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 busses, trains, ferries, and other forms of public transit in the US.
Public transit is essential to our communities, to cooling the planet, 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 Stories: Jenelle Harriff
Rochester, NY: Reconnect Rochester I grew up in Webster, just outside Rochester, and started riding the bus when I was sixteen. My first job was as an intern at the Board of Elections, and I later attended Monroe Community College (MCC) downtown and in Henrietta. I lived in the Neighborhood of the Arts, so I always took the bus around town. I went to my first year of college in NYC and was very independent because of the subways, buses, and ferries. That really empowered me as a disabled person. I have one good eye due to childhood cancer, but I have bad depth-perception, so transit is a safer option for me. I came back home in 2001 but trying to get around was an adjustment for me, especially after experiencing all of those years of independence and frequent transit service in NYC and Philadelphia. In 2012, I moved to the North Winton Village neighborhood which was serviced by RTS Routes #8, #9, #10, and previously, the #48. I was recently job hunting for months and had to eliminate several employers out on Bailey or W. Henrietta Roads because there was no bus service and the OnDemand service does not
Transit Stories: Niya Banks
Washington, D.C. – Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 689 I was born at DC General Hospital in 1983. My mom worked for the federal government for forty-two years, and my dad was a teacher at John Tyler Elementary School. I grew up around my cousins, and there was always someone around to watch over me. We lived one block away from the Potomac Avenue Metro station in Southeast DC. As kids, we either walked or took public transportation to school. You could say I’ve been a lifelong Metrobus rider. When I was 16, my father passed away. After that happened, I sort of went into a downward spiral. I started getting mixed up with what my mom would call “the wrong crowd”. To make a long story short, it led me down a path that ended up with me having a criminal record. Four months after my eighteenth birthday, I gave birth to my oldest daughter, who is now 22. Soon after she was born, my first love and I broke up. I was heartbroken. I realized I had to survive on my own. The bus was my lifeline. The bus connected me to the babysitter and allowed me to get
Transit Stories: Crystal Harden-Lindsey
Baltimore, MD: Central Maryland Transportation Alliance I’m a Baltimore native and was born and raised in East Baltimore. I’ve always defined myself as a servant-leader. I was a teacher, then a principal, and now I am the Vice President of Community Impact for the Baltimore Community Foundation. My core values are centered on giving and serving. When I think of transit issues that our community faces, I often recall the challenges that students faced getting to school while I was Principal of Green Street Academy. Green Street Academy served students, grades 6th through 12th who primarily resided in West Baltimore. Green Street Academy is a public charter school. Many public school students in Baltimore rely on public transit to get to school, and students at Green Street Academy are no exception. I was very proud of my tenure there. When we started, we only had 130 students, but grew to 975 by the time I transitioned out. We were one of the first schools in Baltimore that offered classes in the trades, vertical farming, and hydroponics. We also focused on the green economy, especially green design and construction management. Given the school was located on the city and county line,
Transit Stories: Timothy Cardner
New Orleans, LA: Ride New Orleans My name is Timothy Cardner, and I am a musician, barista, and board member of Ride New Orleans. I moved to New Orleans to study music at the University of New Orleans in 2017, and graduated in 2022. My first experience with transit was taking the 55 Elysian Fields bus from UNO to my job at Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter. My shifts ended between midnight and 1 am, meaning that sometimes I would have to wait until 3 am for a bus. Other times I just waved down a cab. I own a car now, but the cost of parking and gas make it too expensive to drive every day. I save my car for when I’m transporting music equipment or when I’m leaving town. For everything else, I rely on the RTA. I now work at Cafe Beignet on Canal Street, where parking my car for a single shift would cost me over two hours of work. To get to work I catch the crowded 9 Broad bus at 5:50 am and take it to Canal Street, where a handful of riders and I transfer to the streetcar. The buses
Transit Stories: Marcel Goudeaux-Stanley
Detroit, MI: Detroit People’s Platform I am Marcel Goudeaux-Stanley, and I live just outside of Detroit. My nephews are twelve and fifteen years old and love to hang out with me and listen to music or talk about sports. I went to Berklee College of Music and play keyboards and piano in a local R&B band. When I lived in Boston, I took transit everywhere the buses and trolleys came regularly. I didn’t have to wait to get to where I needed to go. But back here in Detroit, there is a big difference. I have been riding the bus for about twelve years, ever since I was in a car accident. The good part is that it’s inexpensive and convenient. The bad is that I have to wait a lot longer to catch the bus and to get to where I need to go, but at least I can listen to my music as I ride. When I’m not rehearsing or listening to other musicians, I work in food service. I mostly use the Route 125 bus to go to work. It is only a ten minute drive but the bus stop is about a ten minute walk.
Transit Stories: Andrea Miranda
District of Columbia: Community Health Manager I am Andrea Miranda, Community Health Outreach Manager at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. I lead our Community Health initiatives and programs and address the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) needs our community faces every day. Transportation is a common barrier our patients face on a daily basis. Our patients rely on various modes of transit to get to their doctors appointments, surgeries, follow ups, screenings as well as community clinics, grocery stores, and recreation centers. Barriers to transportation directly Impact the health outcomes of the community. Our team of Community Health Advocates work with these high need patients to address their social barriers every day and have shared the qualms of the community. Many patients especially the elderly, must have reliable transportation options available to them. This population is at higher risk of falls, chronic disease and therefore the access to care is pertinent. Our team was working with a patient who was in her 80s who had multiple health issues and was having difficulty getting to and from appointments. Our team was able to set up a ride and helped her apply for Metro access to get to her healthcare appointments, but she