TRANSIT STORIES
Transit Stories is a series of real-life experiences with public transit in the U.S. We feature the first-hand experience of public transit riders. From large cities to small towns, we will document the experiences of the millions of users of buses, trains, ferries, and other forms of public transit in the US.
Public transit is essential to our communities, to cooling the planet, and to advancing equity.
Transit is essential to our very lives. This year there is a unique opportunity for the country to make a historic investment in public transit funding to help the country build back better.
Transit Tuesday: Vinh Nhu Pham
Providence, RI – I’m Vinh, a student at Brown University studying Urban Studies. I grew up in Gwinnett County, Georgia, a suburban area where getting around without a car was almost impossible. My interest in public transportation started in high school when I realized how few options there were for students who couldn’t drive. I remember walking home along a two-lane road with no sidewalks because there was no bus service to my neighborhood. That experience made me want to learn more about making transit more equitable and accessible.
Transit Tuesday: Jesse Cook
St. Paul, MN – I’ve lived in the Twin Cities for about four years while attending college, where I’m studying aerospace engineering. Originally from Colorado, I’ve experienced transit in rural, suburban, and urban settings. However, it wasn’t until I moved here that I started using transit regularly. Between buses, light rail, and biking, I can get just about anywhere I need to go without a car.
Transit Tuesday: Judy Jones
My name is Judy Jones, and I live in Sedro-Woolley in Skagit County. I am blind, due to retinopathy of prematurity. I am currently a white cane user, but I have also been a guide dog user. As blind people, my husband and I have been very independent.
I’ve been riding transit since 1979. Transit has allowed me to have a working career, to raise my kids, and to get where I need to and want to go.
Transit Tuesday: Neil Sealy
Little Rock, AR – I grew up in Durham, NC which was an easy place to get around as a kid. My sisters all got drivers licenses when they were 16 but that wasn’t an option for me since I was legally blind so I walked or bicycled on the relatively empty streets or took the bus.
Transit Tuesday: Kelly Ehrhart
I live in Nashua, NH and have been active with the New Hampshire Developmental Disability Quality Council and Disability Rights Council NH. I’m on the autism spectrum and have heart disease so I use buses, Medicaid transportation, Uber, Lyft, and taxis to get around.
Transit Tuesday: Steven Glassford
Minneapolis, MN – I’m Steven, and I live in downtown Minneapolis, where I work as a bus operator. But I don’t just drive the bus—I ride it daily. Whether I’m heading to the YMCA, the library, or work, I take transit because it’s convenient, affordable, and the best way to navigate the city without relying on a car.
