This Earth Day, the Denver Streets Partnership along with dozens of national and local organizations have joined together to demand a historic investment in public transit in the U.S. to prioritize people and communities. COVID-19 presented unprecedented challenges for public transit, and alongside it a unique chance to reshape our transportation system. We can’t just return to pre-COVID service levels. Frequent and reliable public transit is critical to reducing reliance on carbon-emitting cars and trucks, while also boosting economies and promoting racial justice and equitable access.
The American Jobs Plan introduced recently by President Joe Biden includes $85 billion in investments for public transit over 10 years but does not explicitly call for a boost in funding for transit operations. A letter from the National campaign for Transit Justice states: “President Joe Biden has called for the country to build back better. We can’t build back better without robust investment in public transit infrastructure and operations … Public transit is the foundation of our communities and the economy. It must also be the scaffolding for the new economy we create.”
Transit is an economic engine, moving millions of people daily and generating trillions in economic activity. Transit is a vehicle for racial equity though the communities that rely on public transit most heavily are often those facing disinvestment and living in transit deserts. Reinventing the future of public transit infrastructure is a key part of slowing climate change with more than 28 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. coming from transportation. Both Colorado and the Denver region have ambitious climate and air quality goals that cannot be met without investment in public transit, which will help reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gases emitted. Now is the time to invest in the public transit infrastructure for the future.
Please let your US Senate and House representatives know that you support increased funding for public transit by sending an email.