Streetsblog USA has been keeping close tabs on the bus system in Memphis, recently noticing signs of progress from the local transit agency, MATA.
According to Angie Schmitt, the Memphis Bus Riders Union is getting results: "Mayor Jim Strickland has allocated an additional $7.5 million from the city budget toward the transit system this year. About $5 million of that will be reserved for replacing buses — an absolute necessity."
As Schmitt notes, the Bus Riders Union has another major goal that will require another $3.5 million annually: "to revive the 31 Crosstown bus route, serving north and south Memphis."
Schmitt provides context on the "shameful state" of Memphis' bus system, which she also covered in March, in addition to reporting the good news. The Memphis Bus Riders Union also made news in November 2015, when it took the rare step of unifying with the bus drivers' union.
Read the full story: Finally Some Relief for Memphis Bus Riders
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