By Bill Dries
The Daily News
The city of Memphis’ efforts at improving public transportation options for its citizens received two chunks of funding recently that collectively total more than $5 million.
The Memphis Area Transit Authority was awarded last week $4.7 million in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funding through the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Other CMAQ grants totaling $354,560 were awarded Tuesday, Aug. 11, to the city’s Commute Options Initiative program. The funds will supplement other MATA efforts to use public transportation or carpool, including incentives to businesses with such measures and free bus passes as well as emergency ride options.
The $90,000 local match for that effort is coming from the private funding of the Mayor’s Institute for Excellence in Government, which oversees the Commute Options Initiative.
Commute Options also plans to partner with Explore Bike Share on rental bike kiosks, where commuters can rent bicycles in half-hour increments.
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