McKinney Avenue Transit Authority

What McKinney Avenue Transit Authority does

McKinney Avenue Transit Authority (MATA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded in 1983 by Phil Cobb and Ed Landrum, and operating the M-Line Trolley since July 1989 — a free heritage streetcar service running seven vintage trolleys (including Rosie, built 1909, the oldest streetcar in daily service in North America) across a 4.6-mile corridor with 43 designated stops connecting Uptown and Downtown Dallas. Service runs 365 days per year with 17-20 minute headways, carrying an annual ridership cited at 400,000 to over 600,000 riders, and integrates with DART light rail at CityPlace/Uptown and St. Paul stations. The organization is heavily volunteer-staffed (motormen, conductors, restoration, fundraising) and supported by a board chaired by co-founder Phil Cobb.

MATA funds operations through a mix of voluntary "Name Your Fare" donations (cash, card, Venmo, PayPal), private charter rentals at $750-$1,000 for a 2-hour minimum for events and tours, corporate sponsorships including an Adopt-A-Stop program (250K-2.3M annual impressions per stop), recurring public funding from Dallas Area Rapid Transit under a shuttle agreement and from the Uptown and Downtown Public Improvement Districts, and individual tax-deductible donations. Annual fundraising is anchored by the Taste of the Trolley event, with sponsorship tiers reaching $50,000.

MATA's technology stack centers on legacy overhead-wire electric trolley infrastructure, supplemented by modern rider-facing integrations: a TripShot-built real-time app, GTFS data integration with Google Maps, Apple Maps, and DART Trip Planner/GoPass, and sustainability retrofits (42.7 kW solar array, LED lighting, UV-blocking window tinting) funded by a 2020 Green Mountain Energy Sun Club grant of $368,000. Marketing is community-led, relying on organic social channels (10,500+ followers), local and international earned media, community events, and partnerships with Uptown Dallas Inc., Downtown Dallas Inc., and adjacent attractions such as Klyde Warren Park and the West Village.

Name

McKinney Avenue Transit Authority

Legal name

McKinney Avenue Transit Authority

Website

https://mata.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MATA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operating Dallas's M-Line Trolley, a free heritage streetcar service running seven vintage cars across 4.6 miles and 43 stops connecting Uptown and Downtown Dallas, serving over 400,000 annual riders via donations, charters, sponsorships, and public funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Public Transit

NAICS

Urban Transit Systems (4851)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Heritage/Tourist Urban Rail Operators (Vintage Trams/Funiculars) (TLAFAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tram/Streetcar Operators (THAIABAC), Tourist/Scenic/Heritage Passenger Rail Operators (TLAFADAG)

Keywords

• Heritage streetcar service
• Public transit operations
• Trolley charter rentals
• Nonprofit transit agency
• Heritage transportation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Fare Donations (Name Your Fare): Voluntary fare donations from riders who name their own price for rides. Riders can donate via debit/credit card online, Venmo, PayPal, or cash in fare boxes. All donations are tax-deductible as MATA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
2. Charter Services: Private charter rentals of vintage trolley cars for events including birthdays, weddings, corporate meetings, and tours. Minimum 2-hour rental at $750-$1,000. Each car accommodates up to 35 adults.
3. Sponsorships and Advertising: Corporate sponsorships including Adopt-A-Stop program, event sponsorships (Taste of the Trolley), car sponsorship, and advertising on trolleys. Adopt-A-Stop provides signage at stops with 250,000 to 2.3 million annual impressions.
4. Public Funding: Shuttle agreement funding from Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and yearly donations from Uptown and Downtown Public Improvement Districts (PIDs).
5. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring tax-deductible donations from individuals, memorial and honor gifts, and Amazon Smile purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MATA operates the M-Line Trolley, a free heritage streetcar service running seven vintage electric trolley cars along a 4.6-mile route through Uptown and Downtown Dallas with 43 designated stops, 365 days a year. Riders travel at no charge under a voluntary "Name Your Fare" donation model, while the organization also generates revenue through private trolley charters, corporate Adopt-A-Stop sponsorships, the annual Taste of the Trolley fundraiser, and public funding from DART and local Public Improvement Districts.

