Murer, Annie2025-08-212025-08-212025https://hdl.handle.net/10267/36868This document was received from the Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies and uploaded to Dlynx by Rosie Meindl during fall 2025.The connections between class mobility and public transportation have become increasingly prevalent in recent years, with once bustling public transit systems across the country dwindling. These connections are clearly present in Memphis, Tennessee, due to its unique geographical layout and public transit system. With one of the least funded public transportation systems for a city of its size, the Memphis Area Transit Authority, or MATA, faces barriers in providing adequate service to its riders. Inter-authority financial issues, coupled with funding issues that MATA faces, also help illustrate why service has diminished in recent years. Without reliable public transportation, issues of systemic poverty, unemployment, and job insecurity compound and proliferate. The real experiences of daily MATA riders display the interactions between class mobility and transportation beyond statistics. The inter-authority financial issues, coupled with the funding issues that MATA faces, also help to understand why service has been diminishing and how it affects bus riders. This research paper aims to display the true nature of the landscape of public transportation in Memphis, Tennessee, and how it affects the lives of Memphians and contributes to greater issues of class immobility.en-USRhodes College owns the rights to the archival digital objects in this collection. Objects are made available for educational use only and may not be used for any non-educational or commercial purpose. Approved educational uses include private research and scholarship, teaching, and student projects. For additional information please contact archives@rhodes.edu. Fees may apply.Public transportation—Tennessee—MemphisTransportation and state—Tennessee—MemphisUrban transportation policy—Social aspects—Tennessee—MemphisPoor—Transportation—Tennessee—MemphisLocal transit—Finance—Tennessee—MemphisText