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| Home > City Guide - Memphis - Getting Around | ||
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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 Monday to Friday 0600-2130, Saturday and public holidays 0700-1730 but is closed on Sunday. Since most residents of Memphis own cars, public transport in the city is not particularly good. Major bus routes generally operate between 0530 and 2400, although timetables vary and commuters should check these by calling the information helpline. The standard adult fare is US$1.25 and tickets are available for purchase on the bus. MATA also operates a streetcar service – the Main Street Trolley. Vintage trolley cars run in the Downtown area along Main Street and on a Riverfront Loop, every five to ten minutes. The service runs 0600-2400 Monday to Thursday, 0600-0100 Friday and Saturday and 1000-1800 on Sunday. Regular fare is 60 cents each way but drops to 30 cents between 1100 and 1330 Monday to Friday. Tickets are available for purchase on the streetcar. An all-day Main Street Trolley pass costs US$2.50 and a three-day pass costs US$6. These are available for purchase on board the streetcar. A monthly pass can be purchased for US$15 from the MATA Customer Service Centre. A Regular Adult Card, allowing ten trips on MATA bus services, is available for US$12.50 or US$25 for 21 trips, from the MATA Customer Service Centre. 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). The first mile costs US$2.90, after which the fare is US$1.40 per mile, plus 50 cents for each additional passenger. The standard tip is 15% of the fare. Limousines A limousine service is provided by a number of companies, which include Armore Limousine Service (tel: (901) 362 7000), Cross Country Tours (tel: (901) 398 4476), Tennessee Limousine Service (tel: (901) 452 6207) and Taylor Made (tel: (901) 396 3565). Rates start from US$125 per hour. 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, while the most expensive charge US$10 for valet parking and US$5 for 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 at 25 cents for 30 minutes. 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. 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) 345 2847 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). Car hire in America is fairly cheap and rates start at US$30 per day. 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; fax: (901) 576 6666). The cost is US$10 for two hours. Peddler Bicycle Shop, 575 South Highland Street (tel: (901) 327 4833) hires out bicycles for US$25 for the day. 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). Daily hire of a mountain bike costs US$25 with a US$250 deposit. Overnight hire is not available and equipment that is returned in an unsightly state will incur a US$15 cleaning charge. |
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