MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The longest running street festival in Downtown Memphis is now missing its most important component.
More than a week ago, Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) shut down trolley services due to a brake issue and the high costs of repairs.
Some trolley operators attended a gathering near Central Station in Downtown Memphis, where MATA union president Harrison Currie spoke for the first time since the layoffs.
Currie, president and business agent of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 713, expressed disappointment over the handling of the layoffs and noted that there has been no dialogue with MATA administration.
"It's a big blow. The employees that have been laid off, I've met with them and it's a sad occasion, some have been here for 20 to 25 years, some have just started and were looking for a fresh career," Currie said.
The absence of trolley employees is impacting Downtown Memphis businesses. The last Friday of each month, known as Trolley Night is crucial for business owners to increase revenue and attract tourists.
Travis Brady, owner of DVOUR Desserts, which opened five months ago, said it's been heartbreaking not seeing the trolley drive by each day. "I hate it. I genuinely hate it for the people it's terrible as well as the people who use it to commute to jobs. It's not great because again they were the biggest advocates for Memphis," Brady said.
Currie said the mission for Friday's gathering was to urge the public to sign a petition aimed at reinstating the jobs and holding MATA accountable.
Trolley services were abruptly suspended due the brake issue, with MATA interim CEO Baccarra Mauldin estimating repair costs at $1.2 million. She said those are funds the transit company currently lacks.
"We had agreed the union and management that we were going to be transparent, hasn't been that way," Currie said.
Memphis City Council member Jerri Green mentioned that in recent council meetings, she's asked for detailed information about MATA's budget. She suggested that some of the funds from Memphis Mayor Paul Young's recent property tax increase could be repurposed to ease the impact on MATA.
"Do we need to reevaluate what he had in his budget and see if some of those funds could be repurposed and help MATA. Maybe just to make the cuts less severe," Green said.
Currie told ABC24 that 300 people have signed their petition so far, and they plan to continue collecting signatures until something changes.