Main caption: Beginning Oct. 1, residents and visitors to West Memphis, Ark., can arrange for rides in the city on one of seven new vehicles via the new WM Connect on-demand transit service.
The City of West Memphis, Ark., on Aug. 4 announced it is launching a new public transit service, and Delaware North’s Southland Casino Hotel, the city’s largest employer, is helping fund the launch.
Operating similarly to Uber and Lyft, WM (West Memphis) Connect will allow residents and visitors to request a ride through an app for a trip anywhere in the city in one of seven new vehicles – five eight-seat vans and two SUVs.
The new on-demand microtransit service, funded in part by federal grants, will fill the void for residents who have been without public transportation since the Memphis Area Transit Authority ended service in West Memphis and Crittenden County eight years ago – despite their proximity to the major Tennessee city across the Mississippi River.
When it launches Oct. 1, WM Connect will be free to the first 1,000 users, thanks to a $2,000 donation from Southland. Subsequently, the service will cost $2 per ride.
“At Southland, we’re proud to support this effort to allow residents to begin using the service at no cost,” said Romaine Scott, director of the casino’s hotel, said at the Aug. 4 launch event.
Scott represented Osi Imomoh, Southland’s president and general manager, who was traveling and could not attend. Scott congratulated the city for bringing the vision to life and said the service will provide an affordable way for some Southland team members to travel to and from the casino.
Romaine Scott, director of the hotel at Southland Casino Hotel, on Aug. 4 announces Southland’s donation to help launch the new WM Connect on-demand transit service in West Memphis, Ark.
“We at Southland Casino Hotel know firsthand that when team members have dependable transportation, they have greater opportunities to build careers, support their families and contribute to our community. Transportation isn’t just about getting from one place to another – it’s about access, opportunity and quality of life,” Scott said.
“From a guest perspective, this is equally exciting. Every day we welcome visitors from across the region and around the country who want to experience Southland and everything West Memphis has to offer,” he said.
The service could at some point be extended beyond West Memphis to connect residents and Southland visitors to downtown Memphis and Memphis International Airport.
“Southland has always been a great partner to the City of West Memphis, and we’re grateful for their continued investment in our community,” West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon said. “Their sponsorship of the first 1,000 rides on WM Connect means more people will have access to jobs, doctor’s appointments, grocery stores, schools and other places they need to go without worrying about the cost of getting there.
“This is what strong partnerships look like. When businesses and local government work together, everybody wins. Thank you to Southland for believing in West Memphis and for helping us launch a service that will make a difference in the lives of so many of our residents,” McClendon said.