MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The MATA service known as Ready!, is expanding to new neighborhoods this week.
The curb-to-curb public transit service, similar to Uber or Lyft, is currently free to use during its one-year pilot program.
Ready! uses a smaller van to pick up people from their curb and take them where they need to go so long as it's in the intercommunity zone of service.
“It comes to their door or wherever they’re being picked up from and they board the vehicle from that spot," MATA Chief of Staff Bacarra Mauldin said. "It gives them a lot of conveniences, safety, and all of that when you utilize micro transit.”
It launched in August first in the Boxtown, Westwood, and Whitehaven communities. This week it expands to Northaven, Frayser, and Cordova.
“It’s a really, really nice deal," Alice Waller, who has used the service nearly a dozen times, said.
Waller lives in a retirement community in Whitehaven and doesn't have a car. She likes long walks but found a trip to the grocery store and back was too much. Then she discovered the Ready! service and uses it primarily for errands.
“I love the fact that I can go to Walmart because I could not walk to Walmart," she said.
Since its launch, Ready! has logged more than 12,000 passengers. To start November, MATA saw a record number of 268 single-day riders.
“We really hope to see the continued record growth," Mauldin said. "We believe that this is an opportunity to attract riders that may not have historically used public transportation.”
Mauldin said the service provides more flexibility for riders and replaces services or routes removed.
“This gives our riders the opportunity to move the mobility around their schedule to populate that trip based on when they need to be there as opposed to when we get them there," she said. "It also gives them the convenience of not having to walk to a bus stop.”
Ready! runs Monday through Saturday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Booking closes at 6:30 p.m. Click here to see the service zone maps.
How to book a ride:
- Book a ride by installing the TransLoc mobile app and creating an account. Rides can also be booked online through a desktop device. See below for mobile and online booking instructions.
You can also book with an agent by calling 901.322.0466. Reservations for Monday service must be made before 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
