SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn — The Memphis Area Transit Authority is seeking to clear up confusion about potential changes coming later this year.
Buses will largely come an hour apart, and services will stop at 7 p.m. due to budgetary constraints.
Crucially, however, the $38 million grant touted by officials in June can't be used to stop that shortfall.
"If you don’t have enough money, doggone it, find the money. But don’t just cut these people off at 7:00. Now, you’re talking about a problem. You’re begging for a problem,” said bus rider Kenny Lee, who attended a public information session put on by MATA on Wednesday.
Lee, along with other bus riders and meeting attendees, expressed frustration on Wednesday with the proposed changes to routes and times.
MATA Deputy CEO Bacarra Mauldin said unlike initial reports, which claimed 19 routes were on the chopping block, only six of their least used routes are actually in question.
“We’re truly not doing this because we want to. We’re doing this because we have to. We believe it's really important to give our mechanics ample opportunity to work on our aging fleet,” she said.
The aging facilities are why the U.S. Department of Transportation pledged $38 million for MATA earlier this year. However, that money is only pegged for capital improvements; it doesn’t help with the day-to-day operating expenses.
“Unfortunately, those funds don’t go toward the everyday operations on the street. We wish it could, but it can’t,” Mauldin said.
That money hasn’t been spent yet, but MATA said it will go towards upgrading the facilities.
Anyone who wants to submit comments about the potential service changes can do so until Monday, Oct. 23, at 10 p.m. Email publiccomments@matatransit.com with the subject line "Winter 2023 Service."