# Memphis Area Transit Authority

The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is the public transportation provider for Memphis, Tennessee. It is one of the largest transit providers in the state of Tennessee; MATA transports customers in the City of Memphis and parts of Shelby County on fixed-route buses, paratransit vehicles, demand-responsive service, and the MATA Trolley system. The system is managed by a seven-member policy board appointed by the mayor and approved by the Memphis City Council. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,122,700.

## History
### Predecessors

In December 1960, the stakeholders of the privately-owned Memphis Transit Co (MTC), successor to the Memphis Street Railway Company, voted to sell the system to the City of Memphis due to high operating losses. The following month, the City issued bonds to complete the acquisition and purchase 40 new air-conditioned GM New Look buses for the newly formed Memphis Transit Authority (MTA). The MTC continued to manage the system, but a board of commissioners was appointed by the City to set fares, fix routes, buy equipment, and make contracts.
Over the next few years, MTA bought and sold buses to modernize its fleet. MTA continued to purchase buses from GM after finding demo Flxible New Look buses unsatisfactory due to issues with the air conditioning units. Despite the fleet improvements and increased service, ridership began to decline.

### MATA

MATA was established by a city ordinance on May 13, 1975 to replace the MTA. The change increased the size of the board from three members to seven and gave the board the authority to hire a management firm to run the company. Purchasing power was transferred from the MTA purchasing department to a City purchasing agent. This change was made in part because of poor publicity due to decisions made by MTA manager Tom Evans and city chief administrative officer Clay Huddleston.
In 1981, MATA suffered from insufficient operating funds due cuts in federal and state subsidies and insufficient city funding. To make ends meet, MATA cut service and raised fares in September 1981 and again in April 1982. At the end of the year, MATA restored Sunday service and started an advertising campaign to restore its public image.
In 1983, MATA started operating MAN articulated buses to reduce personnel costs on busy routes. The lack of wheelchair accommodations was met with pushback from disabled riders.
In 1986, MATA board approved a plan to turn the declining Mid-America Mall (located on Main St.) into a transit mall, favoring running existing routes along it. However, due to pushback, the imitation-trolley shuttle bus and streetcar alternatives were chosen for further consideration. MATA began awarding construction contracts in 1991, and trolley operations began on April 29, 1993.
In 2004, MATA studied purchasing hybrid electric buses to reduce emissions and fuel consumption. MATA received their first Gillig hybrid buses in 2007 and piloted them on MATAplus service. By 2010, MATA bought 15 hybrid buses and planned to buy 12 more, bringing the total to 15% of their fleet.
Development for the Memphis 3.0 Transit Vision started in 2017, in association with the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan. The process was split into three phases which surveyed the existing conditions of the network and city, contrasted the different options for transit networks, and created a draft recommended network for stakeholder feedback. The final report was completed in March 2019. It included both a short-term recommended network to be implemented in 2022 as well as a long-term network to be implemented by 2040.
In 2019, the U.S. DOT awarded MATA a $12 million grant to fund the design and construction of the Memphis Innovation Corridor. The final design consisted of an eight-mile BRT line running from downtown to the University of Memphis and using battery-electric buses. MATA received another $76 million in 2022 for purchasing the BRT busses and constructing maintenance and charging stations for them.
MATA received the first three battery buses in July 2023 and plans to purchase 40 additional buses by December 2024.
In February 2024, Deputy CEO Bacarra Mauldin became interrim CEO after Gary Rosenfeld stepped down from the position. In May, Mauldin announced the discovery of a $60 million deficit through the Tennessee Comptroller's office. On August 27, MATA finalized its fiscal year 2025 budget, eliminating six routes and laying off 241 employees to reduce the operating budget by $10 million. In September the board of commissioners approved the cuts. But in November, Mayor Paul Young replaced all board members after receiving a draft of TransPro's diagnostic report. The new board subsequently postponed the budget cuts and fare changes to February 2025.
In January 2025, the board of commissioners signed an eight-month contract with TransPro for interim staffing, including John Lewis as CEO.

