Transit Tuesday: Grace Chung
I do have a driver’s license, but I’m a tentative driver and feel safer taking the bus. I used to take the bus everywhere in Chicago and Korea. Here in Honolulu, I have waited 20 or 30 minutes for a bus and sometimes have just given up and walked.
Transit Tuesday: Gio Roman Torres
Chattanooga, TN – My name is Gio Roman Torres. Growing up in Los Angeles, my single mom didn’t drive, so we took buses to get around. From school drop-offs to trips to work, the DASH and Metro systems were lifelines for us. Even now, living in Chattanooga, I continue to use public transit, though the experience is a bit different here.
Transit Tuesday: Sandra Ellington
Cleveland, OH – My name is Sandra Ellington. As a member of SEIU Local 1 in Cleveland, I clean large public facilities. You may have seen me at the Cleveland Hopkins Airport, where I worked for 17 years. Now, I am working at the Cleveland Water Department. These facilities and the role that cleaners play are critical to making Cleveland a smooth-running, vibrant city. The same can be said about public transit and the people who clean, fix, and operate it.
Transit Tuesday: Jordan Kelly
My name is Jordan, and I’ve lived in Ann Arbor for years. Public transit has been essential to my daily life. I work as a laboratory technician at the University of Michigan, and I rely on the bus to get to work. Owning a car has never been a realistic option for me. Between the costs of buying a car, maintaining it, and paying for parking, it’s just not feasible—especially in a city as expensive as Ann Arbor.
Transit Tuesday: Will Hazen
Indianapolis, IN – My name is Will Hazen. As both a transit rider and a bus operator here in Indianapolis, I get to experience our transit system from a range of perspectives. While my boyfriend and I own a car, I take the bus to work every day because it’s faster than having to find a place to park downtown and then walk the remaining distance to work. It’s also so much less expensive than paying for gas and the insurance costs that come with driving a lot.
Transit Tuesday: Keith Williams
My name is Keith, and I’ve lived in Newburgh for most of my life. I’m a father of five and currently a community organizer with For the Many. Before this, I worked at Amazon as a driver and in the warehouse. No matter my job, one thing has been constant—the struggle to get to work.
Transit Tuesday: Katrina Owings
I live in Boise, Idaho, where I work at a daycare. Until recently, I relied on the bus to get to work and run errands. It was really helpful for me, especially since I don’t drive. Public transit gave me the freedom to get where I needed to go without the stress or cost of owning a car.
Transit Tuesday: Eddie Alvarez
I’m a union representative for the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council. I grew up in the trades. My father is an elevator constructor, and I started as a laborer.
In the trades, our goal is to create better opportunities for our members and their families, and I see public transit as a key part of that.
Transit Tuesday: Lisa Miller
I started working when I was 14. For decades, $9.66 an hour was the most I had ever made in my life. I’m far from the only Kansas City resident whose low wages required me to use the bus as my main mode of transportation.
It’s a lifeline for me and thousands of people in Kansas City. It’s how we get to work, to the doctor, to run errands, and live our daily lives.
Transit Tuesday: Eric Moran
I live in North Minneapolis with my spouse and our 9-year-old child. I use public transit regularly, both on my own and with my family, to get to work, meet friends, attend concerts and sporting events, and run errands.
