MEMPHIS, August 18, 2026 - The Memphis City Council approved two resolutions moving a combined $7,090,000 in previously appropriated general obligation bond money into buses, rail infrastructure and paratransit vehicles for the Memphis Area Transit Authority.

Neither resolution adds money to the capital plan. Both move it from one line to another.

The bus money

The first transfers $6,325,000 from general obligation bond appropriations in CIP project GA03028, Innovation Corridor BRT, Contract Construction, to Other Costs at $100,000 and Vehicles CAP at $6,225,000.

The transit authority's chief executive told the Transportation Committee the money goes directly to bus purchases discussed at the authority's last appearance before the Council. He said the authority has taken on replacing its working fleet within twelve months, that 12 buses have already been received and will be paid for, and that 44 more are set to be delivered over the next twelve months. He said federal grant dollars are paying for the largest share and this is the city's contribution.

Councilman Edmund H. Ford Sr., who chairs the committee, asked the average cost of a diesel bus. The answer given was in the range of $815,000 to $820,000 including the technology package. Asked how long the buses take to build, the chief executive said eight to twelve months from order, and that 12 buses ordered two months earlier from a manufacturer he named are now slated for March delivery because the authority was able to move up in line.

The summary sheet supplies what the meeting did not. It states the transit authority has awarded a contract for the purchase of 24 buses and a purchase order for a federally required bus line inspection, and gives a specific reason for the same night minutes request: the authority needs to receive the city's 27.5 percent local share by August 25, 2026 in order to pay the vendor within 30 days of invoice approval for the 12 buses received.

The rail and paratransit money

The second resolution establishes a new CIP project for rail infrastructure and moves $165,000 from GA03029, Transit Amenities, Other Costs, into it, and moves a further $600,000 from GA03029 Contract Construction into GA03031, Paratransit Vehicles, Vehicles CAP.

The filed resolution explains why a new project number was needed. The authority previously held funds for trolley system infrastructure in CIP project GA03024, Rail Facility Improvements. Those funds were depleted and the project was closed. The new project is identified in the resolution as Rail Infrastructure, GA-TBD.

The chief executive said the $165,000 goes to the rails, that the authority is working to get the trolleys back up, and that the funds support keeping the rails in good repair. He said the $600,000 goes to what he called probably the authority's best performing program, MATA Plus, which serves riders who are disabled or need assistance. He projected the money would buy 45 new paratransit vehicles, allowing 35 to 45 percent more passengers and rides in a calendar year, and said the program carries a 4.7 out of 5 approval rating from passengers.

The resolution states the transfer covers the local share for the purchase of up to 45 paratransit vehicles and spare components, and notes that of $287,000 previously appropriated to GA03031, $124,463.83 remains.

What riders told the Council that evening

Two speakers from Better Transit for a Better Memphis addressed the bus item during public comment on the floor. One said the authority is operating 23 scheduled routes offered after the 2020 shutdown, that riders are waiting two to three hours between buses, that some buses do not show, that arriving buses are overcrowded, that route indicator lights are not working front or back with routes marked by paper taped to the windshield, and that she has seen passengers become ill in 90 and 100 degree heat with air conditioning not working properly. She said the routes need to return to 63 serving the entire city from 5 a.m. to 11:15.

The second speaker asked the Council to pass a $10 million transfer of auto registration fees to the authority in the next fiscal period and said that at the authority's August 4, 2026 presentation, most of the questions the coalition had submitted were not answered and no Council member asked any.

What happens next

Both resolutions passed with same night minutes and took effect that night. The summary sheet set the city's local share to reach the transit authority by August 25, 2026, so the authority could pay the vendor within 30 days of invoice approval for the twelve buses already received. The authority projected delivery of 44 additional buses over twelve months and twelve ordered buses in March.

Your city. Your money. Your receipts.