## Bus service

As of August 2023, MATA operates 23 fixed-route bus routes. Most bus routes terminate at William Hudson Transit Center. On MATA's system map, bus routes are organized into three categories based on rush hour frequency: high frequency routes have 30-minute weekday frequency, medium frequency routes have 60-minute weekday frequency, and low frequency routes have greater than 60-minute weekday frequency.
In October 2023, the 36 Lamar, 50 Poplar, and 42 Crosstown bus routes had the highest ridership. The 28 Airport, 16 Southeast Circulator, 37 Perkins, and 34 Central & Walnut Grove routes had the lowest ridership.
MATA also operates a shuttle service to Liberty Park from downtown and the University of Memphis for the Southern Heritage Classic.
In the past, MATA's roster included AM General 40 ft. buses, RTS buses, Neoplan articulated buses, and NovaBus LFS buses. The LFS was MATA's preferred fleet of choice, having been used in its lineup from February 1980 until its retirement in April 2010, when the six remaining 1994 NovaBus versions were replaced with the Gillig Advantage Hybrids.
Today, MATA fixed-route fleet consists of diesel and diesel-electric Gillig Advantage Low Floor buses. These buses can hold 40 people seated and are equipped with bike racks, Wi-Fi, and a wheelchair ramp.

### Bus Fleet

| Numbers | Manufacturer & Model | Delivered | Length | Notes |
| 401-420 | Gillig Low Floor | 2003 | 40 ft (12 m) | Refurbished in 2018. |
| 421-460 | Gillig Low Floor | 2011 | 40 ft (12 m) | |
| 3001-3022 | Gillig Low Floor | 2011 | 29 ft (8.8 m) | No exit doors. Mostly used on MATAPlus and shuttle service. |
| 4001-4015 | Gillig Low Floor Hybrid | 2012 | 40 ft (12 m) | Diesel-electric |
| 5001-5005 | Gillig Low Floor Hybrid | 2012 | 35 ft (11 m) | Diesel-electric |
| 4016-4025 | Gillig Low Floor Hybrid | 2013 | 40 ft (12 m) | Diesel-electric |
| 4026-4040 | Gillig Low Floor Hybrid | 2014 | 40 ft (12 m) | Diesel-electric |
| 21701-21715 | Gillig Low Floor | 2017 | 40 ft (12 m) | First fleet to use 5 numbers, corresponding to the year it entered service (2[0]17xx) |
| 21801-21818 | Gillig Low Floor | 2018 | 40 ft (12 m) | Plain white scheme and frameless windows. New all white livery with green MATA logo. |
| 22201-22203 | Gillig Low Floor Battery | 2022 | 40 ft (12 m) | Battery-electric. |
| 22301-223xx | Gillig Low Floor | 2023 | 29 ft (8.8 m) | |
| 20801-20822 | Gillig Low Floor BRT | 2024 | 40 ft (12 m) | Purchased from Sun Tran. |

