World City Guide

Getting Around

Public Transport
The transport service provider is the Memphis Area Transit Authority – MATA (tel: (901) 274 6282; website: www.matatransit.com), which operates bus and streetcar routes around the city. The telephone line is open for enquiries 24 hours/day.

Since most residents of Memphis own cars, public transport in the city is not particularly good. Timetables vary on major bus routes, so commuters should check these by calling the information help line (see above). Tickets are available for purchase on the bus.

MATA also operates a streetcar service – the Main Street Trolley. Vintage trolley cars (most imported from Oporto, Portugal and Melbourne, Australia) run in the Downtown area along Main Street, Madison Avenue and on a Riverfront Loop. The daily service is inexpensive and generally runs every five to 10 minutes, though Sunday service stops early. Tickets are available for purchase on the streetcar. Check the MATA website for fares and passes.

Taxis
It is not possible for one to hail taxis in the street – they must be booked by telephone. Providers include Yellow Cab Company (tel: (901) 577 7777) or City Wide Cab Company (tel: (901) 324 4202).

Driving in the City
Memphis is a sprawling city and for areas outside of Downtown, a car is the best way of getting about. Traffic can be heavy at times, particularly during the rush hours (0730-0900 and 1700-1830), so drivers should allow for plenty of time for each journey. In general, the city is laid out on a grid, with avenues running east–west and streets running north–south. However, there are exceptions to this rule, including the Downtown area. The main east–west roads are Poplar and Union Avenues. These get very congested during rush hours and are best avoided. Locals have a reputation for being fast, aggressive drivers, so visitors should drive carefully. Driving is on the right. Right turns on red lights are permitted if it is safe, unless otherwise stated.

Parking in Downtown Memphis is fairly inexpensive. Many hotels offer free parking, but some charge for valet parking and self-parking each day. There is a free car park on the cobblestones between Front Street and the river. Metered parking is also available on the streets.

Car Hire
Some companies will insist on an International Drivers Permit, as well as a national licence, so visitors should check company regulations before leaving home. Usually an international driver’s licence is only required if a visitor’s national driver’s licence is not in English. Most car hire companies require drivers to be over 25 years old. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) cover is advised when hiring a car.

All major car hire companies have offices in the city, located near to the airport. These include Alamo (tel: (901) 332 8412 or (800) 327 9633; website: www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: (901) 527 1138 or (800) 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (901) 398 8888 or (800) 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Enterprise (tel: (901) 525 8588 or (800) 3258007; website: www.enterprise.com), Hertz (tel: (901) 345 5680 or (800) 654 3131; website: www.hertz.com) and Thrifty (tel: (901) 345 0170 or (800) 367 2277; website: www.thrifty.com).

Bicycle Hire
Cyclists can hire bikes at the Adventure Centre at Mud Island River Park, 125 North Front Street (tel: (800) 507 6507 or (901) 576 7241) or from the Peddler Bicycle Shop, 575 South Highland Street (tel: (901) 327 4833; website: www.peddlerbikeshop.com).

Outdoors Inc. (website: www.outdoorsinc.com) has two locations in the city, at 5245 Poplar Avenue (tel: (901) 767 6790) and 1710 Union Avenue (tel: (901) 722 8988). Mountain bikes are available for daily hire, but not overnight. Deposit required.