MEMPHIS, Tennessee, November 27, 2013 – The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is making changes to 11 different fixed routes, adjusting times to better reflect traffic conditions. All of the changes take effect on Sunday, December 1 and are based on rider and operator observations and requests.
The December 1 changes come on the heels of the major route adjustments and new routes added in late September.
“The major route adjustments made in September have been generally well received as our riders better understand the flow and begin to experience some of the time savings that are possible,” said Tom Fox, Deputy General Manager for MATA. “In the time since the changes in September, we have listened to many customers and are making these adjustments to reflect their concerns and suggestions. Covering ever-changing customer needs requires us to be flexible to change and improvement to meet those needs, and these changes are an example of that.”
MATA expects the changes to require an additional $100,000 annual operating cost, but that those additional costs will be made up before the end of the fiscal year through other cost saving measures.
Two routes will have additional trips added to service early morning riders: 7 Air Park and 20 Bellevue.
The newly launched 42 and 46 which are making a big impact on service will see various schedule adjustments, frequency increases, or stop additions.
The 57 Park will now go to Lamar and Bellevue, while the 13 Lauderdale will extend to the North End Terminal, both changes that were highly requested by riders.
In total, the service changes that will begin on December 1 will be:
7 Air Park – Add one outbound trip in the am peak beginning approximately 5:00 a.m. The trip will begin at Lamar and Bellevue.
11 Thomas – Route change for Weekday Nights and Sunday. Outbound from the North End Terminal (NET): right on A.W. Willis, left on Thomas, left on Pear, right on North Second/Whitney, left on Dellwood, left on Steele to end of the line at Steele and Corning. Inbound: right on Corning, right on Watkins, right on Frayser, left on Steele, right on Dellwood, right on Whitney/N. Second, left on Pear, right on Thomas, right on A.W. Willis, left on Second, right on Shadyac into NET.
13 Lauderdale – Route change for Weekday and Saturday. Inbound: regular route from Alice & Laramie to Central Station and then right on Front, and right A.W. Willis to the NET. Outbound: left on Shadyac, right on Third, right on Jackson, left on Front to Central Station; leaving Central Station, right on Front, right on G.E. Patterson and continue regular route to the end of the line.
20 Bellevue – Add one inbound trip to downtown in the am peak period beginning approximately 5:00 a.m.
36 Hacks Cross – Route change for Weekday and Saturday. Outbound: Regular route from NET to Union & Pauline, right on Pauline, left on Crump/Lamar and continue regular route to the end of the line at Hack Cross. Inbound: regular route from Hacks Cross to Lamar, right on Somerville/Linden, right on Pauline, and continue regular route to the NET.
39 South Third – Adjust schedule times at timepoints on Western Park branch on Weekday and Saturday.
42 Crosstown – Adjust schedule times to add four minutes to run time of each trip. Slight increase in frequency. Eliminate am and pm peak period trips serving Job Corps Center. See route 46-Whitehaven for replacement service.
46 Whitehaven – Name changed from 46-Whitehaven Flyer. Route change for Weekday. Serve all stops along the route instead of only selected stops and serve the Jobs Corps Center in Whitehaven. Inbound: Job Corps Center at McAlister, left on Millbranch, right on Winfield, right on Elvis Presley/Bellevue and continue regular route to NET. Outbound: regular route to Millbranch & Winfield, straight on Millbranch, and right on McAlister to Job Corps Center.
52 Jackson – Route change for Weekday, Saturday and Sunday. Outbound: regular route from NET to Austin Peay, right on Covington Pike to end of the line at Wal-Mart. Inbound: from Covington Pike, right on Yale, left on Austin Peay, and continue regular route to the NET.
53 Summer – Route change for Weekday and Saturday. On trips that serve Binghampton, the loop will operate the same as Night and Sunday loop. Outbound: regular route from NET to Tillman, right on Tillman, left on Johnson, left on Holmes, right on Summer, and continue regular route to the end of the line. Inbound: regular route from the end of the line to Summer & Holmes, left on Holmes, right on Johnson, right on Tillman, left on Summer and continue regular route to the NET.
57 Park – Route change for Weekday, Saturday and Sunday. Inbound: from the end of the line (St. Francis or Kirby Road), regular route to Lamar, right on Lamar, left on Harbert, right on Bellevue, right on McLemore, regular route to the end of the line. Outbound: regular route from Benford & Davant to McLemore & Bellevue, left on Bellevue, right on Lamar, and continue regular route to the end of the line (Saint Francis or Kirby Road).