### Current Routes

| Route | Terminals | Terminals | Major streets | Notes |
| 1 Union | Hudson Transit Center | Walnut Grove Rd and Racine St | Union Ave, Poplar Ave, Walnut Grove Rd | The route serves the Binghampton portion of route 53. |
| 2 Madison | Hudson Transit Center | University of Memphis | Madison Ave, Cooper St, Southern Ave | The U of M branch replaces route 35 on Southern. |
| 2 Madison | Hudson Transit Center | Knight Arnold Rd and Ridgeway Blvd | (Mount Moriah Service) Madison Ave, Cooper St, Southern Ave, Mount Moriah Rd, Knight Arnold Rd | No weekend service, replacing route 21. |
| 4 Walker | Hudson Transit Center | Airways Transit Center | Vance Ave, Lauderdale St, South Pkwy | |
| 7 Shelby & Holmes | Airways Transit Center | Shelby Dr and Kirby Parkway | Getwell Rd, Shelby Dr, East Holmes Rd | Service from Watkins St and Hudson Transit Center weekday mornings only |
| 8 Chelsea & Highland | Hudson Transit Center | Airways Transit Center | Chelsea Ave, National St, Highland St | Highland branch and National branch combined spring 2022, improving headway on Highland branch. |
| 11 Frayser | Hudson Transit Center | Yale Rd and Austin Peay Hwy | Thomas St, Frayser Blvd, Yale Rd | Serves the Amazon Facility on New Allen Rd. |
| 12 Mallory | Hudson Transit Center | Airways Transit Center | Florida St, South Pkwy, Mallory Ave | No Sunday/ Holiday Service. Serves the Airways Transit Center, replacing route 4 Walker/Alcy. |
| 16 Southeast Circulator | American Way Transit Center | Airways Transit Center | Mendenhall Rd, Perkins Rd, Winchester Rd | Replaces routes 22 and 26. |
| 19 Vollintine | Hudson Transit Center | Summer Ave and Mendenhall Rd | Vollintine Ave, Hollywood St, Macon Rd | No Sunday/Holiday Service. The Wolfchase branch replaces route 44 |
| 19 Vollintine | Hudson Transit Center | Wolfchase Galleria Mall | Vollintine Ave, Hollywood St, Macon Rd, Covington Pike, Raleigh LaGrange Rd, Germantown Pkwy | No Sunday/Holiday Service. The Wolfchase branch replaces route 44 |
| 28 Airport | Hudson Transit Center | IRS | I-240, Nonconnah Blvd, Winchester Rd, Tchulahoma Rd | Replaces routes 28, 64, 99, and 280. The route ends at Memphis Int'l Airport on Sundays |
| 30 Brooks | Third St and Eastman St | Riverdale Bend and Winchester Rd | (Shelby Branch) Brooks Rd, Democrat Rd, American Way, Getwell Rd, Swinnea Rd, Shelby Dr, Riverdale Rd | Serves the Airways TC and American Way TC. New routing partially replaces route 26. New routing extends to Winchester/Riverdale |
| 30 Brooks | Third St and Eastman St | Riverdale Bend and Winchester Rd | (Holmes Branch) Brooks Rd, Democrat Rd, American Way, Getwell Rd, Arnold Rd, Tchulahoma Rd, Holmes Rd, Hickory Hill Rd, Kirby Pkwy | Serves the Airways TC and American Way TC. New routing partially replaces route 26. New routing extends to Winchester/Riverdale |
| 32 Hollywood & Hawkins Mill | Airways Transit Center | Frayser Plaza | Airways Blvd, East Pkwy, N Hollywood St, Range Line Rd, N Watkins St | Serves the Airways Transit Center. Hawkins Mill branch replaces route 18. |
| 34 Central & Walnut Grove | Hudson Transit Center | Humphreys Blvd and Walnut Grove Rd | Vance Ave, Lamar Ave, Central Ave, Highland St, Walnut Grove Rd, Humphreys Blvd | No Sunday/Holiday Service. Replaces route 5 on Central Ave. Serves Baptist Hospital |
| 36 Lamar | Hudson Transit Center | Centennial Dr and Hacks Cross Rd | (Kimball Branch) Vance Ave, Lamar Ave, Kimball Ave, Getwell Rd, American Way, Perkins Rd, Winchester Rd | 36A branch serves Kimball Ave, replacing route 56. 36B branch serves Knight Arnold |
| 36 Lamar | Hudson Transit Center | Centennial Dr and Hacks Cross Rd | (Knight Arnold Branch) Vance Ave, Lamar Ave, Knight Arnold Rd, Getwell Rd, American Way, Perkins Rd, Winchester Rd | 36A branch serves Kimball Ave, replacing route 56. 36B branch serves Knight Arnold |
| 37 Perkins | American Way Transit Center | Yale Rd and Austin Peay Hwy | Getwell Rd, New Willow Rd, Perkins Rd, Waring Rd, Covington Pike, Raleigh LaGrange Rd | No Sunday Service. Serves American Way Transit Center |
| 39 South Third | Hudson Transit Center | Jonetta St and Holmes Rd | (Horn Lake branch) Third St, Brooks Rd, Horn Lake Rd, Holmes Rd, Levi Rd | The Horn Lake branch replaces the southern portion of route 12. |
| 39 South Third | Hudson Transit Center | Holmes Rd and Third St | (Weaver and 3rd branch) Third St, Weaver St, Holmes Rd | The Horn Lake branch replaces the southern portion of route 12. |
| 40 Stage-Lauderdale | Alice Ave and Benton St | Fletcher Trace Pkwy and Stage Rd | S Fourth St, Lauderdale St, N Second St, Thomas St, Stage Rd, James Rd, Berryhill Rd | Merged with route 13 |
| 42 Crosstown | Frayser Plaza | Holmes Rd and Hudgins Rd | Frayser Blvd, N Watkins St, Cleveland Ave, Bellevue Blvd, Elvis Presley Blvd, Shelby Dr, Airways Blvd, Holmes Rd | |
| 50 Poplar | Hudson Transit Center | Exeter Rd and Poplar Ave | Poplar Ave, Central Ave, Farmington Blvd | |
| 52 Jackson | Hudson Transit Center | Methodist Hospital North | Jackson Ave, Austin Peay Hwy | |
| 53 Summer | Hudson Transit Center | Southwest Tennessee Community College | North Pkwy, Summer Ave, Sycamore View Rd | |
| 57 Park | Hudson Transit Center | Primacy Pkwy and Ridgeway Rd | McLemore Ave, Park Ave, Ridgeway Rd | New routing replaces route 17 on McLemore and Route 35 on South Parkway between Bellevue and Lamar |
| 69 Winchester | American Way Transit Center | Levi Rd and Oakshire | Goodlett Rd, Winchester Rd, Millbranch Rd, Shelby Dr, Neely Rd, Raines Rd | No Sunday/ Holiday service. New routing extends through the Boxtown and Westwood neighborhoods |