Product overview

McKinney Avenue Transit Authority operates the M-Line Trolley as a unified heritage streetcar transit service supplemented by event and sponsorship offerings. The core product is the M-Line Trolley Service running vintage streetcars on a 4.6-mile route through Dallas. This is complemented by the Live Trolley Tracker (TripShot integration) for real-time tracking, Name Your Fare Donation system for revenue, Trolley Charter Service for private rentals, Adopt-A-Stop sponsorship program, and the Taste of the Trolley annual fundraiser event. The portfolio forms an integrated transit ecosystem combining public transportation with community engagement and fundraising initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M-Line Trolley Service Heritage streetcar transit service running seven vintage electric trolley cars along a 4.6-mile route through Uptown and Downtown Dallas with 43 designated stops, operating 365 days per year and serving more than 400,000 to 600,000 riders annually. Free to ride under a voluntary Name Your Fare donation model, with connections to DART light rail at CityPlace/Uptown and St. Paul stations.
• Trolley Charter Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600,000 riders per year served
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Green Mountain Energy Sun Club & ProStar Energy SolutionsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 August 2020Sustainability partnership providing $368,000 grant for energy efficiency projects including 42.7 kW rooftop solar array, cool roof treatment, solar window tinting (90%+ UV reduction), LED lighting conversion, and commercial-grade air conditioning upgrades for trolleys. Partnership enhances MATA's environmental stewardship and reduces operating costs.
• Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShuttle agreement providing funding for M-LINE operations. M-Line stops connect directly with DART light rail at CityPlace/Uptown Station (RED, BLUE, ORANGE lines) and St. Paul Station (RED, BLUE, GREEN, ORANGE lines). Partnership provides riders seamless transit integration across Dallas.
• TripShotcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership providing real-time tracking, trip planning, and mobile app services. MATA's rider app built on TripShot platform includes real-time updates, ETAs, notifications, and personalized alerts. Available on iOS and Android.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Detroit QLINE: Detroit's QLINE is a modern streetcar circulator on Woodward Avenue connecting downtown Detroit with the New Center, sponsored by Quicken Loans — a directly comparable modern streetcar peer in mid-size US city with sponsorship-driven funding.
• Little Rock River Rail Streetcar: Little Rock's River Rail Streetcar is a free heritage trolley connecting downtown Little Rock with North Little Rock over the Main Street Bridge, integrating with regional transit — a directly comparable free-fare heritage streetcar peer.
• San Francisco F-Market & Wharves Line: SFMTA's F-Market & Wharves line uses vintage PCC streetcars to connect the Castro, downtown, and Fisherman's Wharf, operated by the municipal agency — analogous heritage streetcar operation with tourist + commuter dual-use.
• Kenosha Streetcar: The Kenosha Streetcar is a heritage streetcar circulator in downtown Kenosha, WI, using vintage PCC cars and supported through a mix of city funding and donations — comparable in scale, vintage equipment use, and small-city heritage positioning.
• Portland Streetcar: Portland Streetcar operates a modern heritage-inspired streetcar line in Portland, OR with comparable length, free-fare segments, and integration with regional TriMet transit. Most directly comparable US peer in scale and urban-corridor positioning.
• Tampa TECO Line Streetcar: Tampa's TECO Line Streetcar is a non-profit heritage streetcar connecting downtown Tampa with Ybor City, funded through a mix of fares, sponsorships, and public partnership — directly comparable in operating model and tourist/commuter dual-use.
• Memphis Trolley: Memphis Area Transit Authority operates vintage trolleys on Main Street Mall connecting the riverfront with the medical district, serving both tourism and commuter demand with a similar vintage-streetcar-on-urban-corridor model.
• New Orleans RTA Streetcar: New Orleans Regional Transit Authority operates the iconic St. Charles, Loyola, and Rampart-Lakeview heritage streetcar lines using vintage equipment, serving both commuters and tourists — a closely analogous operating model to MATA's.

Others

• National Capital Trolley Museum: The National Capital Trolley Museum operates restored vintage streetcars on a demonstration line near Washington, DC. While not a transit operator, it is a peer in vintage-streetcar restoration, volunteer operations, and heritage programming.

Broad incumbents

• Dallas Streetcar (DART): The Dallas Streetcar is a modern DART-operated streetcar connecting Union Station to Oak Cliff via the Houston Street Viaduct. Same metro, broader incumbent operator with overlapping transit mission and likely shared institutional relationships with MATA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MLineTrolley
• Facebookfacebook.com/mlinetrolley
• Instagraminstagram.com/mlinetrolley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mlinetrolley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McKinney Avenue Transit Authority