Illustration by Andy Carter
Many of those who rely the most on public transport are living on the margins of society, and they are less likely to have the voting and lobbying power required to influence the corridors of power.
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What others are doing – food for thought. Streetsblog reports on Mayor John Bauters of Emeryville, California. While riding the bus, Mayor Bauters noticed how many stops have no seats or benches. “In just seven months, he and his staff installed a quick-build bench called a simmeseat (https://simmeseat.com/products/) at every stop in town that didn’t already have one.” Read more about Mayor Bauters’ bus benches at https://usa.streetsblog.org/2022/12/21/what-it-takes-to-put-a-seat-at-every-bus-stop-in-town/.
Do you have a report about transit in your community? Have you read about a great transit idea? Do you have a suggestion for a program or event? Please email cvanmaren@witransitriders.org!
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WHEREAS Rosa Parks was an iconic figure in the movements for social justice and racial equality, and played a major role in the inception of the Civil Rights movement that ended legal segregation in the United States; and
WHEREAS affordable, reliable public transit is an essential public service, on par with utilities such as water and electricity; and
WHEREAS public transportation is as important for those living in small and rural communities as those in larger communities; and
WHEREAS it is essential for the survival of humanity to drastically cut our emissions of greenhouse gases and convert our economy to renewable non-emitting energy sources; and
WHEREAS public transit jobs in the United States have historically been good jobs that paid family-supporting wages, but in parallel to the cuts in public funding for transit and the trend of increasing fares, there is a growing marginalization of transit workers, who are facing worsening work conditions and erosion of their collective bargaining rights; and
WHEREAS increased community access to public transit, reduction in racial, economic and other disparities in access to transit and clean air and in the burden of climate change impacts, and increased opportunities for employment in good jobs, form a key part of a “just transition” from a carbon-intensive, fossil-fuel based, highly unequal extractive economy to a pollution-free, regenerative, renewable energy based, just economy;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance supports the call to observe a Day of Action on Public Transportation as a Civil Right on February 4, 2023; and
RESOLVED that the Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance will use the Day of Action to highlight the vital role that can be played by expansion of public transit in the required shift from a climate-destroying fossil fuel powered extractive economy to a climate-protecting, renewable-powered and regenerative economy, with a just transition for communities and workers; and
RESOLVED that the Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance supports legislation at the federal, state, and local levels that:
By Alex Loroff
Published: Feb. 4, 2022 at 5:02 PM CST
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) – The state of Wisconsin is joining the nation in honoring the legacy of Rosa Parks.
Since 2018, a network of transit rider unions, community organizations, and environmental groups have recognized Feb. 4 as “Transit Equity Day”.
The day not only marks Rosa Parks’ birthday, but advocates for public transportation as a civil right.
State Senator Jeff Smith (D – Brunswick) introduced a resolution in January to commemorate “Transit Equity Day” across the Badger state.
“During Black History Month, it is important to recognize the heroes like Rosa Parks that advanced the equality in our country’s history,” Smith said Friday.
The City of La Crosse has been spotlighting public transportation throughout the week.
Cathy Van Maren of the La Crosse Area Transit Advocates is among those who tout the benefits of transit, but says there are still inequities in the system.
“I’ve talked to several non-drivers who couldn’t take, or had to leave a job, because bus service didn’t match their hours or didn’t go to a workplace,” Van Maren expressed. “It currently does not provide the same level of access to jobs, services, shopping, and other aspects of life as a car driver would have.”
Van Maren doesn’t believe those shortcomings are the fault of transit providers, rather elected officials who don’t take transit into account.
“It results in part by not prioritizing transportation and transit equity in planning, zoning, policies, and budgeting,” Van Maren said. “That all can change when we educate people about the many benefits of public transit, which is greener, healthier, safer, and more equitable.”
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has formed a Non-Driver Advisory Committee to identify transportation barriers for the more than 30% of people in the state that are non-drivers.
La Crosse is also developing ways to improve transit access across the community.
Copyright 2022 WEAU. All rights reserved.
https://www.weau.com/2022/02/04/transit-equity-day-recognized-wisconsin/
An estimated 31% of Wisconsin’s 2020 population is non-driver. Non-drivers are located across the state, in every county—including both urban and rural areas. WisDOT developed and published the Non-Driver ArcGIS Online Application in early 2022 as a tool to assist with non-driver planning.
The Non-Driver Application produces estimates of non-drivers within Wisconsin cities, villages, towns, U.S. Census Tracts, and U.S. Census Block Groups. The Non-Driver Application is intended to assist state and regional planners, municipal officials, and mobility providers by increasing our understanding of where non-drivers are located in Wisconsin.
read more at https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/multimodal/nd.aspx