### Former Routes

| Route | Terminals | Terminals | Major streets | Years of operation | Replaced by | Notes |
| 6 Northaven | | | N Watkins Rd | -2021 | Ready! service | |
| 9 Highland | | | | -2020 | 8 Chelsea/Highland | |
| 13 Lauderdale | Hudson Transit Center | Alice Ave and Benton St | S Fourth St, Lauderdale St | -2023 | 40 Stage / Lauderdale | serves the Majorie/Alice portion of route 4 Walker/Alcy |
| 15 | Hudson Transit Center | | | | Groove On-Demand service | |
| 17 Mclemore | Hudson Transit Center | | | -2016 | 57 Park | |
| 18 Hawkins Mill | | | | -2020 | 32 Hollywood/Hawkins Mill | |
| 20 Bellevue | Hudson Transit Center | | Bellevue Blvd, Elvis Presley Blvd, Winchester Rd | | | |
| 21 Mt. Moriah | | | | -2021 | 2 Madison/Mt. Moriah | |
| 22 Raines | | | | -2021 | 16 Southeast Circulator | |
| 26 Hickory Hill | | | | -2021 | 16 Southeast Circulator and 30 Brooks | |
| 31 Firestone | | | | -2021 | Groove On-Demand service | |
| 35 South Pkwy | | | South Pkwy | -2020 | 2 Madison/U of M and 57 Park | |
| 38 Boxtown | | | | -2021 | Ready! service | |
| 43 Elvis Presley | | | | -2016 | 42 Crosstown | |
| 44 Goodlett Farms/IKEA | | | | -2020 | 19 Vollintine/Wolfchase | |
| 45 Appling Farms | | | | -2020 | | |
| 56 Lamar/Amer Way | Hudson Transit Center | | | -2020 | 1 Union and 36 Lamar | |
| 58 Fox Meadows Express | | | I-240, Lamar Ave, American Way, Mount Moriah Rd, Mendenhall Rd | | | |
| 68 Airport Shuttle | Airways Transit Center | Memphis International Airport | | -2019 | 28 Airport | |
| 78 West Memphis Express | | Hudson Transit Center | Memphis & Arkansas Bridge | | | |
| 82 Germantown | Wolfchase Galleria | Germantown Village Square Shopping Center | Germantown Pkwy (Exeter/ Wolfchase) | -2021 | Ready! service | |
| 99 Nonconnah | | Airways Transit Center | Nonconnah Blvd, Corporate Ave | -2020 | 28 Airport | |
| 280 Airways Limited | Hudson Transit Center | IRS | I-240, Brooks Rd, Airways Blvd, Shelby Dr | -2019 | 28 Airport | |
| 340 Walnut Grove Limited | Hudson Transit Center | Agricenter | Union Ave, Walnut Grove Rd | -2019 | 34 Central/Wal. Grove | |
| 400 Wolfchase Limited | Hudson Transit Center | Fletcher Trace Pkwy and Stage Rd | I-40, Jackson Ave, Stage Ave | -2019 | 40 Stage | |
| 500 Groove Shuttle | Mud Island | Southern College of Optometry | Island Dr, A. W. Willis Ave, Danny Thomas Blvd, Madison Ave | 2018-2020 | Groove On-Demand service | Commuter shuttle operated by MATA and the Memphis Medical District Collaborative. |

## Trolley

Initially opened in 1993, the Main Street Trolley Line uses classic streetcars on a system that has grown to three routes: one along the riverfront, another serving Main Street in the heart of downtown Memphis, and an extension on Madison Avenue. The Madison Avenue line opened in 2004, as the initial stage of a light rail system that would connect downtown Memphis with the Memphis International Airport and eventually to regional transit service beyond the MATA service boundaries.
Service was replaced by buses after two trolleys caught fire in late 2013 and early 2014. After nearly four years, the Main Street Trolley Line was reinstated in 2018. The Main Street Line operated trolleys with 12-minute headways throughout the day. The Riverfront Line and Madison Line operated buses with 40-minute and 30-minute headways respectively.
On August 18, 2024, MATA suspended trolley service indefinitely due to an investigation into issues with brakes and costly upgrades recommended by TDOT.
MATA has 5 operable trolleys, but only 4 are operated at a time.
| | Line | Opened | Stations | Length | Termini |
| █ | Main Street Line | 1993 | 13 | 2.0 mi (3.2 km) | Butler Avenue – North End Terminal |
| █ | Riverfront Loop | 1997 | 19 | 4.1 mi (6.6 km) | none |
| █ | Madison Avenue Line | 2004 | 6 | 2.2 mi (3.5 km) | Third Street – Cleveland Station |

## MATAplus

MATAplus is a shared ride paratransit service designed to meet the transportation needs of persons with disabilities in the Memphis service area. The service covers the same area as the MATA bus system and operate during the same days and hours as the fixed-route bus system in the same area. The service area extends three-fourths (3/4) of a mile beyond the fixed-routes, which means that anywhere beyond the area mentioned can not qualify for MATAplus services. Two types of services are offered through MATAplus: Advance/Demand Response, which allows riders to book reservations in advance, and a subscription service that allows riders to use the service to take them to their destination and back.

