There are 137 article(s) tagged Memphis Area Transit Authority:
The new Memphis Area Transit Authority board heard a proposal to replace interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin temporarily with John Lewis of Transpro, the consultant who wrote a scathing report about the bus system just weeks ago.
MATA’s interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin addressed the myriad problems facing the transit system, even while noting progress on some fronts.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young talked about the overhaul of the Memphis Area Transit Authority during a Thursday, Oct. 31, “One Memphis” forum at LeMoyne-Owen College.
The newly confirmed board voted unanimously to suspend the cuts the previous board had approved on Sept. 24.
People with backgrounds in finance, urban planning and “route optimization” were among those recently appointed to the reconfigured MATA board.
Mayor Paul Young told council members in a Tuesday, Oct. 15, committee discussion that the immediate task is to find short-term funding for MATA to avoid a set of bus route cuts and employee layoffs the old MATA board approved that take effect Nov. 3.
Transpro’s draft report said ridership has declined 82% since 1991, the system needs 18 more buses to function properly and its current capital project plans are “financially unsustainable.”
Congressman Steve Cohen of Memphis says he is “disheartened” by the bus system’s “operational and fiscal crisis” after he helped secure $140 million in federal transit funding for MATA in recent years.
The mayor’s comments about governance come after MATA has laid off employees, is weighing route closures, and has faced weeks of headlines about its negative financial worth.
“Great cities are intentional and not accidental. Currently, the Memphis Area Transit Authority does not have adequate funding to deliver the service our riders need and deserve.”
Memphis Mayor Paul Young met with around 150 people at his latest town hall at the McWherter Senior Center in East Memphis.
The transit authority’s latest check-in with City Council saw some skepticism that MATA’s financial troubles were a surprise to those running the city’s bus system.
The parks committee also takes up funding for repairs to the Mud Island river museum building.
The agency is poised for major layoffs and route cuts, yet it’s still working toward plans for a more efficient transit system.
The Aug. 20 meeting became contentious as Memphis City Council members responded to a presentation from MATA’s Interim CEO. Related content:
The council also gets an update on the Memphis Area Transit Authority, finalizes city charter change amendments for the Nov. 5 ballot, and votes on a Whataburger restaurant on Union Avenue.
The transit authority could soon drop 30% of its bus routes and 67% of its trolley lines.
Muralist Brandon Marshall said he designed the Hickory Hill images to inspire drivers and bus riders with uplifting pictures of “a strong cultural asset for the city.”
Though MATA is expected to have a shortfall for the second year in a row, local leaders say bus service must continue to run.
Last month, MATA acknowledged it has a $60 million deficit. A City Councilwoman tried to talk specifics, but the discussion was abruptly halted after the head of the council staff talked with her privately during a public meeting.
The ordinance that sets the county property tax rate still has a blank where the rate goes. But commissioners approved Tuesday where the pennies on the tax rate go based on keeping the $3.39 rate the same.
County Mayor Lee Harris has nominated Meggan Kiel to be the first county appointee on the board of the city bus system. But the MATA board hasn’t been expanded yet. County Commissioners balked at moving ahead without an agreement by the city to expand the board.
Rosenfeld’s retirement is effective immediately, with the MATA board announcing deputy CEO Bacarra Mauldin starts as interim CEO Thursday, Feb. 1. Rosenfeld has led the city’s bus system since January 2017.
The four-year term of the Memphis City Council is at an end. The Daily Memphian’s Council Scorecard has chronicled 158 critical decisions by the body over that term. Here are the most critical decisions ones.
During the meeting, several citizens voiced their concerns about the planned changes. When it was announced the proposal would be withdrawn, audience members cheered.