MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Area Transit Authority voted to keep all of its service routes the same on Tuesday. However, that means 20% of routes are still negatively impacted with little warning.
The board of commissioners looked through four separate proposals in order of the amount of impact it would have on the community. Proposal one would keep things the same, while the other three would suspend service to eight routes.
MATA met twice on Tuesday, holding a total of around 14 public meetings to discuss scaling back its services in the area. 12 of the meetings were held in the fall, and the last two, including the authority's vote, were on Dec. 19. Riders said the meeting on the 19th wasn't communicated effectively to the public.
According to commissioners, about 20% of current routes are missed because of maintenance. The buses don't make it to particular areas at random due to unforeseen issues. However, many of the issues are expected as the buses have a lifespan of 500,000 miles or 12 years. MATA Board Commissioners said buses in Memphis tend to hit 500,000 miles a year 8 because of use and demand.
MATA rider Janice Mondei said the missed routes problem is not new.
"MATA has not fulfilled the schedule in over five years," Mondei said. "This is just the worst that it has ever been."
Board commissioner and bus rider Shelia Williams said other commissioners need to consider the reasoning routes are missed and some buses are less used by riders.
"It conditions us to know and to choose alternate routes because when you call into the call center, that's what they tell you," Williams said. "It's not coming, we don't have anyone to operate that bus so you must consider some type of alternative.' They don't offer up an alternative, but they tell you to figure it out on your own."
Williams classifies herself as a choice-rider of MATA and described to the commission what it’s like for her to wait on buses that never come and to watch people lose jobs while they are riding a bus running late or waiting for a bus to arrive.
The possible changes looming in the new year could impact getting to North Memphis, the airport and even downtown. Options on how to move forward will be revisited in the new year as the community plans to meet with city leaders including Mayor-elect Paul Young.
"I'm hoping that Mayor-elect Young will give MATA priority," Mondei said. "They keep saying crime is the route of poverty. They're telling you constantly in these meetings people are losing their jobs because they're getting fired because they can't get to work because MATA is not showing up."
Many of those outraged and who attended the meeting are members of MICAH, the Bus Riders Union and other local organizations like the Sierra Club.