MATA to add, modify bus routes next week
The Memphis Area Transit Authority next week will launch three bus routes to major employment and recreation areas while modifying or consolidating about two dozen others.
The new routes are part of a series of changes adding $500,000 worth of service, the agency announced Wednesday.
The service changes, which begin Sunday, are the latest to be put in effect under the auspices of the short-term transit plan adopted by MATA’s board in March 2014. The plan is designed to streamline service and better connect riders with jobs by simplifying the agency’s service map and creating a hierarchy of routes based on demand and importance.
The changes also follow years of service cutbacks and budget shortfalls for MATA, which saw its total ridership decline from 8.1 million in fiscal year 2015 to less than 7.8 million during the 12 months ending last June 30.
Using a three-year federal grant paying $500,000 annually, MATA will add the following routes:
» No. 44, running weekdays and Saturdays from State Road and Mullins Station along Goodlett Parkway and eventually to the new IKEA store and retail centers in the Wolfchase area.
» No. 47, operating Saturdays and Sundays, offering shuttle service to Shelby Farms Park from State and Mullins Station and Agricenter International. This route has been tested since late fall and is now becoming permanent.
» No. 64, the Airport Shuttle, operating daily from the American Way Transit Center and making stops on Democrat and American Way before heading south to the FedEx hub and Memphis International Airport.
MATA also is discontinuing some service, such as Saturday trips to the Northaven area, because of low ridership, while other service that is being dropped will be replaced by the Airport Shuttle.
John Lancaster, director of planning and scheduling for MATA, said the airport shuttle will consume more than 60 percent of the grant funds. But it will provide a vital connection for workers in the airport area and FedEx hub.
Similarly, the route to the new IKEA store and Wolfchase will serve residents of large apartment complexes who work in retail or call centers, Lancaster said.
“The big message is, we’re connecting jobs,” he said.
MATA officials say they lack the funds to fully put into effect the transit plan, which also calls for increased frequency of service on routes, relocation of bus stops and improved transfer options.
“We need more funding to implement it the way it needs to be implemented,” said John Vergos, a member of MATA’s board.
Reach Tom Charlier by email at thomas.charlier@commercialappeal.com, by phone at (901) 529-2572, or on Twitter at @thomasrcharlier.