Why should we care?
SCS’s ability to provide a quality, equitable education is being undercut by high teacher turnover and year-long teaching vacancies, as well as significant maintenance deficiencies within the schools, all of which leads to higher financial, educational, and health costs. A lack of access to wraparound services provided by qualified social workers, psychologists, and nurses inhibits the successful treatment of trauma or Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). Abuse, neglect, and trauma significantly increase the likelihood of suspensions, juvenile criminal behavior, and incarceration. With a median age four years below the national average, Memphis’s population can support economic development, but only if we provide children in our community access to opportunities and support.
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Equipping people of faith and goodwill to organize communities for systemic change through collective action.
Transit Equity Task Force
Our Work
Better Transit for a Better Memphis Coalition (BTBM) was organized by MICAH and the Sierra Club Chickasaw Group in 2024, and holds Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) accountable and fights for adequate funding. Led by daily riders and other community champions, BTBM organizes and advocates for fully funded, accessible, and equitable public transit. This powerful coalition builds on prior victories to bring about greater mobility and economic equity for the working class. This will also substantially reduce Memphis’ tragically high poverty rate. MATA operates with insufficient funding, requiring robust public support to ensure sustainable investment and essential upgrades.
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WITH BTBM, MICAH & SIERRA CLUB’S MOST RECENT VICTORY - STOPPING SERVICE CUTS.
NOW, MORE THAN EVER, MICAH’S FULL SUPPORT IS NEEDED! This past fall we had a major victory persuading Mayor Paul Young to stop drastic service cuts and, in February, the City Council supported the Mayor’s and BTBM’s request for an added $5mm to further postpone these cuts! We continue to urge elected officials to commit to fully funding Transit Vision over the next three years and permanent elevation of funding to commence in the new fiscal year starting in July.
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Read BTBM's case statement from May 2025 below!​
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How We Can Take Action!
Right now, BETTER TRANSIT in the Memphis area is in a critical phase. Your support can make a great impact locally on economic and racial equity, poverty and truly making a BETTER MEMPHIS. Together, we can build on our victory in February, securing $5 million in added City funds that are preventing drastic new service cuts.
Better Transit for a Better Memphis (BTBM), organized by MICAH and Sierra Club Chickasaw Group, is aimed at improving public transportation in Memphis, ensuring that our communities have reliable, affordable, and accessible transit options. Too many people in our city struggle with transportation barriers that limit access to better paying jobs, education, healthcare, and other essential services. A well-funded and efficient transit system connects people to stable employment, job training programs, educational opportunities and cultural events – key factors in breaking Memphis too high poverty and crime rates.
Send a letter to Mayor Young and the City Council persuading them to fund meaningful improvements and hold MATA accountable for making these improvements.
BTBM strongly urges City Council to increase support for MATA Operating Budget - by adding $20 million to the Mayor’s proposed $30 million. This
change would:
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Implement 100% of MATA’s published BUT unfulfilled route schedule (the published schedule should be considered a “contract” with riders). Only 70% was realized this year – causing many bus “no shows”, which are an egregious failure to meet MATA’s contract with riders.
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Restart the steel-wheeled Main St. Trolley – The Trolley had been MATA’s highest ridership route and is
important to stimulate commerce downtown for residents and businesses.
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Provide $10 million to pay vendor outstanding balances and restore MATA’s credibility.
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Reduce MATA’s $40 million Balance Sheet shortfall, which is mainly unpaid pension obligations, that were inaccurately reported earlier as “operational deficits” by the media.
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Demonstrate the City’s commitment to daily riders, the community and to new executive position
candidates as MATA begins its national search for a new CEO, CFO and other key positions.
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Recognize that the City’s contribution to MATA’s operating budget has not kept up with inflation, and the proposed $30m budget for FY26 will in fact be $16.6m below our estimate of $46.6m when inflation is added to the FY2020 budget of $32.7m. Clearly, Memphis has underfunded transit for many years! $45 million will adjust for inflation and $50 million will fund return of the Steel-wheel Trolleys. (See the US Transportation inflation adjustment calculator here!)