April 10, 2017

The Memphis Bus Riders Union is an organization that advocates for better transportation services for lower-income residents in the city. Since its launching on Feb. 18, 2012, the organization has led on-going efforts to raise awareness about current economic and transportation issues facing these lower-income residents, many who often depend on minimum-wage jobs to provide for their families and also rely on the public transportation system to get to work.

Leading the organization in these efforts is community advocate Cynthia Bailey. As Co-Chair of the organization, Bailey has played a key role by helping organize events to raise awareness about injustices facing the community. One of her recent endeavors was partnering with Fight for $15, an organization that advocates for $15 state minimum wage, for a march held downtown during the 49th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr’s assassination.

Not only did the march serve to pay tribute to the fallen Civil Rights leader, it was also a part of a local advocacy campaign to raise the minimum wage amount from $7.25 to $15 in the state of Tennessee.

“I totally disagree with the minimum wage amount [of $7.25],” Bailey said. “It’s not a survivor’s amount for people and their families. Other states are granted this request and Memphis should have the same.”

In the past year, states like California and New York have passed bills to raise state minimum wages. These states have implemented plans to gradually increase state minimum wage, until a set wage at $15 is reached in the upcoming years.

This change for California and New York is what advocates in Memphis are fighting for. Joining the cause is Sammie Hunter, 53, who also serves as Co-Chair of the Memphis Bus Riders Union. Hunter also advocates with the Memphis chapter of the Amalgamated Transit Union.

“I don’t think lower-income Memphians get paid a fair wage because it is below the poverty level,” Hunter said. “Its $7.25. If you’re a man with a family, that’s not even enough to pay bills.”

Bailey says that the changes made for California and New York should be brought to Tennessee.

“It’s only fair to make it equal with other cities,” she said. “We’re [Memphis] behind 10 years [compared to other states] and need to keep on advocating. We work closely with Fight for $15 to advocate justice.”

With both Baily and Hunter serving as leaders of the organization, both leaders as well as other members have continued efforts to also bring awareness to the budget cuts and terminated bus routes by Memphis Area Transit Authority.

The organization has conducted on-going research to figure out how public funding is being handled by city and state officials. In a 2015 research report published by the organization, a total of 10,207, 600 paid fares were recorded by MATA for both trolleys and inner-city buses. Out of this number, 1, 468,000 fares were trolley fares, and this made up for roughly 14 percent of the total paid fares for that year.

Furthermore, the research found that roughly 85 percent of the $13,250,000 budget designated for both MATA inner-city buses and trolleys, was used to purchase new downtown trolleys instead of new buses for inner-city residents.

Bailey says that this decision prevented pressing issues with public transportation from being resolved.

“They [city officials] are misusing funds towards things that don’t coincide with federal funding,” Bailey said. “MATA gets federal funds and its being misused to bring back the trolleys. That’s not one of the main issues and they are taking away from the inner-city buses.”

Hunter says that this decision comes as a setback for lower-income riders.

“You have a lot of high class people that are holding the lower-income people back,” he said. “These bus riders are people who want better transportation, and want to make a better life for themselves.”

Bailey says that the impact of the misuse of funding for the transportation system affects potential job opportunities for these bus riders.

“We have companies that want to come here but they later decide not to because there isn’t good public transportation here,” she said.

A more recent bus route that was terminated by MATA is the 31 Crosstown bus route in 2013. According to Bailey, this route was a major source of transportation for a large number of residents in North and South Memphis.

A petition published by the organization, requesting for the return of the route, stated that the 31 Crosstown was a major bus route in the metro area, and served lower-income families in the Riverside, Soulsville, Crosstown, Smokey City, New Chicago and Scutterfield neighborhoods.

The termination of the route in 2013 caused lack of transportation access for many residents living in these areas, many who came from households without a vehicle.

“The Memphis City Council said they cut routes due to lack of ridership count, but there were at least 2,500 people who rode this bus route every day,” Bailey said.

Also, the shutdown of this route was very personal for Bailey, who rode the route herself and depended on it to take her son to school.

“I’ve been riding for 25 years, so I know the system very well,” she said.

With the ongoing efforts to reverse the decisions made by city officials, Hunter said what he believes is a solution to these current issues.

“It’s a struggle here [in Memphis],” Hunter said. “They city needs to advance… The city has a lot of potential, but there are things we have to get in place…The city’s officials are the ones that have to make things better for people who want to do better; to have things,” he said.

With the current state of the bus system and the minimum wage amount in the city, Bailey says she doesn’t plan on slowing down her advocacy any time soon.

The organization has demonstrated continuous outreach by passing out flyers, interviewing residents affected by MATA’s route terminations, and has also met with city officials and MATA’s administration, among other efforts.

“We’ve talked to News Channel 3,” Bailey said. “We’ve talked to News Channel 5. We’ve also went to Nashville to advocate…I take this very passionately and seriously… I will fight to the extreme for human rights to make people more comfortable with their transportation.”