Transit Equity Day

By Kim Williams, Rail Passengers Director

Today is Rosa Parks's birthday. We celebrate her because of her efforts to ensure transportation equity for her community. Unfortunately, we are still fighting the same fight to ensure transportation equity in communities all over America. Unless you were lucky enough to live in a major city with a highly developed public transportation system, then you're pretty much relying on yourself to get you places. That's not equity. Equity means that everyone has access to the same resources, and with this particular administration, we have the opportunity to expand access to those same resources because we are finally spending the money to do so.

Today is also Transit Equity Day. Today is a day when we all can be grateful that Rail Passengers is doing what it can do to ensure that all Americans have access to safe, reliable real transportation no matter where you live. My family should not be forced to drive from the Gulf Coast all the way up to DC to visit me or vice versa just because some feel that we should spend more money on highways and air. Some of us need to go distances that fall between those two options. Take the time to donate to Rail Passengers so that if you have a short trip, you can take it knowing that you can also easily and comfortably ride a train near you.

Americans have been fighting for transportation equity for decades, and there's still work to be done. If Europe and Asia can develop massive real systems throughout multiple country's regions and community land, then why can't we as a nation with literally the most money on the planet?

Consider these important days and think to yourself: what can I do to make sure that everyone has access to public transit? Even if you drive everywhere, they'll be an opportunity for you to go farther than you want to drive. In that case, would the train be a more acceptable option? Amtrak's ridership statistics show that most of their riders go short distances of under 50 miles. Do you have that access? Or are you driving everywhere because you have to?

With real transportation equity, you should have a choice of how you travel. Our elected leaders have just agreed to spend billions of dollars to make that a reality, but they need your support to do it. Rail Passengers can help talk to Congress (and they listen!) but we need the backing of everyone who sees that Rosa Parks’ actions were not in vain and should be expanded throughout the entire United States of America.