Our Expectations of the Memphis Area Transit Authority
As taxpayers and registered voters, we expect our elected officials to use our tax dollars to provide quality public services that meet the needs of the people they serve.
MATA's limited fleet consists of older, high-mileage buses that frequently break down or fail to show up on scheduled routes. Many riders experience wait times of up to two hours when transferring between buses, and some are left stranded. During days when temperatures exceed 90 degrees, passengers are exposed to extreme heat. Riders have become sick, fainted, suffered heat stroke, experienced seizures, and other medical emergencies while waiting for transportation.
These conditions make it difficult to get to work, school, daycare, medical appointments, grocery stores, shopping, church services, pay bills, and other essential destinations.
Groove On-Demand
Riders may spend up to an hour trying to book a ride through the Groove On-Demand service. Even after a ride has been confirmed, they may wait another 30 minutes to an hour for pickup, or the trip may be rescheduled or canceled.
I have personally waited more than an hour for a Groove On-Demand ride after it had already been confirmed. Once picked up, riders often spend additional time while the driver picks up and drops off other passengers before reaching their destination. Because there are so few drivers and vans available, even trips with only three or four passengers can take up to two hours from pickup to destination.
Insufficient public transportation places citizens at risk. It contributes to health-related emergencies, prevents people from getting to medical appointments, causes workers to lose jobs or turn down employment opportunities, and forces some employees to shorten their work shifts because they cannot depend on reliable transportation.
Currently, neither the fixed-route bus system nor the Groove On-Demand service can be relied upon to consistently meet the transportation needs of Memphis residents.
Our expectation is simple: the citizens of Memphis deserve safe, adequate, reliable public transportation.
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