Bus Riders Union delegation at the office of Congressman Xavier Becerra.
From left to right: Kelsey Tanaka, Field and Constituent Outreach Supervisor Gayle Greenberg, John Bell, Maria Paz Jaen, Field Deputy Nicolas Rodriquez.

In the second part of our series of delegation visit reportbacks for the Transit Rider's for Public Transportation National Campaign, Bus Rider's Union members, John Bell and Maria Paz Jaen, visited the office of their congressmember, Xavier Becerra on Thursday September 3, 2009.  They urged Congressman Becerra to co-sponsor and support H.R. 2746 and the TRPT campaign platform for better low fare bus service for low income communities of color. This all comes at critical time, a time when Los Angeles residents are facing massive unemployment, high pollution rates, cuts in social services, and a cost of living that increases by the day.   

For John Bell the meeting was a chance to speak about how "better bus services help working class communities gain employment by providing access to all areas of LA County where at least some jobs exist." In addition he added, "More money for bus operations and purchases can provide jobs for drivers, mechanics, and administrators who will be needed to run new buses." With an unemployment rate in Los Angeles County at 12.5% as of July 2009, the TRPT demands provide a comprehensive plan to not only improve the bus service and lower the fares but to also create green jobs for LA County.

 John Bell and Maria Paz Jaen stand in front of Congressmember Becerra's office. 

Supporting H.R. 2746 and the TRPT program also means supporting environmental justice. John Bell worries that climate change has shifted the feeding and migration patterns of animals throughout the world as pollutants like particulate matter, NOx, ozone and other toxins contaminate our environment long after they are released from cars and trucks. "These are toxins we breathe in everyday," he says, "and they cause things like cancer, asthma, heart disease and other public health problems." Buses provide a real environmentally and fiscally sound, alternative to LA's highway and car addiction.

Maria Paz Jaen, a leader in the Bus Riders Union and in her community of Pico-Union sees how poor bus service affects families. She explains: "Sometimes a mother has two children that attend different schools in different locations. That means she has to take multiple buses to get both children to school on time." "This," she notes, "is extremely difficult and costly since the MTA eliminated transfers and continues to raise fares." This is a common story, where the mother must essentially pay a double fare just to travel to one location.

In the end Maria Paz concluded that "this is only the first time" and that "we will need to continue the fight for better public transportation for working class communities of color both through our organizing and pressuring our elected officials." There is much to be done but both John and Maria Paz are optimistic as we start the dialogue with representatives like Xavier Becerra who wield considerable influence in Congress to affect the federal surface transportation act.

Check back soon for Part 3 of our delegation series with Lucille Roybal-Allard!