35-633: The Riverfront Loop is a line of the Memphis Area Transit Authority trolley system . It began operation in 1997, as the second line in the system. It runs for 4.1 mi (6.6 km) through downtown Memphis and along the Mississippi riverfront, with 18 stops along the way. It is the longest of the system's three lines, though it is concurrent with the Main Street Line for about half of its length. Part of
70-563: 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
105-584: A "super bus" specification in the early 1970s for a higher-capacity bus. A pooled purchase was intended to reduce per-unit development costs. Two European-built articulated buses were tested by AC Transit and Seattle Metro in the summer of 1974: one based on the Volvo B58 chassis, and the MAN SG 192 [ de ] . Riders received the MAN bus favorably, and the specification was released for bid in 1975;
140-567: 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
175-526: A time. 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
210-641: A wheelchair ramp. Model Madison Ave, Cooper St, Southern Ave, Mount Moriah Rd, Knight Arnold Rd Brooks Rd, Democrat Rd, American Way, Getwell Rd, Swinnea Rd, Shelby Dr, Riverdale Rd Brooks Rd, Democrat Rd, American Way, Getwell Rd, Arnold Rd, Tchulahoma Rd, Holmes Rd, Hickory Hill Rd, Kirby Pkwy Vance Ave, Lamar Ave, Kimball Ave, Getwell Rd, American Way, Perkins Rd, Winchester Rd Vance Ave, Lamar Ave, Knight Arnold Rd, Getwell Rd, American Way, Perkins Rd, Winchester Rd Third St , Brooks Rd, Horn Lake Rd, Holmes Rd, Levi Rd Third St, Weaver St, Holmes Rd operation (Exeter/ Wolfchase) Initially opened in 1993,
245-622: 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. In December 1960,
280-651: 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
315-624: 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
350-723: 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
385-552: The IC tracks in front of Central Station, and turns back onto South Main Street. between North End Terminal and Central Station counterclockwise Note: Trolley service on the Riverfront Loop is temporarily suspended indefinitely; route is on detour using transit buses. Memphis Area Transit Authority The Memphis Area Transit Authority ( MATA ) is the public transportation provider for Memphis, Tennessee . It
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#1732797686102420-745: 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
455-712: 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
490-595: The United States formed a pooled purchase consortium and awarded the bid to the AM General/MAN joint venture (the sole bidder) for over two hundred buses. By March 15, 1982, 511 articulated buses from all manufacturers had been delivered in the United States; of these buses delivered, 399 were MAN/AM General buses. Orders had been placed for an additional 692 articulated buses; of those pending orders, 557 were MAN buses. Although operating experience with
525-772: The United States: MAN SG 220 The MAN SG 220 was a VöV-Standard articulated bus designed and manufactured by Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg (MAN) in Germany between 1978 and 1983, available with two, three, or four doors in two different lengths. The bus was also exported to different countries, built locally in France, Slovenia, Turkey, and the United States. In the American market, in order to meet Urban Mass Transportation Administration "Buy America" requirements for federally-subsidized vehicles,
560-565: 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. MATA administrative offices are on the 12th floor of One Commerce Square . In 2023, more space
595-459: 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
630-632: The delivery of the Seattle Metro buses, and MAN opened a manufacturing plant in Cleveland, North Carolina in October 1981, with an anticipated capacity of 400 buses per year. MAN withdrew from the US transit bus market in 1988 after an order of 40-ft buses for Chicago was blocked by an injunction. The Cleveland plant was sold in 1989 to Daimler subsidiary Freightliner Trucks . Several operators in
665-450: 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
700-594: The initial set of vehicles were shipped as driveable shells and finished in the United States by AM General in Texas until 1979. After the joint venture with AM General ended, MAN opened its own assembly plant in Cleveland, North Carolina to produce the SG 220 and its closely related derivative SG 310 (starting in 1981) until it abruptly withdrew from the United States transit bus market in 1988. The full model number describes
735-592: The line offers panoramic views of the Mississippi River from atop to the Chickasaw Bluffs . Trolley service on this line has been suspended since June 2014, after two trolley cars caught fire within a span of about six months. Buses have been serving the Riverfront Loop since then, but MATA plans to restore trolley operation to the line eventually. In September 2021, MATA was predicting that the line would reopen in late 2022, but as of December 2022
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#1732797686102770-530: The middle axle driven. The SG 220 and 310 were equipped with a MAN D2566 MLUM/US inline-6 turbodiesel engine, rated at 305 hp (227 kW). The AC Transit District serving Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area began using an over-the-road articulated coach in Transbay service in 1966; subsequently, AC Transit was one of six transit districts to develop
805-792: 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. 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,
840-422: The pooled purchase consortium, which by then had grown to encompass ten transit districts, awarded the order to AM General in August 1976. Deliveries of the AM General/MAN joint venture SG 220 articulated buses began in 1978. Buses were shipped from Germany as "driveable shells" and finished by AM General according to customer specifications. AM General terminated the joint venture agreement, taking effect after
875-647: The service remained suspended, with no predicted date for the planned reopening. As the line functions as a "loop" it does not have any termini. Running counterclockwise, from Amtrak 's Central Station in the South Main Arts District , it runs north along the eastern track of the Main Street Line. After following this line for 1.8 mi (2.9 km), it splits off to the west just past A.W. Willis Avenue (formerly Auction Avenue). Passing over Front Street, it turns south and switches onto
910-480: 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
945-442: 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
980-399: 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
1015-471: The type, generation, length, and number of doors: Hence a SG 220-18-3 is an articulated bus 18 m (59 ft) long with three doors. Potential door locations are (from the front proceeding to the back): In the United States, the number of doors was limited to two or three, corresponding to locations 1-x-3-x or 1-2-3-x. The SG 310 was offered with two doors, in locations 1-x-3-x. Both the SG 220 and 310 were high-floor "puller" type articulated buses, with
1050-619: The western Illinois Central (IC) track toward the Pyramid Arena . The loop goes under the Interstate 40 bridge, emerging in front of the Cook Convention Center along the waterfront. Continuing along the IC tracks, it follows the riverfront until the tracks overlay Tennessee Street. Here, the loop continues along Tennessee eventually turning east onto GE Patterson Avenue. The loop is completed when it travels under
1085-543: 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
Riverfront Loop - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-626: 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
1155-813: 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
1190-878: 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. MATA charges
1225-632: 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. The ridership statistics shown here are of bus and streetcar fixed route services only and do not include demand response services. Other transit in
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