MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – The Memphis City Council approved the city’s nearly $900 million operating budget Tuesday night, but public transit advocates and other groups did not get the added funding they requested.
The budget included $5 million in funding for renovations at AutoZone Park, but there was no extra money for the city’s public transportation service or the city’s violence intervention program.
Transit advocates ask for more funding
Public transportation advocates again asked council members Tuesday to invest more money into Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) to improve bus service.
“The city needs to increase its funding by a minimum of $20 million,” Leo Arnault with Better Transit for a Better Memphis told the council.
Another speaker said unreliable transit is affecting workers…