In February, Bacarra Mauldin became the Interim CEO of the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA). Previously, she had served as its Deputy Chief Executive Officer. When Mauldin took office, MATA faced a multimillion-dollar deficit, which prompted layoffs and cuts to bus routes.
Now, Mauldin says, with the addition of a new MATA board, they have “put a pause on” cutting routes and layoffs.
Mauldin reports that MATA will do some limited hiring to maintain and ensure operations, adding that MATA has increased the number of buses available for use from 50 to 66. However, Mauldin says the 66 available buses fall short of the roughly 75 needed to meet local public transportation demands.
On this week’s WKNO/Channel 10 Behind the Headlines with host Eric Barnes, Mauldin discusses MATA's past, present, and future.
