Opinion: ‘Death spiral will continue for public transit’
“There is time for all Memphians of good will to ask their council representatives to properly fund MATA for daily riders, the businesses that employ them and the good of the entire city.”
Topic: MATA
RSSThere are 121 article(s) tagged MATA:
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July 2025
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May 2025
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Memphis mayor, council clash over ‘poor budgeting’
New budget proposal relies on rosy projections, cutting MATA funding in half and extending ongoing hiring freeze.
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Former MATA CEO: Travel was necessary for fleet upgrades
As MATA tried to meet a state mandate for an electric fleet, Gary Rosenfeld said it was more expedient and less costly to visit overseas manufacturers rather than ship equipment back and forth for testing.
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April 2025
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Memphis City Council to dig more into fake MATA routes
At its Tuesday, March 18, session, the City Council also takes first votes on the Cleveland Street redevelopment plan and a $300 a year blight fee on owners of abandoned and vacant properties.
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March 2025
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MATA fires embattled former interim CEO
MATA’s Bacarra Mauldin has been fired, three weeks after she was placed on administrative leave following the discovery of questionable charges on her company credit card.
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Conaway: If we don’t do Memphis over, others will, and soon
“We have to get our act together. The city and county mayors need to sit down together for a cup of coffee. Strong coffee. A pot of it.”
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Interim CEO: MATA lied about missing bus routes for nearly a year
In all, nearly one-third of MATA buses weren’t showing up where or when they were scheduled to.
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MATA employee placed on leave after questionable credit card charges
Purchases included about $5,000 in PayPal and Venmo money transfer transactions, $10,000 in Amazon purchases, $7,000 at Best Buy, more than $1,000 at Montblanc, a maker of fine pens, and money on massages.
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January 2025
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Facing cash crunch, MATA wants Mayor Young to follow through on promise of more money
MATA’s interim chief financial officer urged Memphis Mayor Paul Young to find more funding for the bus system before it runs out of cash next month.
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MATA board votes to install consultants at top of bus system
The board voted seven to one to approve the contract with Transpro.
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MATA has one month of expenses left, then it’s out of cash
The Young administration could ask the City Council for additional money for MATA, and at least one council member does not like its current approach.
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December 2024
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MATA board votes to consider leadership changes that could cost $1.3 million
The Memphis Area Transit Authority Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday, Dec. 17, to install three consultants at the top of the troubled bus system — at some future point.
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MATA board weighs installing consultant as temporary CEO
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.
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November 2024
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Main Street Trolley unlikely to restart till next summer
MATA’s interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin addressed the myriad problems facing the transit system, even while noting progress on some fronts.
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October 2024
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New MATA board stops planned cuts; Mayor Young pledges money
The newly confirmed board voted unanimously to suspend the cuts the previous board had approved on Sept. 24.
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With MATA’s future uncertain, city steps in. But how much will it need to do?
The Young administration recently decided to pay $30 million to save the Downtown Memphis Sheraton from the auction block. The MATA overhaul could be just as expensive and resonate over just as long of a time period.
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Behind The Headlines: The future of Memphis’ gun-control question
How Memphians will vote on the referendum, and whether it will ultimately impact Tennessee’s gun laws, was a hot topic for local reporters this week.
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Mayor Young replaces MATA board amid overhaul of transit authority
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.”
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September 2024
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Council threatens MATA with subpoena as gulf between city, bus system grows
Chase Carlisle said the council could use its rarely used subpoena power to seek financial records from MATA in the coming weeks.
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New MSCS board leader opposed school closures
As leaders of the board, the new chair and vice chair will help steer a district that’s in transition, and on the precipice of major decisions about its long-term goals and plans.
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MATA’s future governance up in the air, says Paul Young
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.
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Opinion: ‘MATA overextended itself,’ board chair says
“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.”
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Young talks MATA, crime, consultants at One Memphis forum
Memphis Mayor Paul Young met with around 150 people at his latest town hall at the McWherter Senior Center in East Memphis.
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August 2024
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MATA to eliminate routes and lay off about half of staff
Such steep cuts are necessary to balance the Memphis Area Transit Authority’s budget, officials said several times in Tuesday’s meeting, as the agency fights to find stable footing after years of financial difficulties.
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Document details what jobs MATA will cut: ‘Not a fun day’
New Memphis Area Transit Authority documents detail which jobs the transit system plans to cut as it attempts to right-size its operations.
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