spoken about as if it were a separate bus system — a place where “those riders” belong.

That framing is harmful. It reinforces stigma, lowers expectations, and quietly signals that some riders can tolerate inconsistency while others deserve reliability. MATAplus is not charity. It is not a courtesy. It exists because federal civil rights law requires public transit to be accessible. 

MATA leadership has emphasized efforts to be good stewards of public funds by reinvesting in portions of the existing fleet while also purchasing new buses. Fiscal responsibility matters. But stewardship is measured not only by what is purchased, but by what is maintained, disclosed, and addressed.

Operators have described serious concerns about vehicle conditions, including exhaust fumes so strong that heat had to be turned off because breathing became difficult. If accurate, that is both a worker safety issue and a passenger safety issue. Paratransit vehicles transport riders with disabilities, many with underlying health conditions. Air quality inside a vehicle directly affects vulnerable passengers and frontline workers alike.

On a recent ride, a driver suggested I consider arranging an alternative way home because the vehicle was running late. I had to take an Uber, which cost nearly $30 — an option many riders cannot afford. For those who rely on power chairs, there is no practical alternative: Memphis has virtually no accessible ride-hailing options, and I know of only one accessible taxi driver. Even minor delays on MATAplus can leave riders stranded, highlighting the system’s critical role and the urgency of accountability.

Accountability builds trust. Trust builds investment. Memphis residents are often asked to support transit funding initiatives. Transparency, oversight, and responsiveness are not barriers — they are prerequisites.

If Memphis is serious about transit equity, governance must be strengthened alongside funding. That means not only reinstating a fully appointed MATA Board of Directors, but also restoring the Specialized Transportation Advisory Committee — the body that serves as a liaison between MATAplus riders and leadership. Even with such a committee, our community must have a seat at the larger decision-making table, ensuring that MATAplus is not treated as an afterthought, but as an integral part of the city’s transit system.

That begins with clear answers:

• What is the current condition assessment of the MATAplus fleet?
  
  

• How are vehicle safety concerns documented and resolved?
  
  

• What is the unmet demand rate for paratransit trips?
  
  

• What formal crisis-response support exists for operators after critical incidents?
  
  

• When will a full MATA Board be appointed to ensure transparent oversight?
  
  

Separate can never be equal. Accessible transit should never be treated as optional. If equity applies only to fixed-route riders, then it isn’t equity at all. And if Memphis is comfortable underinvesting in the very service that guarantees access for disabled residents, we are not talking about efficiency. We are talking about whose mobility we value.

MATAplus cannot remain an afterthought. It is not an add-on. It is not a favor. It is a civil rights obligation — a cornerstone of community living. Equity requires accountability.

Memphians who depend on accessible transit deserve a system that works for everyone. If you rely on MATAplus, ride it, report concerns, and speak up. If you don’t, remember that public transit is our community’s backbone — and its fairness affects us all.

 Transit Equity Day 2026: We Organize. We Ride. We Rise.

By Allison Donald

Transit Equity Day is more than a local event. Each year, it honors Rosa Parks’ birthday and her lasting contributions to transit equity and civil rights. Her quiet act of resistance — and the 381 days of people power that sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott — remind us that transportation has always been about dignity, access, and collective action.

That history grounded Transit Equity Day 2026 in Memphis.

On a Saturday morning at the Orange Mound Community Center, community members came together not just to listen, but to participate. From the start, the focus was on inclusion and care — making sure everyone could fully engage, move comfortably, and contribute in ways that worked for them. It reflected a simple truth: transit equity begins with who gets to show up.

Throughout the morning, the theme We Organize. We Ride. We Rise. was not just spoken — it was practiced.

At the Show and Prove table, participants wrote postcards and statements calling for better public transit in Memphis. These messages addressed real concerns: affordability, accessibility, service reliability, and accountability. They will be delivered to Memphis City Council and other decision-makers because the people who rely on transit everyday deserve to be heard.

At the 40K Strong Rider Station, riders shared their experiences with public transit and how it shapes daily life. Seven new rider stories were recorded during the event, adding to a growing archive of voices for advocacy and accountability.

One moment captured the stakes with striking clarity. A 64-year-old woman, Vernice Foster, who has never driven a car, was asked what she would do without public transit. After a pause, she simply replied, “Nothing.” 

Another rider, Myron Draine, shared the personal cost of unreliable service: “I lost a job some years ago because of public transportation. I couldn’t make it on time, so they let me go.” 

These voices made clear that transit failures are not abstract — they are life-changing.

One of the most powerful moments came from Dorothy Connor, who connected today’s transit challenges to a long legacy of organizing in Memphis. Her words reminded everyone that change has never come from waiting — it comes from people staying engaged, even when progress feels slow.

