Clevelanders for Public Transit Celebrates Transit Equity Day
CPT will highlight the importance of public transit as a civil right
CLEVELAND, OH, Feb. 4, 2019
This morning Clevelanders for Public Transit joins transit advocates, organizers, and riders across the country to celebrate Transit Equity Day in honor of Rosa Parks’ 106th birthday and her heroic act of not giving up her bus seat that ignited the civil rights movement.
From 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. CPT will meet riders at the Stokes-Windermere Station to share the importance of fast, frequent public transit as a universal civil right in celebration of Transit Equity Day. The station is located at 14232 Euclid Ave. in East Cleveland.
Locally, transit service has been slashed by nearly 30 percent while fares have doubled since 2005. Service cuts and fare increases have caused ridership to decline, resulting in less revenue. This death spiral is not what Rosa Parks fought for.
While the Montgomery Bus Boycott was successful in eliminating one form of legally sanctioned racial discrimination, other barriers to adequate public transit access remain – particularly for people of color and low-income people who rely on public transit. Inadequate public transit service also exacerbates environmental disparities and climate change.
“Investing in public transit is so important because it can give us a better chance in confronting climate change, as well as growing equity in our community,” said La Queta Worley-Bell, of Clevelanders for Public Transit. “It means more access to jobs, education, healthcare, shopping, places of worship and more for Clevelanders every day. Everyone deserves access to affordable, useful public transit.”
It is time to recognize the importance of transit in Cuyahoga County. Building and expanding public transit provides Clevelanders the agency to live their lives, increases community health and confronts climate change. A transition to a clean energy economy should also guarantee that every person has the right to transit, regardless of income, national origin, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion or ability.
CPT is celebrating Transit Equity Day by meeting riders at Stokes-Windermere Station during rush hour to highlight the importance of public transit as a civil right and to share CPT’s work toward improving transit equity. Complimentary coffee will be provided by CPT with pastries courtesy of In and Out, the coffee shop located inside Stokes-Windermere Station.
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Clevelanders for Public Transit is a riders’ organization that builds power for affordable, accessible and equitable public transit in Northeast Ohio. For more information, visit clefortransit.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.