The fight to keep Memphis public transportation afloat is intensifying, with a group known as the Moral Budget Coalition calling on the City of Memphis to provide a $20 million emergency lifeline for the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA). Citing the impacts on service cuts and employee layoffs, the coalition warns of serious repercussions for the residents who rely on these services. According to a statement obtained by Memphis Flyer, these cuts could hit "tens of thousands of Memphians," particularly hard in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

Without intervention, MATA is set to discharge more than 200 employees and eliminate several bus routes, which, as Rickey Epps, a daily rider told Action News 5, could result in him losing his job since Route 8 is his only means of getting to work. The group's call for increased funding stems from concerns that these cuts not only affect residents' daily lives but potentially jeopardize federal funds tied to the city's budget for the transit system.

At the center of the group's arguments is the integral role public transit plays in maintaining the city's economic, health, and educational well-being. Cardell Orrin from Stand for Children Tennessee emphasized this position to WREG, explaining that a weakened transit system could exacerbate public safety issues and economic mobility challenges.

The Moral Budget Coalition has proposed several measures to raise funds, such as a slight increase in property tax, reallocating part of the city's rainy-day fund, and upping vehicle registration fees. At a public meeting, ideas for additional revenue sources were presented, like taxing airplane passengers and real estate transactions, as one attendee suggested. Nevertheless, as interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin highlighted during a board meeting and reported by Memphis Flyer, MATA's financial troubles have been exacerbated post-pandemic, as CARES Act funds have dried up.

With the fiscal year 2025 budget allocation from the Memphis City Council standing at $30 million, there seems some awareness at the city level of MATA's concerns. Yet, with the agency's dependence on federal, state, and local funds—95 percent of its budget—supplementing the remaining operational costs is proving to be an uphill battle. This situation rings especially critical considering the agency's recent collective bargaining agreement for union members, adding to their financial pressures. With time running short, the Moral Budget Coalition continues to push for urgent action to save MATA from the brink, not merely for the sake of public transportation, but for the collective welfare of the Memphis community.