Mobility Justice
How transit agencies can improve equity work. Equity goes beyond quantitatively assessing how service is distributed. (TransitCenter)
Report: COVID-19, uprisings, and mobility justice. Reflections from Untokening and Pueblo’s mobility justice sessions. (Untokening and Pueblo)
Dijon Kizzee was killed by the police while riding his bike. The shooting sparked protests in LA. (LA Times)
How we define professionalism is rooted in racism. Dr. Destiny Thomas, Tamika Butler, and Sahra Sulaiman share why reform isn’t enough if we want to eliminate the harm, marginalization, and disenfranchisement of communities of color. (TransLoc)
To tackle pandemic racism, we need to take action, not just take to social media. Our public transportation systems were built on a foundation of racism, and the only way to truly fix them may be to raze them and rebuild from the ground up. (Rice Kinder Institute)
Where calling the police isn’t the only option. There’s a growing movement in the US to hand some police duties over to social workers and alternative emergency responders. Oakland, Sacramento and Eugene, Oregon, are already doing it. (CityLab)
Report: Making racial equity real in research. This resource offers clear, specific guidance for conducting racially equitable research. (Greenlining)
Listen: Equity in planning and city design. Dr. Destiny Thomas discusses equity in planning, the unrest in Kenosha, WI and street safety. (NEWaukee)
Beyond equity: We need to develop leadership in transportation. In partnership with the National Association of Transportation Officials (NACTO), the Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP) is working to amplify the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous professionals of color and allies across the transportation sector. (Better Bike Share Partnership)
Women changing transportation. A look back at the past year. (TransitCenter)
Rethinking the 20-minute city in light of police shootings, COVID-19. The pandemic and protests against systemic racism present an opportunity for city leaders to incorporate a lens of racial equity into their neighborhoods. (Smart Cities Dive)
Watch: Identifying and addressing barriers to physical activity in the Black community. A webinar recording. (NACDD)
🎉Together we raised $112,919 to support transit for all!
Thanks to the all of the transit enthusiasts who joined us last Friday at Transit for All: Answer the Call virtual annual event! We had fun gathering with you – chatting, dancing, bus racing, inducting leaders into the Transportation Hall of Fame, and celebrating transit together. Thanks to you, we reached our $30,000 goal and unlocked our final match! With the additional support from our sponsors, match pool donors, silent auction, and more we raised a grand total of $112,919 to support transit for all!
Thank you for powering our work and keeping transit moving all throughout Washington State! We are overwhelmed by your support!
Didn’t get a chance to attend? You can still support our work here.
Upcoming Event: Transit on your Ballot
The next event in our Transit Funding Is Transit Equity series will look at transit measures on the November ballot in three major West Coast cities: The Yes for Transit campaign in Seattle, Let’s Get Moving campaign in the Portland Metro region, and the Rescue Caltrain Yes on RR campaign in the Bay Area. What are the similarities and differences of the overall transportation landscapes in these great metro areas and how do they fund public transit? How are these measures centering equity? What can we learn from each other and how can we work together to build strong coastal and national support for public transit? Join us!
Transit on your Ballot
October 20, 2-3 pm PST
Register here
You can watch the recording of our first webinar in the series on federal transit funding and equity with Steven Higashide from TransitCenter and Dara Baldwin from Center for Disability Rights.
What’s new
The path to a just transportation recovery. TCC Executive Director Alex Hudson discusses three steps we can take to get to a just future for transportation. (PubliCola)
TCC’s transportation recovery framework. In response to the global COVID pandemic, TCC developed a just recovery framework for transportation in Washington State to help ensure COVID recovery policy decisions center equity, prioritize transit, and fill funding gaps. (TCC)
October is National Pedestrian Safety Month. Implementing transportation safety measures will significantly reduce pedestrian deaths. (NHTSA)
Yes for Transit! Seattle transit measure heads to the ballot. Seattle City Council voted to renew the Seattle Transportation Benefit District. Let’s work together to pass the measure next month to keep people moving. (TCC)
5 transportation projects in Snohomish County. Mukilteo ferry terminal, Sound Transit light rail, outdoor dining, and more. (Everett Herald)
Help shape public transit in Thurston County. Intercity Transit is recruiting volunteers to serve on its Board of Directors. (Intercity Transit)
New law lets Washington cyclists yield at stop signs. The law went into effect on October 1.
Leafline Trails Coalition. The coalition is working to create and interconnected network across the Central Puget Sound region. (Leafline)
Community Transit receives $8.3M to support Swift bus rapid transit. Swift Orange Line will serve the light rail station at Lynnwood Transit Center, and the Swift Blue Line will extend south to serve the light rail station at 185th in Shoreline. (Edmonds News)
Five year transit plan in the works for Snoqualmie Valley Transportation. The Valley is short on transit options; this plan is designed to change that. (Valley Record)
King County Executive highlights fare enforcement reform in budget. Metro will co-create new alternative to traditional fare enforcement, which has disproportionately impacted riders of color. (Dow Constantine)
King County Metro proposed budget maintains region’s network, looks ahead to future growth. Metro plans to continue to respond and adapt to the continued challenges of reduced revenue projections and lower ridership as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. (King County Metro)
Kitsap Transit: “Help our community fight COVID.” Volunteer with Kitsap Transit producing videos that reinforce positive health behaviors on transit. (Kitsap Transit)
Resources to help navigate West Seattle by bike. Maps and videos show the safest West Seattle routes.
