MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With several issues surrounding public transportation in Memphis, Citizens for Better Service (CFBR) and Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU) is set to host a public transportation forum Saturday, April 23 at the Cornelia Crenshaw Memorial Library at 2 p.m. to discuss ongoing concerns.
The organizations reported that people who use MATA bus services experience constant travel interruptions caused by little to no access to printed bus schedules, unexpected and poorly communicated cancellations of bus routes, and limited access available buss routes in inner city or “underserved communities”.
According to CFBR and MBRU, public transportation has worsened over the years, and it is believed that conditions are worse today than is was 54 years ago when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was actively working to implement change for sanitation workers.
CFBR and MBRU said that the organizations are looking for ways to require MATA to evenly distribute funding that it receives from the Memphis City Council, Shelby County Commission, and the Tennessee Legislature to improve bus services in underserved areas.
The organizations claim that MATA has continuously cut bus runs in various underprivileged neighborhoods despite receiving more than $7.1 million from the Shelby County Commission. According to CFBR and MBRU, the money was supposed to be used ”to improve bus service for those who need it the most.”
The forum has received support from State Representative Barbara Cooper, District 86, Senator Raumesh Akbari, District 29 and numerous community leaders and activists who have all confirmed their attendance to the meeting.
