How to ride public transportation in Memphis

Memphis gets around on MATA — one agency running the buses, the trolley, and paratransit. The system isn’t frequent by big-city standards, and right now it isn’t even charging a fare: every ride is free under a pilot program with no set end date. That could change, so it’s worth knowing both how to pay and what you’d pay if the free ride ever stops.

The basics

MATA’s bus network covers the city and spills into parts of Shelby County, radiating out from the William Hudson Transit Center at 444 N. Main Street downtown, which is the main hub for transfers. The Main Street Trolley runs a loop through downtown — historically on vintage rail cars, but rail service has been suspended since August 18, 2024 after Tennessee’s transportation department flagged brake problems, so it currently runs as a regular bus route instead while MATA works on getting the rail cars back.

Beyond fixed routes, MATAplus is MATA’s door-to-door paratransit service for riders who can’t use regular buses, and Ready! and Groove On-Demand are app-booked shared shuttles covering specific zones (Southwest Memphis, Northaven/Frayser, and Cordova for Ready!; Downtown, the Medical District, South City, and New Chicago for Groove).

How to pay

The headline news: every MATA service — buses, the trolley, and MATAplus — is currently free, under a Zero Fare Pilot Program that started November 16, 2025 and has been extended since with no announced end date. MATA says it will give riders advance notice before that changes, but it’s smart to know the normal way to pay in case it does while you’re visiting:

1. GO901 Smart Card — a reloadable card you tap on the onboard reader. Buy and load it at ticket machines or service counters at MATA’s three transit centers; it’s valid for five years and, if you register it online, protected if lost or stolen.
2. GO901 Mobile app — buy a single ticket or day pass with a debit or credit card, then scan your phone at the reader near the driver when you board.
3. Cash — still accepted on buses, trolleys, and MATAplus vehicles, but bring exact change. The farebox doesn’t make change and drivers can’t handle money.

Reduced fares for seniors (65+) and riders with disabilities require a MATA ID card ($3, $5 to replace), issued at the William Hudson Transit Center.

Fares

While the pilot runs, you pay nothing. The fares below are MATA’s standard rates, which apply whenever the free-ride pilot isn’t in effect:

Multi-day and monthly passes (7-day, 31-day) aren’t currently sold. The trolley has its own fare structure when it’s charging — $1.00 one-way, $2.00 for a day pass — but a regular MATA Daily Fast Pass also works on it.

Getting from the airport

MATA’s Route 28 Airport bus is the only route that reaches Memphis International Airport, connecting it to the William Hudson Transit Center downtown in about 28 minutes.

Be realistic about the schedule, though — this isn’t a turn-up-and-go airport train. On weekdays there are only 5 round trips a day, spaced roughly every two hours: buses leave downtown at 5:15am, 7:15am, 9:15am, 1:15pm, and 3:15pm, and leave the airport at 6:34am, 8:34am, 10:34am, 2:34pm, and 4:34pm. Saturdays run 4 round trips (downtown departures 8:15am–2:15pm); Sundays run the most, with 7 round trips spread from 8:15am to 3:45pm outbound. There’s no service after about 4:30pm any day of the week. Land late, or need an early-morning flight outside those windows, and you’ll want a cab or rideshare instead.

The fare is the same as any other MATA ride — currently free, normally $1.00.

Apps to download

• GO901 Mobile — MATA’s official app for buying and showing fares.
• MATA Tracker — real-time bus and trolley locations, plus detour info, on MATA’s website.
• Google Maps — MATA’s own trip planner is built on it, and it works well for step-by-step directions around the system.

When it runs

MATA’s weekday network runs roughly 4am to 10:30pm. Saturdays start later, around 7am, and end around 10pm. Sundays are the shortest day, running about 7:50am to 6:15pm — plan accordingly if you’re relying on transit for a Sunday evening trip. There’s no overnight service any night.

Frequency varies a lot by route — even MATA’s busiest lines aren’t “frequent service” in the way bigger cities mean it, so check MATA Tracker or Google Maps for a real arrival time rather than assuming a bus will be along any minute.

Accessibility

All MATA buses and trolley-line vehicles are wheelchair accessible, with ramps (manually deployable if the power ramp fails) and a kneeling feature to lower the front step. Drivers assist with boarding and securing wheelchairs on request.

For riders who can’t use fixed-route service, MATAplus offers door-to-door paratransit covering the same days and hours as the bus network, within three-quarters of a mile of any fixed route. Eligibility requires an in-person application process at the Airways Transit Center. MATA also provides route and fare information in large print, Braille, or via TTY on request, and will give extra time to riders who need it to board or reach a stop.

Etiquette & local quirks

• Exact change if you’re paying cash — drivers can’t make change, and the farebox won’t give any back.
• Headphones required for any audio — if someone two seats over can hear your phone, turn it down.
• Front seats are reserved for riders with disabilities; offer yours to seniors or adults traveling with small kids as a courtesy.
• No open food or drinks, no smoking, no alcohol — on vehicles or at transit centers.
• Register your GO901 Smart Card online if you get one; it’s the only way to protect your balance if the card is lost or stolen.

Good to know

• The free rides might not last. MATA’s Zero Fare Pilot has been extended multiple times since launching in November 2025, but it’s explicitly a pilot with no guaranteed future — don’t be surprised if you’re asked to pay, and it’s worth having exact cash or a loaded GO901 card as backup.
• The trolley is a bus right now. If you’re picturing Memphis’s vintage green-and-red rail trolleys, know that the Main Street Trolley has run as a regular bus since its rail cars were pulled from service in August 2024 over brake safety concerns.
• The airport bus has real gaps. Route 28 only runs a handful of times a day and stops altogether by late afternoon — don’t count on it for a late flight home.