Seattle to require minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers. Seattle City Council unanimously backed a new pay formula for Uber and Lyft drivers meant to ensure they make the same $16.39 per hour minimum wage as other workers in the city. (Seattle Times)
See how Seattle-area commutes have changed over the years. Here’s a look at pre-pandemic commute habits and travel times, and how travel has changed this year. (Seattle Times)
Next stop
Action alert: Tell Sound Transit to divorce fare enforcement from policing and courts. Fare non-payment should never be an entry to the criminal-legal system or lead to interactions with law enforcement. (Seattle Transit Riders Union)
Open house: Sound Transit Tacoma Dome Link extension. Weigh in on connections to future light rail stations. (Sound Transit)
Open house: C-Tran Transit Development Plan. Join C-Tran’s open house to learn more about the vision for transit in Clark County. (C-Tran)
Webinar: Rural transit manager peer roundtable. Convene and discuss issues affecting rural transit jobs, agencies, and communities. (RTAP)
Volunteer: Washington bicycle and pedestrian count. The count is happening October 20, 21, and 22 at a street or trail near year. Sign up today to help collect data that will inform statewide policy. (WSDOT)
Event: SDOT youth transportation open house. Learn more about how public transportation is changing for students due to COVID. (SDOT)
Comment: PSRC Transportation Improvement Program. The 2021-2024 regional TIP is released for public comment. Share feedback on programs underway in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties. (PSRC)
Event: Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Conference. ATNI conventions are where members convene for discussion, presentations and the work of the committees in regard to policy, legislation, and the future of Indian Country in the Northwest. (ATNI)
Survey: North Link Connections Mobility project. Provide feedback on bus network changes to improve connections to the North link stations. (Metro)
Survey: Kitsap Fast Ferry. Weigh in on the Southworth Fast Ferry service. (Kitsap)
Event: Dropping Enforcement from the 6 E’s. The Safe Routes Partnership is dropping Enforcement as one of the 6 E’s of its framework. Learn what this means for SRS programs across the country. (Safe Routes Partnership)
Event: Washington Bike, Walk Roll summit. Active transportation advocacy is a space that belongs to all users of active transportation and should be a place in which bicycle, pedestrian, and disability advocates can learn from and share with each other and plan for a future that works for all of us. (Cascade)
What we’re reading
Listen: Are buses an overlooked climate solution? Unlike hyperloops or self-driving cars, bus systems are here and now. (Yale Climate Connections)
Why LA might make transit free. LA’s Metro is considering eliminating bus and train fares. But critics fear the budget and service cuts that might also be en route. (CityLab)
Why you shouldn’t be afraid to take public transportation amid the pandemic. According to Spanish health experts, the risk of contagion on buses and trains is low thanks to safety measures like the use of face masks, as well as improved ventilation systems. (El Pais)
Report: Stranded. What’s at stake if relief aid for transit runs dry. (TransitCenter)
How have transportation ballot initiatives fared during the pandemic? Regional ballot initiatives are a powerful tool localities can use to raise funding for transportation projects, especially in the face of uncertain federal funding. (Transportation for America)
Revised HEROES Act includes $32 billion for transit. The update to the legislation was released Monday and in addition to the $32 billion for the transit industry, the bill includes $2.4 billion for Amtrak. (Mass Transit)
San Francisco investigates congestion pricing with new online game. SF is looking at how congestion pricing could help keep traffic moving in the city with a new game. (Traffic Technology Today)
Without public transit, there will be no economic recovery. Transit will always have a fundamental role to play in our cities’ fiscal health. (The Hill)
New York’s subway is low risk for COVID transmission. Bus riders are at low risk of being infected with the new coronavirus during their commutes. (Wall Street Journal)
Mission in motion
Join the ‘Yes for Transit’ campaign in Seattle!
Transit is going to the Seattle ballot this November! Proposition 1 renews and modifies an expiring measure in order to provide funding for critical transit investments like essential bus service, affordability programs for riders, addressing the West Seattle transportation crisis head on, and ensuring our transportation system is efficient and reliable for all.
We only have a month before the general election and will need all hands on deck to get this measure past the finish line! You can volunteer and learn more about the Yes for Transit campaign here.
Staff pick
Kelsey Mesher
Advocacy Director
One of my greatest joys is riding my bike to get around town (on its own or paired with transit!) and thanks to a new Washington law, my trips will be safer than before. Washington’s bicycle “safety stop” law went into effect last week, which means people on bikes can lawfully treat stop signs as yield signs. This is the most intuitive way to ride, and most importantly, data shows that crashes have decreased in states with this law on the books. A big thanks to our partners Washington Bikes, who advocated for this common-sense law in the 2020 legislative session.
Meme in motion
This month we want to give a shout out to the foundations who stand by and support us. Thank you: American Public Transportation Association, Bullitt Foundation, Energy Foundation, Global Philanthropy Partnership Mobility Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, New Urban Mobility Alliance, Northwest Fund for the Environment, Satterberg Foundation, Seattle Foundation, Sustainable Communities Funders Collaborative, TransitCenter
Thank you for your support. Want a little extra TCC love? Support Transportation Choices Coalition and become a donor today!
