From job access to public health and safety to economic well-being, a reliable public transit system offers countless benefits for families. But what would make public transit in Memphis adequate for residents? While many policy decision-makers look at factors such as ridership to determine a public transit system's success, many researchers argue that reliability comes down to frequency and connectivity.
High frequency means shorter wait times for riders and convenient access to connections to other transit lines. For sprawling cities like Memphis, connectivity is also crucial for reliability, as it allows all riders safe access from bus stops to sidewalks, bike lanes, wheelchair-accessible ramps, and other modes of transportation within the city’s transit network. It also impacts a child’s ability to safely access quality schools and related amenities such as afterschool and summer programming, which can be crucial to their educational achievement. Frequency and connectivity measures make for the perfect cocktail to maximize ridership potential among public transit systems.
As I mentioned earlier, MATA has made considerable improvements over the last six months, given its strained budget. There is still much room for improvement, however. Despite the considerable fiscal obstacles, Memphis and other cities now have an opportunity to strengthen their public transit systems. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) recently urged Congress to invest $268 billion over the next five years for transportation and passenger rail services improvements. Even a portion of this would be transformational in improving frequency and connectivity of public transportation in Memphis.
It’s time to put Memphis back on the good side of the map by prioritizing our economic growth. We talk a lot about the need to invest in children and families: early childhood education programs that contribute to third grade literacy, better health outcomes, aligned postsecondary education and workforce pathways, and so much more. But it all begins with fixing our transportation system. Without physical mobility, we will never achieve economic mobility.
