MATA’s future governance up in the air, says Paul Young
“What does it take to get to 15 to 20-minute wait times on all of our routes, and definitely on our busiest routes? And we know that there’s a price tag that comes with it,” Memphis Mayor Paul Young said. “But we believe that we must have an investable vision for transportation in our community... for us to be able to access additional dollars to support transit.” (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
Memphis Mayor Paul Young said Thursday, Sept. 19, the Memphis Area Transit Authority’s future governance is “to be determined” as the city continues its detailed analysis of the beleaguered bus system.
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.
Young talks MATA, crime, consultants at One Memphis forum
In an interview with The Daily Memphian, Young said the city is examining how the transit authority is governed, how to reduce what can be two-hour-long wait times and what an “investable” transit system where people
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Memphis Area Transit Authority MATA Paul Young Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
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Samuel Hardiman
Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise and investigative reporter who focuses on local government and politics. He began his journalism career at the Tulsa World in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he covered business and, later, K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development. He then served as the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s city hall reporter and later joined The Daily Memphian in 2023. His current work focuses on Elon Musk’s xAI, regional energy needs and how Memphis and Shelby County government spend taxpayer dollars.
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