The program also included remarks from Rodrick Holmes, MATA Trustee, who discussed the current state of transit and the challenges facing the system, underscoring the need for transparency, dialogue, and continued public engagement.

Looking ahead, participants gathered at the Get on the Bus roundtable to discuss what a truly effective public transit system in Memphis would look like. Riders described routes that actually connect neighborhoods, service that is frequent and reliable, stops that are safe and accessible, and a system designed around the people who use it. The conversation grounded vision in lived experience — not abstract planning, but practical change.

As I shared, speaking to the group, the coalition is urging Memphis City Council to increase funding for public transit. Riders deserve a system that is reliable, accessible, and works for the people who depend on it every day.

The first next step is joining us at Mayor Paul Young’s State of the City address, Tuesday, February 10, 2026, from 5:00–7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Broad, 2835 Broad Avenue. Transit riders and advocates will be present, listening closely and making our presence known.

This event also produced seven new rider videos, amplifying voices that will continue to drive accountability. Showing up together is how momentum becomes movement.

For ongoing updates and opportunities to get involved, visit DisabilityMidsouth.org 

We organize. We ride. We rise — together.

Rodrick Holmes Transit Equity Day Remarks

EDITOR’S NOTE: Rodrick Holmes spoke at Transit Equity Day on February 7, 2026. I asked him to hand-hold the microphone and he departed from his speech. These are his unedited prepared remarks. 

Good morning, and thank you all for being here.

Before I talk about transit equity, I want to tell you about a young man.

He is working full time. He is going to school. He is trying to be a present father. He is doing that math a lot of people know well how to stretch time, money, and energy just a little bit further than seems possible. 

He is running on coffee, deadlines, and optimism. He is late more often than he wants to be, early only by accident, and convinced that if he can just keep moving, everything will eventually work itself out. 

He is not thinking about transportation policy. He is not thinking about funding formulas or equity frameworks. He is thinking about making it to work on time. Making it to class. Making it home before bedtime.

He is just trying to keep moving. 

And here is the part that took him years to understand the reason he could keep moving day after day was because transit was there. Reliable. Affordable. Unremarkable in the best possible way. 

That young man was me.

I was a young father trying to balance responsibility and ambition, doing what so many people do working to build something better while holding on to the people who mattered most. I did not have the luxury of stopping. And it was not until many years later that I realized public transit had quietly played a huge role in my story.

That is why Transit Equity Day matters to me. 

Transit Equity Day is about more than buses, routes, or fares. It is about access. It is about dignity. And it is about whether people can reliably get to work, school, healthcare, and home without having to choose between transportation and the other necessities of life. 

This day is intentionally observed on the birthday of Rosa Parks, not just to remember a historic moment, but to recognize an enduring truth: mobility is power. 

When people can move freely and affordably, opportunity expands. When they cannot, inequities widen quickly and quietly. 

Public transit is often invisible when it works well. No one throws a parade for a bus that arrives on time. But when transit fails, the consequences are immediate. Missed shifts. Missed medical appointments. Lost wages. Increased stress and isolation.

For many riders, transit is not a convenience. It is the difference between stability and crisis.

That is what we mean when we talk about transit equity.

Transit equity means that safe, reliable, and affordable transportation is not a privilege, but a public good. It means systems designed around how people actually live and work, not how we wish they did. It means understanding that transportation costs are often the second largest household expense after housing and that every dollar saved on mobility matters. 

Here in Memphis, public transit makes real things possible every single day. It connects people to jobs across the city. It supports students, seniors, people with disabilities, and families without consistent access to a car. It fuels our workforce and strengthens our local economy.

When transit works, people show up. To work. To school. To care for my family. To participate in their community.

That brings me to where we are today as a system. 

Over the past several months, our focus has been on stabilization, reliability, and trust.

Operationally, we are seeing real, measurable improvements. Fleet availability has increased, meaning more buses are available each morning to meet daily service demands. Maintenance performance has improved significantly, with strong gains in miles between service events, one of the clearest indicators of reliability and safety.

Those improvements are not accidental. They are the result of disciplined maintenance schedules, reopened parts and service pipelines, and clearer accountability across operations. They reflect a system doing the fundamentals better, day after day.

We are also making progress on staffing, training, and internal coordination. Reliability is not just about equipment. It is about people, processes, and consistency. When those elements align, service improves.

Affordability remains central to the equity conversation. Free fares have reduced immediate financial barriers for riders and increased ridership. While free fares alone are not a permanent solution, they tell us something important: when cost barriers are lowered, people use transit more. Access matters.

At the same time, we are strengthening financial controls and internal oversight to ensure resources are used responsibly and transparently. Equity and accountability are not competing values. They depend on each other. A system that is equitable must also be sustainable.

