MATA Receives $394K Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation
March 17, 2020
The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) received notification recently from the U.S. Department of Transportation that it is the recipient of a $394K integrated Mobility Innovation (IMI) grant to deliver on-demand micro transit services.
The new service is expected to be implemented this fall for customers living in the Boxtown and Westwood neighborhoods These two communities were identified by prior transit studies -- including the Memphis 3.0 Transit Vision -- as ideal for on-demand services in order to provide first and last-mile connections to fixed route service due to declining ridership. With an on-demand service, passengers would schedule their trips via an app or by contacting the MATA Call Center to schedule a non-fixed route transit vehicle to transport them to a fixed-route connection.
“The future of public transportation is evolving,” says Gary Rosenfeld, Chief Executive Officer for MATA. “On-demand transportation services are being launched nationwide with a goal of improving mobility in order to help people connect and travel to where they need to go.”
When the on-demand service launches later this year, MATA expects to utilize four new passenger vans and install new bus shelters in Boxtown and Westwood. Additional information about the service will be conveyed to customers prior to its start.
For more information about the award, please click this link: https://grants.ost.dot.gov/public/ViewMessage.cfm?MsgID=yi82lb5zo8.
About MATA
The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is the public transportation provider for the Memphis area. As one of the largest transit operators in the state of Tennessee, MATA transports customers in the City of Memphis and parts of Shelby County on fixed-route buses, paratransit vehicles and vintage rail trolleys. For more information, visit www.matatransit.com.
The new service is expected to be implemented this fall for customers living in the Boxtown and Westwood neighborhoods These two communities were identified by prior transit studies -- including the Memphis 3.0 Transit Vision -- as ideal for on-demand services in order to provide first and last-mile connections to fixed route service due to declining ridership. With an on-demand service, passengers would schedule their trips via an app or by contacting the MATA Call Center to schedule a non-fixed route transit vehicle to transport them to a fixed-route connection.
“The future of public transportation is evolving,” says Gary Rosenfeld, Chief Executive Officer for MATA. “On-demand transportation services are being launched nationwide with a goal of improving mobility in order to help people connect and travel to where they need to go.”
When the on-demand service launches later this year, MATA expects to utilize four new passenger vans and install new bus shelters in Boxtown and Westwood. Additional information about the service will be conveyed to customers prior to its start.
For more information about the award, please click this link: https://grants.ost.dot.gov/public/ViewMessage.cfm?MsgID=yi82lb5zo8.
About MATA
The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is the public transportation provider for the Memphis area. As one of the largest transit operators in the state of Tennessee, MATA transports customers in the City of Memphis and parts of Shelby County on fixed-route buses, paratransit vehicles and vintage rail trolleys. For more information, visit www.matatransit.com.
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Contact:
Nicole Lacey, Chief Communications Officer
(901) 722-7156