## On-demand service

Groove On-Demand is an on-demand service launched in February 2021. It is the successor to MATA and the Memphis Medical District Collaborative (MMDC)'s Route 500 commuter bus. The current service also includes the Downtown Memphis Commission as a major supporter. Groove serves Downtown, the Medical District, New Chicago, and President's Island. Groove operates using software from Via Transportation.
Ready! by MATA is an on-demand service launched in August 2021. It is a one-year pilot program that was implemented as a part of Transit Vision. Ready! serves three zones. Zone 1 covers the neighborhoods of Boxtown, Westwood, and Whitehaven. Zone 2 consists of Northaven and Frayser. Zone 3 is mostly in Cordova. Reservations works similarly to ride hailing services, but payments can be made through the GO901 app or in-person with cash. Fares are the same as fixed route buses. Ready! operates Monday-Saturday, 6am-7pm.
In October 2023, Groove served 11,105 riders. Ready! served 5,343 riders in SW Memphis, 2,248 in Northaven/Frayser, and 591 in Cordova.

## Fares

MATA charges a flat fare for all trips. Since June 20, 2020, the full fare is $1 and the senior/disabled fare is $0.50. MATA also offers a Daily Fast Pass for $2 ($1 for seniors and disabled individuals), but hasn't offered 7-day or 31-day passes since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Up to three kids under 5 can board for free with fare-paying rider.
In September 2020 MATA launched GO901, a mobile fare app that allows users to purchase fares and day passes using debit and credit cards. In conjunction with the app, MATA started offering free WiFi on vehicles starting in December 2019.
On August 21, 2023 MATA launched the GO901 Smart Card, which are able to be refilled on the app or at kiosks and service counters at MATA's transit centers. The Smart Card only supports pay-as-you-go payment and can be set up to automatically refill itself.

## Facilities

MATA administrative offices are on the 12th floor of One Commerce Square. In 2023, more space was leased for staff working on capital projects. The Trolley Operations and Maintenance facility is located at 547 North Main Street. The operations center and road vehicle maintenance facility are located at 1370 Levee Road. The facility was opened in 1981 and is located on top of an old garbage dump.
MATA owns three transit centers, two of which have parking, and one park-and-ride lot. MATA also designates several malls as informal park-and-ride lots on its map.
| Name | Location | Coordinates | Notes |
| William Hudson Transit Center | 444 North Main Street | 35°09′23.5″N 90°02′52″W﻿ / ﻿35.156528°N 90.04778°W﻿ / 35.156528; -90.04778 | Serves as the chief hub of the system and main transfer point for all downtown routes. Formerly known as the North End Terminal. |
| Central Station | 545 South Main Street | 35°7′56″N 90°3′33″W﻿ / ﻿35.13222°N 90.05917°W﻿ / 35.13222; -90.05917 | Serves as a southern transfer point for routes 12, Riverfront Loop Trolley, and the Main Street Trolley as well as the connection point for Amtrak in Memphis. |
| American Way Transit Center | 3921 American Way | 35°04′33.7″N 89°55′58.7″W﻿ / ﻿35.076028°N 89.932972°W﻿ / 35.076028; -89.932972 | Serves as a suburban transfer location for routes: 7,8,16,30,36,37, and 69. |
| Airways Transit Center | 3033 Airways Boulevard | 35°3′42″N 89°59′33″W﻿ / ﻿35.06167°N 89.99250°W﻿ / 35.06167; -89.99250 | Serves a southern transfer point for routes: 4,12,16,28,30,32, as well as Greyhound, Jefferson Lines, and Megabus. |
| Madison Park-and-Ride Lot | Madison Avenue at Claybrook Street | 35°8′21.5″N 90°1′3″W﻿ / ﻿35.139306°N 90.01750°W﻿ / 35.139306; -90.01750 | Serves the nearby routes 2 and 42, and the Madison Avenue Line. |

## Fixed route ridership

The ridership statistics shown here are of bus and streetcar fixed route services only and do not include demand response services.