Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH) Transportation Equity Issue Critical to an Equitable Economy for All By Leo Arnoult, Memphis Catholics for Social Justice
Every resident, every taxpayer in Shelby County, would benefit from having accessible transportation for all. Before COVID 19, and hopefully again in the near future, those of us with the good fortune to own one or more vehicles, could freely move about going to work, keeping a doctor appointment, picking up essential prescriptions, buying groceries, or attending some form of entertainment. For those without a vehicle, up to 40% of households in some parts of the county (see attached map for areas that are 10%+), such activities are more challenging, if not totally inaccessible, with our current MATA public transit system. Long waits between scheduled buses, limited hours, no bus runs for late night/early morning shift workers and even more limited coverage on the weekends, deny access every day to all who rely on the bus for their transportation. With an equitable transit system, all of us could reduce our dependence on air polluting, fossil fuel burning automobiles by taking an environment friendly bus to work, to religious services, to our many entertainment and family recreation and cultural venues.
The dependence on having a personal vehicle contributes mightily to air pollution, not to mention the high cost of buying and maintaining a vehicle. It is a huge burden that is insurmountable for many, of the one third of our community, who are living at the poverty level. Ironically, many of those low income families are in that situation because there is no reliable transportation to get them to and from better paying jobs. Frequently, these jobs are an hour and a half to two hours bus ride away from their residence. For Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope, MICAH, equity means fair access to the resources needed to live your life and transportation is essential to an equitable existence.
That is why MICAH’s Economic Equity Task Force has spent over a year fighting for funding Memphis Transit Vision 3.0. The Memphis Area Transit Authority and the City of Memphis have engaged residents with designing a more equitable transit system which will address the transportation deserts that keep many of our low income residents effectively disconnected from better paying jobs. If accessible through a higher frequency transit system, the higher pay jobs would help these fellow Shelby Countians rise out of poverty. Transit Vision 3.0 would increase the frequency of many routes to better paying jobs, allow people to access locations in a timely manner keeping doctor appointments and other time sensitive appointments and engagements those of us with vehicles take for granted. Such public transit access will make Memphis and Shelby County a more prosperous community for all. In providing this more equitable access to transportation, poverty will be reduced and those former low income families will be able to flourish and be full partners and taxpayers working together for the common good.
Memphis Transit Vision 3.0 requires an increase in annual operating and capital funding of approximately $30 million over the current total, most of which comes from the City of Memphis, Federal grants passing through the state of Tennessee and ridership revenues. MICAH has successfully championed Shelby County Government’s voting this May for an initial $2.5 million to come from its capital improvements budget this current fiscal year. MICAH has met individually, over the past year with each County Commissioner and this resulted in a 9 to 4 vote in favor of MATA funding. This funding will among other things, provide for a new on demand Uber style pick up for residents in low ridership areas to have MATA pick them up and connect them with higher frequency ridership routes.
This victory for all of Memphis and Shelby County, has set a precedent and MICAH will continue to ask Shelby County government to become a full funding partner with the City of Memphis. As soon as possible, the County must provide an ever increasing amount of MATA funding, along with increased City funding, until they are together, providing $30 million in additional dollars annually to sustainably fund Memphis Transit Vision 3.0.
Hopefully, in the months ahead, jobs will return; good paying jobs, that will necessitate a more accessible and equitable public transit system. This is a critical success factor for workforce development to allow our business community to flourish along with our citizens. This COVID 19 Crisis provides a special opportunity, for all of us, to take a fresh look at how our community can work for the benefit of all of its citizens. MATA can be a net revenue enhancer, not net revenue loser as access to better paying jobs reduces reliance on welfare. An equitable transit system will undoubtedly have a leavening effect on the economy and help expand the economic pie that drives all of our well-being.
COVID 19 has put added pressure on city, county and state funding. We recognize that MATA has benefited from a recent Federal COVID 19 related grant to help mitigate some of the lost revenue related to the Coronavirus Pandemic. However, we cannot lose ground and must prepare for life after the pandemic. Specifically, MICAH urges the Mayor of Memphis, the City Council, the Mayor of the County and County Commissioners to lay the foundation for a more equitable and just public transportation system within the next year.
Encourage both Mayors and your City Councilperson and County Commissioner to support restored and increased MATA funding for the ’22 fiscal year to work toward full funding for Memphis Transit Vision 3.0. Your support for funding is the right and just thing each of us can do to make our community a true city of brotherly and sisterly good abode.
