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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 , the system had a ridership of .

In December 1960, the stakeholders of the privately owned Memphis Transit Co (MTC), successor to the Memphis Street Railway Co, 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. Despite the fleet improvements and increased service, ridership began to decline.

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.

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.

RouteTerminalsMajor streetsNotes1 UnionHudson Transit CenterWalnut Grove Rd and Racine StUnion Ave, Poplar Ave, Walnut Grove RdThe route serves the Binghampton portion of route 53.2 MadisonUniversity of MemphisMadison Ave, Cooper St, Southern AveThe U of M branch replaces route 35 on Southern. Knight Arnold Rd and Ridgeway Blvd(Mount Moriah Service)
Madison Ave, Cooper St, Southern Ave, Mount Moriah Rd, Knight Arnold RdNo weekend service, replacing route 21. 4 WalkerAirways Transit Center Vance Ave, Lauderdale St, South Pkwy7 Shelby & HolmesAirways Transit CenterShelby Dr and Kirby ParkwayGetwell Rd, Shelby Dr, East Holmes RdService from Watkins St and Hudson Transit Center weekday mornings only8 Chelsea & HighlandHudson Transit CenterAirways Transit CenterChelsea Ave, National St, Highland StHighland branch and National branch combined spring 2022, improving headway on Highland branch.11 FrayserYale Rd and Austin Peay HwyThomas St, Frayser Blvd, Yale RdServes the Amazon Facility on New Allen Rd.12 MalloryAirways Transit CenterFlorida St, South Pkwy, Mallory AveNo Sunday/ Holiday Service. Serves the Airways Transit Center, replacing route 4 Walker/Alcy.16 Southeast CirculatorAmerican Way Transit CenterAirways Transit CenterMendenhall Rd, Perkins Rd, Winchester RdReplaces routes 22 and 26.19 VollintineHudson Transit CenterSummer Ave and Mendenhall RdVollintine Ave, Hollywood St, Macon RdNo Sunday/Holiday Service. The Wolfchase branch replaces route 44Wolfchase Galleria MallVollintine Ave, Hollywood St, Macon Rd, Covington Pike, Raleigh LaGrange Rd, Germantown Pkwy28 AirportIRSI 240, Nonconnah Blvd, Winchester Rd, Tchulahoma RdReplaces routes 28, 64, 99, and 280. The route ends at Memphis Int'l Airport on Sundays30 BrooksThird 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(Holmes Branch)
Brooks Rd, Democrat Rd, American Way, Getwell Rd, Arnold Rd, Tchulahoma Rd, Holmes Rd, Hickory Hill Rd, Kirby Pkwy32 Hollywood & Hawkins MillAirways Transit CenterFrayser PlazaAirways Blvd, East Pkwy, N Hollywood St, Range Line Rd, N Watkins StServes the Airways Transit Center. Hawkins Mill branch replaces route 18.34 Central & Walnut GroveHudson Transit CenterHumphreys Blvd and Walnut Grove RdVance Ave, Lamar Ave, Central Ave, Highland St, Walnut Grove Rd, Humphreys BlvdNo Sunday/Holiday Service. Replaces route 5 on Central Ave. Serves Baptist Hospital36 LamarCentennial Dr and Hacks Cross Rd(Kimball Branch)
Vance Ave, Lamar Ave, Kimball Ave, Getwell Rd, American Way, Perkins Rd, Winchester Rd36A branch serves Kimball Ave, replacing route 56. 36B branch serves Knight Arnold(Knight Arnold Branch)
Vance Ave, Lamar Ave, Knight Arnold Rd, Getwell Rd, American Way, Perkins Rd, Winchester Rd37 PerkinsAmerican Way Transit CenterYale Rd and Austin Peay HwyGetwell Rd, New Willow Rd, Perkins Rd, Waring Rd, Covington Pike, Raleigh LaGrange RdNo Sunday Service. Serves American Way Transit Center39 South ThirdHudson Transit CenterJonetta St and Holmes Rd (Horn Lake branch)
Third St, Brooks Rd, Horn Lake Rd, Holmes Rd, Levi RdThe Horn Lake branch replaces the southern portion of route 12. Holmes Rd and Third St(Weaver and 3rd branch)
Third St, Weaver St, Holmes Rd40 Stage LauderdaleAlice Ave and Benton StFletcher Trace Pkwy and Stage RdS Fourth St, Lauderdale St, N Second St, Thomas St, Stage Rd, James Rd, Berryhill Rd Merged with route 13 42 CrosstownFrayser PlazaHolmes Rd and Hudgins RdFrayser Blvd, N Watkins St, Cleveland Ave, Bellevue Blvd, Elvis Presley Blvd, Shelby Dr, Airways Blvd, Holmes Rd50 PoplarHudson Transit CenterExeter Rd and Poplar AvePoplar Ave, Central Ave, Farmington Blvd52 JacksonMethodist Hospital NorthJackson Ave, Austin Peay Hwy53 SummerSouthwest Tennessee Community CollegeNorth Pkwy, Summer Ave, Sycamore View Rd57 ParkPrimacy Pkwy and Ridgeway RdMcLemore Ave, Park Ave, Ridgeway RdNew routing replaces route 17 on McLemore and Route 35 on South Parkway between Bellevue and Lamar69 WinchesterAmerican Way Transit CenterLevi Rd and OakshireGoodlett Rd, Winchester Rd, Millbranch Rd, Shelby Dr, Neely Rd, Raines RdNo Sunday/ Holiday service. New routing extends through the Boxtown and Westwood neighborhoods

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. Currently, MATA offers trolley line services seven days a week. The Main Street Line operates trolleys with 12 minute headways throughout the day. The Riverfront Line and Madison Line operate buses with 40 minute and 30 minute headways respectively. MATA has 5 operable trolleys, but only 4 are operated at a time. LineOpenedStationsLengthTermini█Main Street Line1993132.0 mile (3 km)Butler Avenue – North End Terminal█Riverfront Loop1997194.1 mile (7 km)none█Madison Avenue Line200462.2 mile (4 km)Third Street – Cleveland Station

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.

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. 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.

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