Metro Magazine, September 2020

METRO MAGAZINE COM SEPTEMBER 2020 W hile transit continues to help communities through the COVID 19 pandemic so too is it impacting another major issue of our times that is the idea of social justice With thousands around the nation hitting the streets to protest the killing of African Americans by the police the spotlight has been shone on the need for greater economic and social diversity and inclusion While many in Congress have made what is going on a political issue there is no doubt diversity and inclusion are human rights issues And those rights include the ability for people to access transportation to get to and from work as well as medical services and other essential needs including food THE NEED FOR MOBILITY In this issues Q A with Cleveland RTAs Dr Flounsay Caver he discusses how the classifications of our work force here in the U S has switched from blue or white collar to those who can or cannot work from home For those that cannot work from home many of those folks often rely on public transit to get them to and from work in jobs that have been deemed essential at this time Cavers argument is that a lack of continued funding for public transit during the pandemic could lead to the slowing down of the economy not only in Cleveland but in cities around the country On the topics of diversity and inclusion Caver points out that 79 of the people who use RTA on a regular basis are minorities and 77 of the total people that use the system are transit dependent During a recent APTA Mobility and Rail panel COTA President CEO Joanna Pinkerton and LA Metro CEO Phil Washington shared similar numbers while also reiterating Cavers concerns in addressing the mobility issues for those people who rely on transit to make a living More importantly they all stress the importance of continuing to provide mobility options for those that live in lower income neighborhoods KEEPING THE ECONOMY GOING In late July APTA gathered several CEOs from around the nation who discussed the current situation at their agencies and how a lack of additional federal funding would impact the services they provide In some cases the outcomes would be dire Importantly the lack of additional federal funding would lead to cuts in services that could directly impact the most vulnerable During this time of awakening and renewed focus on diversity and inclusion it is key for transit to continue to provide mobility options not only for those that need it most but for the communities they have continued to serve day in and day out during the pandemic It is for these reasons and more that the industry must continue to reach out to their local congressperson to continue making them aware of just how essential public transit is Peoples lives and livelihoods depend on it Stay positive heathy and safe JAMES BLUE GENERAL MANAGER PUBLISHERS PAGE HOW FUNDING COULD IMPACT DIVERSITY INCLUSION 36 it is key for transit to continue to provide mobility options not only for those that need it most but for the communities they have continued to serve day in and day out during the pandemic