Memphis Area Transit Authority
The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is the largest transit agency in Tennessee. The system was formed in 1975 to service the greater Memphis and Shelby County Tennessee area and nearby West Memphis, Arkansas.
MATA, which is run by a general manager and an 8-member board, operates 244 buses, mostly NovaBus LFS low floors and RTS 40ft regulars buses on 36 routes. They also operate a trolley system, the Main Street Trolley Line, that consists of classic streetcars running on 3 routes: one serving the riverfront, another serving Main Street in the heart of downtown Memphis and another serving Madison Avenue. The Madison Avenue line is an extension that opened in 2003, and is planned as the initial stage of a light rail system that would connect downtown Memphis with Memphis International Airport as well as a plan to expand regional transit service beyond the MATA service boundaries.
