TRANSIT STORIES

Chicago, IL Nationwide public transit investment is an investment in all Americans – urbanites, suburbanites, and, yes, even rural communities. I say this as someone who has lived in each of these types of life. Though I currently live in Chicago, I grew up in the small town of Saint Joseph just outside of the home of the University of Illinois: Champaign, Illinois. My father was a bus driver for over 35 years with the CU-MTD. So, I remember taking class field trips to the garage and making absurd bus stop announcements on the loudspeaker; additionally, in high school, I worked seasonally for the maintenance department of MTD. Then, I went to college in the suburb of Wheaton, Illinois and rode the suburban Pace system as well as the commuter rail system, Metra, firsthand. Today, I regularly ride urban CTA buses or trains as well as the Metra, and, in addition, I volunteer regularly with nonprofit organizations on topics such as intersecting disability rights with transit advocacy. I believe my experiences have made me well-informed of the impacts of public transit (or lack thereof) for most Illinoisans as well as Americans.  There is no public transit in the town where

Buffalo, NY: Coalition for Economic Justice I grew up in Niagara Falls, and I have lived in Buffalo for a while now. I am a substitute teacher and work in a school in North Buffalo. I grew up taking buses and took good transit in Chicago, San Francisco, New York City, and cities in other countries where transit was much more convenient. Transit just makes sense to me. It is more affordable and ecological, and I hate having to depend on a car. Thankfully, I can walk or bike to work in good weather if I have to. When I take the bus, even if they tell you about cancellations, I can’t count on getting to my destination on time or making proper connections. Often, I must wait for long periods in very cold weather and then have to climb over snow drifts left by plow trucks in order to get on to the bus.  The #23 bus goes up Hertel, and I use it to connect to all the other buses. It should run every 20 minutes. But, because of the driver shortage, it doesn’t.   My whole life is dependent on buses and connectivity to transit. When I shop, have

Portland, Oregon My name is Dawna Bell, and my parents live two hours away in West Olympia, Washington. None of us considered what it would be like to live out of town without access to a bus line as they aged. My parents are close to 90 and of a generation defined by their independence. It is difficult for my Mom to ask for help because she doesn’t want to impose on anyone, including me.   Like many, my parents moved out of the city to the suburbs because it was peaceful and quiet. Initially, it was fine; it was only fifteen minutes into town to go grocery shopping, concerts, medical appointments, and to see friends.  My mom was never a confident driver, but she did drive, but gave it up as she aged. Dad always did the majority of the driving and Mom still depends on him to get around.  Recently my dad has had some issues with dementia, and although he is slowing down, he remains Mom’s primary source of transportation.  The bus operates in town but does not go to my parent’s suburban neighborhood at the edge of town. My mom says my dad is fine driving. I

Grand Rapids, MI: Transportation Riders United I have lived in Grand Rapids since 1990 when my family moved here from Peru.  Public transit is how my parents got around in Peru and how we got from place to place when we moved to Michigan.  In fact, my dad still bikes, walks, and takes the bus.  When you are poor and an immigrant, that’s how you travel. My dad taught me to walk the city, ride a bike, and take the bus, so I could be ready for any scenario. I went to the University of Michigan with the expectation that I would be a doctor or lawyer, but I learned there are lots of other fulfilling and well-paying careers that use critical thinking skills and allow me to serve my community like being a Project Manager. I never bought a car because at first, I couldn’t afford it and still maintain the lifestyle that I wanted. When I finally was able to afford a car it all felt a bit like a scam – a loan for the vehicle, another bill for insurance, weekly purchases of gas, and regular maintenance fees. Owning a car is often the second biggest line

Miami, Floirda – Transit Alliance Miami When I think about public transportation, I think about my grandmother. One day in 1976, she decided that it was important that I learn how to ride the bus, which she took nearly every day to her job as a maid in a Washington, DC hotel. Pretty quickly, I learned the benefits of taking public transit; not only was it essential to people like my grandmother being able to earn a living, but as I got older I also found that it was often times faster than driving in DC’s terrible traffic. Even better, I didn’t have to worry about finding and paying for parking, and I didn’t have to concern myself with the cost of gas.  As I grew up and began to travel the nation and the world, public transportation remained a part of my life. No matter where I went, if there was a bus, a train, or a trolley available, I would take it. For most of my life, I rode transit because I wanted to. That remained true when I moved to Florida nearly 20 years ago. Back in those days, I alternated between driving and taking public transit,

Santa Rosa, CA – Genesis, A Gamaliel Affiliate of the Bay Area I was born in Southern California but have been living in the Bay area since I was nine years old. I was raised by a single mom. She worked as a secretary, and we didn’t have a lot of money.  Because my mom was always working to support our family, I learned to be independent at an early age. I started riding the bus and BART at the age of 10.  When I was a teenager, we lived in Pacifica, but a lot of my friends were in San Francisco. Since the transit system wasn’t very good in Pacifica, I would walk 5 miles to go to Daly City to catch the BART. I didn’t have that much money. I would only leave the house with a quarter. At that time, you had to pay twice for the two separate transit systems in Pacifica and San Fran and there was no transfer option available. So, I had to save my money for the BART and walk. Even with that, I loved the freedom BART gave me as a teenager. When I was 32, I went to school and got