What Riders Need to Know

MATA is making service updates this spring to improve reliability, reduce delays, and better serve riders across the system.

Our Goal: More Reliable Service

More Buses on the Road

• 12 new fixed-route buses arriving in 2026
  • First 4 buses scheduled to arrive in June
• 12 more buses coming in 2027
• 15 new paratransit buses already in service

More buses = fewer missed trips and less crowding.

More Service on Busy Routes

Additional buses are being added to high-ridership routes like:

• Route 50 – Poplar
• Route 42 – Crosstown

This helps reduce overcrowding and improves reliability.

Route Changes

Route 2 – Madison

Will now run as one continuous route from William Hudson Transit Center through the University of Memphis to Knight Arnold.

Route 19 – Vollintine

Will now run as one continuous route from William Hudson Transit Center to Wolfchase Galleria.

Route 69 – Winchester

Will now use Weaver Road instead of part of West Raines to help avoid train delays.

Route 8–Chelsea & Highland

A temporary detour due to narrow lanes is now becoming permanent.

 

Schedule Updates

Some routes will have:

• Earlier ending times on select routes
• Extended service on select routes
• Updated weekday, Saturday, and Sunday schedules

These updates affect less than 1.5% of weekday riders and are designed to improve reliability and allow more time for bus maintenance.

Bus frequency on select routes will be adjusted, with some routes seeing shorter wait times and others slightly longer wait times, to improve service consistency and provide more reliable trips for riders.

On-Demand Service Options

Groove On-Demand

Fast, affordable rides in:
Downtown, Medical District, South City, and New Chicago

• Daily: 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
• $1.25 per ride

Ready! Service Updates

READY! On Demand (Cordova Zone)

Service will now operate on an abbreviated schedule:

Monday – Friday
7:00 AM – 11:00 AM
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Saturday
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

MATAplus Improvements

You can now book trips using the READY! MATA Plus App

Benefits of the App:

• Schedule trips quickly and conveniently
• View and manage upcoming ride reservations
• Receive real-time updates and trip confirmations
• Access your ride history

Download the app on the App Store or Google Play.

Riders may also continue booking through the reservation line.

 

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