The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) has set an all-time record for trolley ridership for fiscal year 2013, with a 6.1 percent increase over last year’s record total.
During the 2013 fiscal year, from July 2012 through June 2013, 1,466,917 people rode the MATA trolley, a sizeable increase from last year’s record of 1,382,951 riders. MATA reported year-over-year increases for nine out of 12 months in fiscal 2013, including more than 10 percent increases in July, August, October and November.
“We are very glad to see that in its 20 year history, the trolley has become an important part of the Downtown Memphis experience,” said William Hudson, president and general manager of MATA. “It has proven valuable for tourists and locals alike. Whether traveling to work, to visit various historical landmarks, or just to grab a bite, people are taking advantage of this wonderful resource.”
Monthly ridership records were set for eight of the 12 months, including May 2013, which was the largest passenger month ever for the trolley with 184,365 passengers.
In addition to the trolley, fixed route and MATAplus buses also saw an increase in ridership. More than 8,670,000 people rode the fixed route buses, a 3.3 percent increase from the 2012 fiscal year, while approximately 250,000 people utilized the MATAplus bus service, up 2.1 percent. Hudson attributes the increases to adjusted routes.
“We have made solid efforts to increase the efficiency of our routes, adjusting them to better meet the needs of the Memphis public. These increases show us that we have made progress, and help to demonstrate not only the vitality of our program, but the importance of MATA in our city.”
MATA is reporting an increase of 3.6 percent across all models for fiscal year 2013.
