Unavoidable cuts

The Memphis Area Transit Authority’s trolley lines have been given more than a fair chance of attracting the ridership that would be needed to support their current schedules. Unfortunately, they have not, which has prompted the company to cut service by more than 36 hours a week, starting Sunday.

MATA trolleys have been rolling in Memphis since 1993, first on Main Street, then on to Riverfront and eventually to Madison, where a proposed extension that would have turned south to Memphis International Airport never came to fruition.

According to MATA, the trolley as a whole has not been unsuccessful, ridership rising more than 6 percent from 1.38 million in 2012 to nearly 1.47 million the past fiscal year. Ridership is very sensitive to the time of day, however, which has led the company to reduce early morning, late evening and Sunday service, mostly on Madison.

Trolley service cuts totaling $440,000 are among reductions incorporated into a $59 million budget proposal MATA president William Hudson will take to the company’s board for approval on Monday.

There is no reason to believe the proposal is any more than a reflection of the trolley’s limited appeal, especially in locations where tourists and other Downtown visitors need them.

When Downtown’s most popular destinations beckon, there’s no better way to get there than to ride in one of MATA’s antique, wood-paneled trolleys, a pleasure we trust will continue for a long, long time.