CARA writes: Open for public participation, the Community Hearing will feature testimonies from workers and riders who depend on transit. Community and labor organizers will act as hearing facilitators. Our goals are:
- to develop a vision and platform for transportation rooted in the experience of those who are most dependent on public transit; and
- to influence the hearts and minds of decision makers, who play an important role in the survival of robust public transportation systems.
We need to guarantee workers and riders from all walks of life have safe, affordable and reliable means of transportation to get to where they need to be, when they need to be there, without struggle, financial stress or prejudice.
For the past four years on February 4, a network of transit rider unions, community organizations, environmental groups and labor unions have organized Transit Equity Day–a national day of action to commemorate the birthday of Rosa Parks by declaring that public transit is a civil right. Rosa is an iconic figure of the civil rights era who chose the tactic of refusing to give up her seat on the bus to demand an end to segregation in the Montgomery, Alabama, transit system. We make the connection to this act of resistance to highlight the rights of all people to high-quality public transportation run on clean/renewable energy.
The Community Hearing on Transit Equity:
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Transit Equity Day of ActionThursday, February 4, 20212 PM hearing |
| Open for public participation, the Community Hearing will feature testimonies from workers and riders who depend on transit. Community and labor organizers will act as hearing facilitators. Our goals are 1) to develop a vision and platform for transportation rooted in the experience of those who are most dependent on public transit; and 2) to influence the hearts and minds of decision makers, who play an important role in the survival of robust public transportation systems. We need to guarantee workers and riders from all walks of life have safe, affordable and reliable means of transportation to get to where they need to be, when they need to be there, without struggle, financial stress or prejudice. | We will continue to lift up the grassroots local and state-level actions that take place on February 4, Ms. Rosa Parks’ birthday, demanding that local officials address the need for fiscal support of safe, equitable and affordable public transit that supports a climate-safe economy. As with prior Transit Equity Days, we are choosing Rosa Parks’ birthday because she is an iconic figure among many of the civil rights era who chose the tactic of refusing to give up her seat on the bus. We want to make the connection between this act of resistance and the rights of all people to high-quality public transportation powered by clean/renewable energy. |
