MyCityRides teaches Memphis residents scooter driving to ease grocery access
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 2
MyCityRides teaches Memphis residents scooter driving to ease grocery access
4 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 2
In Memphis, Zen’Yari Winters hopes to buy a scooter through the non-profit for $150 a month over three years after completing scooter school.
The programme targets residents hit by Memphis bus delays, route cuts and stop reductions, which can turn a 13-mile grocery trip into hours of waiting or costly ride-hailing.
Across US transit deserts, agencies facing a post-Covid fiscal cliff have cut service, worsening food access as households juggle rising insecurity, delivery fees and limited healthy shopping options.
As traditional bus routes vanish, can new on-demand transit models solve the food access crisis for vulnerable communities?
What is the true social and economic cost when a city’s public transit system can no longer serve its people?
Facing a massive funding cliff, how can cities rebuild public transit to ensure it remains an essential lifeline?
MyCityRides Lease-to-Own Electric Scooter Program Boosts Employment and Mobility for Over 1,000 Memphis Residents
Overview
Facing high unemployment and unreliable public transit, especially in South Memphis, MyCityRides expanded in late 2025 to provide free electric rides connecting residents to jobs and education, breaking transportation barriers and enabling economic participation. Complementing this, the MyCityRides Flyer Program offers a lease-to-own electric scooter model with affordable monthly payments, safety training, and maintenance, making personal transportation accessible to low-income workers. This program improves job stability, access to essential services, and community support while fostering financial responsibility and workforce mobility. With plans to grow and partner locally, MyCityRides aims to transform transportation equity and break the cycle of economic exclusion in Memphis.