Mobility Matters

Scooter School is one of the premier aspects of the MyCityRides Program where potential flyers are taught not only how to ride the scooter, but also all of the important rules of the road by the best teachers available - off-duty Memphis Police Department officers. In this episode, Jason Williford and Garrett O'Brien join to discuss their own involvement in both the Memphis Police Department and with MyCityRides, the impact and success of the Scooter School program, and some of their personal highlights in working with MyCityRides!

When Khalil was in college, his transportation options were limited as he let his younger siblings use his truck during the week to get to and from work during the week. So when Andy stopped by his class to talk about the program, Khalil denied to take the chance at scooting to give him the mobility he desired. The chance he took paid off. Not only has his scooter has become his primary form of transportation, but he has also become an integral, front-facing part of the MyCityRides team.

Damon is all too familiar with the struggles the come with not having reliable transportation. He had to get around every way imaginable from having cars that broke down on him to paying for expensive Uber and Lyft rides to ultimately getting around on a skateboard, but through it all, he was determined to get to work or wherever he needed to go. So when he met the MyCityRides team at the Cooper Young Festival and learned about the program, he knew that it was an opportunity that he had to take advantage of.

When Charles first got his scooter, he committed to riding it everyday. Today, he simply can't ride it enough. After driving a truck for many years, he met the MyCItyRides team at the Cooper-Young festival, completed Scooter School, and from then it was history!

A passion for being under the hood and a love for scooters led Ben to MyCity rides, first as a flyer, but later as the team's lead repairman. His passion and knowledge of Memphis and scooters made him an integral part of the MyCityRides team.

After having a car for 15 plus years and thousands of miles, regular wear and tear begins to add up along with the expenses that go with it. For James, after seeing a MyCityRides billboard and attending Scooter School, the choice was clear - the #twowheellife was for him. A month after getting his scooter, his car, that he had for 15+ years became idle - so idle that the last time he tried to crank it up, the car's battery was dead from inactivity.

When a co-worker told Mesha about the MyCityRides she quit waiting on the bus and living the expensive Uber and Lyft life. Now she (and her scooter Doreen) are hustling to get jobs she really wants, even if they are further from home. She fills up for pocket change and is cruising with a scooter community that makes her feel free and independent while saving her hours and serious cost on her commute!

Stephen's primary reason for joining MyCityRides was to gain financial stability. Experiencing bankruptcy in his 20's motivated him to get his finances in order. Today his intentionality (and his scooter) is helping him put aside a rainy day fund while making Memphis more accessible and enjoyable!

John will tell you that a billboard he saw while walking to work one night changed his life. We think he was always going places. Now, with a ride he loves and can count on to save him big money, he's quick to tell anyone just how much MyCityRides has helped him rise up the ranks. And trust us, no one tells a story like John.

MyCityRides meets people where they are. In Freedom's case, that meant the alley behind our old shop on Cleveland. Freedom was turning her life around, doing the hard work of recovery while walking Poplar Avenue from her AA meeting, to the grocery store, and the library. She was finding stability off the street, but she needed a reliable source of transportation. That's when she found MyCityRides.

$1 invested in transit leads to $4 in economic returns. $1billion invested in public transit leads to 50,000 jobs." report by the American Public Transit Association.

Our country's medical problems could actually be rooted in social issues and nipped in the bud with better transit. Let's talk about how traveling up stream from today's medical challenges could save our community time and money while improving the quality of life.

FedEx moves boxes better than any company in the world. Let's see how they are applying that know-how to moving people to address their workforce challenges.

As we look to the past to understand our present systems and make plans for the future, data can be the great equalizer. How can data providers, communities, individuals, local government work together to build trust and leverage data into better solutions for all.

In this episode, we're exploring how cities should consider population density, employment hubs, transit routes and frequency, multi-modal transit systems, and funding options.

In this episode, we're talking about how transit affects economic development with two of Memphis' biggest cheerleaders, Beverly Robertson, chair of the Greater Memphis Chamber, and Willie Gregory, champion of Nike and President of the Greater Memphis Chamber Board. We'll get into why transit matters to our local businesses from the Fortune 500 to the mom & pop shops.

We've recruited corporate giants, civic leaders, academic experts and non-profit change-makers to join our conversations about mobility, specifically workforce mobility, and it's affect on everything from corporate growth, to community health, from economic development, to individual opportunities. We'll take a look at how our city is designed and talk to people who navigate it daily using all sorts of mobility options. We'll dust off the history that shaped our streets and explore the innovations that can improve our future. We're glad you're joining us for this conversation, let's get started.Mobility Matters is presented by MyCityRides.