I want to be clear that this progress does not mean the work is finished.

Transit systems are complex. They reflect decades of decisions, investments, and disinvestment. Rebuilding reliability and trust takes time, consistency, and honest communication.

But direction matters. And today, the direction is forward.

Transit Equity Day is both a reminder and a commitment. A reminder that transportation has always been tied to civil rights, economic opportunity, and public health. And a commitment that the work of improving access, reliability, and fairness must continue deliberately and responsibly.

For me, this work is personal. I think about that younger version of myself, the young father just trying to keep moving. I think about how many people today are in that same place, juggling responsibility and hope, relying on a system that has to work. 

Transit did not just help me get from point A to point B. It helped make possibility real at a time when stopping was not an option.

That is why transit equity matters. Not in theory. In practice. In people's lives.

Thank you for being here, for caring about this work, and for being part of the ongoing effort to ensure public transportation in Memphis is reliable, accessible, and worthy of the people who depend on it.

Thank you.

• Rodrick Holmes 

Expectant Mother Parking vs. Accessible Spaces?

Accessible Parking is Not A Convenience, It’s A Civil Right

 

By Christina Clift

You might have noticed in some parking lots across Memphis and beyond, a trend has started to appear: designated parking spaces for expectant mothers placed right next to store entrances. At first glance, these signs may seem compassionate or even progressive. After all, pregnancy can be exhausting, uncomfortable, and physically demanding. However, when these spaces are added at the expense of accessible parking for people with disabilities, the result is not inclusion—it’s exclusion.

Accessible parking spaces exist for a specific and legally defined reason. They are not “close parking,” “special treatment,” or a courtesy extended by a business out of kindness. They are required to ensure that people with disabilities can safely and independently access goods, services, or possibly employment. When those spaces are reduced, replaced, or informally repurposed, people with disabilities are the ones who pay the price.

 

“Being pregnant doesn’t mean you should be entitled to extra perks or treated like an invalid, you’re just pregnant,” said Katina Johnson, a mother of four. “I see people getting out of vehicles parked in accessible parking spaces that don’t look like they have anything wrong with them. If they don’t have a disability then that’s wrong. People shouldn’t use these spaces just because they want a parking space close to the door. There are people with disabilities that really need those spaces.”

It is important to be clear: some pregnant women absolutely have disabilities. Pregnancy can worsen existing conditions or lead to complications that significantly limit mobility, stamina, or balance. In those cases, individuals may qualify for accessible parking and should be encouraged to speak with their healthcare provider. Doctors—not businesses, not store managers, and not sign manufacturers—should not be  the ones who determine whether someone meets the medical criteria for a disability parking placard or license plate. That system already exists, and it works when followed correctly.

The problem arises when pregnancy itself is treated as a blanket justification for special parking access. Pregnancy, by definition, is temporary. Disability is not always temporary, and for many people, accessible parking is the difference between being able to enter a building independently or not being able to enter at all. Creating “expectant mother” spaces by converting or crowding out accessible parking ignores this reality and undermines the purpose of those spaces.

Many businesses that install pregnancy parking signs do so without understanding accessibility requirements. Federal law sets minimum standards for the number, size, location, and signage of accessible parking spaces. These spaces must be closest to accessible entrances, include eight foot access aisles for mobility devices, and be clearly marked for use by people with valid placards or plates. When a business swaps an accessible space for a pregnancy-only space—or squeezes both into the same area—it risks violating both the letter and spirit of the law.

Even when pregnancy parking is added elsewhere in a lot, it often creates confusion and resentment. People with disabilities are frequently questioned, confronted, or judged for using accessible spaces. Adding more unofficial “priority” categories reinforces the harmful idea that disability must be visible, extreme, or comparable to another condition to be valid. That mindset hurts everyone.

If businesses truly want to support pregnant customers, there are better and more inclusive solutions. They can add general courtesy spaces that do not replace accessible parking. They can offer curbside pickup, delivery options, benches near entrances, or flexible assistance from staff. These approaches expand access without taking it away from someone else.

At Disability Connection Midsouth, we believe the answer to access challenges is not competition—it’s expansion. The solution is not fewer accessible parking spaces but more of them. Parking lots should be designed with the understanding that accessibility benefits everyone: people with disabilities, older adults, parents with strollers, and yes, pregnant individuals who may need extra support.

Accessible parking is a civil right rooted in independence and equal participation in community life. Treating it as optional or interchangeable sends the wrong message. Compassion should never come at the expense of equity.

We urge businesses, planners, and community members to pause before celebrating pregnancy-designated parking spaces. Ask whose access is being reduced, whose needs are being deprioritized, and whether the decision aligns with true inclusion. When we protect and expand accessible parking, we build communities that work better for everyone.