by Laura L. Sullivan
Special to the Tri-State Defender

According to recent estimates, 40 percent of Memphians do not have access to private transportation, and our city struggles with the inadequate services of the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA), particularly with our bus system. A new coalition has formed to address the problems with public transportation in our city, the Transportation Task Force* (TTF).

In December of 2011, MATA implemented another round of changes to their services, including a substantial fare increase, changes to routes, and the elimination of some routes altogether. The newly formed Transportation Task Force is in the process of conducting interviews with MATA customers, who report frustration with delays, overcrowding, a lack of routes that serve their needs, and a prohibitive fee structure.

The recent fare increase was advertised by MATA with posters that say, “Daily Fare Increase – Only 25¢.” However, in a city with 24 percent of people living under the poverty line – including even higher rates for African Americans, 28.6 percent, and Hispanics, 38.6 percent – this message misses the point that this cost increase has a big impact on MATA’s low-income customer base.

Among area college students, there are numerous concerns, especially the lack of buses that serve them if their classes are at night. Many buses stop running at 6 p.m., and other than bus #50, no buses run after 9 p.m. on weekdays. Weekend services are so sparse as to make weekend travel on the bus a very difficult proposition; MATA customers express their aggravation that they cannot reliably get to their destinations by bus on the weekends.

Accessibility is also a very problematic area for MATA customers with disabilities. Many buses do not have wheelchair accessibility. Buses with wheelchair ramps are often still unaccessible, either because the ramps are not working or because the drivers refuse to put down the wheelchair ramps for disabled MATA customers. The trolley system has ramps for wheelchair access, but due to lack of maintenance, the ramps suffer from chronic breakdowns and are often non-functioning. For sight- or hearing-impaired riders, another problem encountered is that the buses’ LED screens and pre-recorded voiceovers announcing the upcoming stops are frequently broken or not turned on by drivers.

Bus drivers also have been affected by policies of MATA, including no breaks for meals and pressure to maintain certain schedules of routes. The routes are structured in such a way that adhering to published schedules is often difficult, and so drivers under pressure from management, in order to avoid disciplinary action, may drive past bus stops where customers are waiting to board the bus.

Additionally, at a MATA board meeting in November, it was revealed that the workers’ pensions have a $2.5 million hole per year for the next five years. Board members expressed concerns that this situation could potentially lead to a long-term deficit of $25 million. Board members wondered why they had not been informed of the scope of this shortfall sooner and voiced concerns about how it will be addressed.

The Transportation Task Force has found that MATA’s new policies seem designed for more affluent riders. For example, each bus stop has a sign that includes information that tells riders they can send a text message to receive a reply that will tell them when the next bus is scheduled to arrive. As Task Force member Bennett Foster points out, “The problem is that only smart phones that can text to an e-mail address are able to use this service.” He continues, “This means that the many riders who possess government-issued TracFones are out of luck, because they cannot send a text to an e-mail address (and also it costs the users of these phones to send any text message).” This is just one example of creating a system that is not at all considerate of the primary users of MATA services.

These are just some of the many problems that users of the bus system recounted to members of the TTF. The Transportation Task Force is hosting a Town Hall for users of MATA services to share their experiences and to make recommendations for creating services that will better serve their needs. This event will be held on Saturday (January 28) from 1 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Center, 485 Beale. This Town Hall will kick off a longer-term grassroots campaign to advocate for the improvement of our public transportation system.

(For more information, contact the Transportation Task Force at: ttfmemphis@gmail.com.)