Transit Riders for Public Transportation

$70M Transit Breakthrough in Restoring Civil Rights Title VI

Francisca Porchas — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:39:00 -0800

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GUEST BLOG: Update from Chicago--senators, doomsday layoffs

Mike Pitula — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:27:02 -0800

In January, the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) of Chicago was proud to take part in the TRPT's National Advocacy Day for Civil Rights. We met with the staff of Senator Durbin and Senator Burris, as well as the staff of Representatives Davis, Gutierrez, Jackson, Jr, Lipinski, and Quigley. Because senators’ number one priority right now is jobs, we stressed...

2009: A Tough but Exciting First Year for Transit Riders for Public Transportation

Francisca Porchas — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:33:47 -0800

It has been both a tough and exciting first year for our civil rights and environmental justice campaign to influence the second largest federal bill: the $500 billion federal surface transportation act. Over the past two weeks, I had the opportunity to step back and reflect on my eventful year as lead coordinator of Transit Riders for Public Transportation.

Federal Transportation Act: a Battle for Climate Justice

Sunyoung Yang — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:18:55 -0800

Lead Organizer and National Coordinator of the Transit Riders for Public Transportation (TRPT), Francisca Porchas discusses the battle for climate justice in the re-authorization of the $500 billion Federal Surface Transportation Act in this winter's issue of Race, Poverty, & the Environment themed "Climate Change: Catalyst or Catastrophe?"

Re-Envision Urban Transit with the Bus Riders Union

Sunyoung Yang — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:17:05 -0800

On Thursday November 19th, the Transit Riders for Public Transportation Campaign and the Bus Riders Union hosted a transportation briefing event, "Re-Envision Urban Transit: Los Angeles and Beyond."

California Supreme Court: "Spillover" Transportation Funds Can't Be Diverted!"

Richard A. Marcantonio — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:01:40 -0700

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L.A. County MTA Board support H.R. 2746 (Carnahan Bill)

Sunyoung Yang — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:33:56 -0700

MTA approved to support H.R. 2746 (Carnahan Bill) at the September MTA board meeting. This bill will allow local transit agencies to use anywhere from 30-50% of the transit funding they receive from the federal government to operate their public transportation system.

Delegation Part 3: Lucille Roybal-Allard

Kelsey Tanaka — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:54:42 -0700

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Delegation Visit Part 2: Xavier Becerra

Kelsey Tanaka — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:10:02 -0700

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.

Private Enforcement of Regulations Promulgated by the Secretary of Transportation to Effectuate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act

Francisca Porchas — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:49:38 -0700

Sec. [ tbd ]. Private Enforcement of Regulations Promulgated by the Secretary of
Transportation to Effectuate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Bus Riders Union visits Diane Watson

Kelsey Tanaka — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:23:04 -0700

With the reauthorization of the Federal Surface Transportation Act (FSTA) still pending in Congress, the first delegation of Bus Riders Union members visited House Representative Watson's office to meet with her district transportation staffer, Ken Bell, last Thursday August, 20th, 2009.

Next Push for Federal Transit Operation Funding! Take Action Now

Sunyoung Yang — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:00:47 -0700

The good news is that as a result of the calls and emails sent by members of the TRPT campaign over the past month, the number of congressmembers co-sponsoring H.R. 2746 (Carnahan-MO) has grown. As you may recall H.R. 2746 is a marker bill that will allow more federal transit dollars to be used for the cost of operating buses and trains in the upcoming $500 billion federal surface transportation act (FSTA).

TEN's report: Stranded at the Station

Sunyoung Yang — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:45:31 -0700

Our overview and the report by Transportation Equity Network (TEN) and Transportation for America (T4A): Stranded At the Station, outlining the financial crisis of public transportation across the country.

Francisca Porchas & Laura Barrett: Turning the Highway Bill into Pro-Public Transit, Pro-Environment Policy

Tammy Bang Luu — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:45:15 -0700

Two national public transit organizers explain why the federal surface transportation in Congress right now has huge implications for the future of public transit and the environment in the US, and how a national campaign led by environmental and transit justice groups are intervening to upset the traditional pro-highway, pro-auto script.

TRPT National Day of Action

Ian Sawyer — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:48:03 -0700

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Bus Riders Union Organizes to Stop the Nationwide Transit Crisis

Sunyoung Yang — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:25:48 -0700

BRU members equipped with cell phones jumped on the buses to encourage bus riders to make phone calls to their congressmembers to co-sponsor H.R. 2746, a bill in the House introduced by Congressmember Carnahan (MO), that will allow 30-50% of federal transit dollars to be invested into transit operations.

National Day of Action Slide Show

Gabriel Strachota — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:43:58 -0700

See pics of BRU members fighting for more operations funds from the federal transportion bill.

National Day of Action for Transit Operations Funds

Sunyoung Yang — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:32:56 -0700

Join us July 22nd in Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, New York City and Portland! We're calling on the Obama Administration and Congress to break with the last two decades of favoring toxic highway expansion.

Potholes in the Stimulus Plan - Why isn't Mass Transit Part of the Package?

Manuel Criollo — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:53:19 -0700

We are featured in this piece in a Slate publication called "Big Money". It does a good job at showing how the stimulus transportaion funds follow the status quo of federal transit funds that virtually fund exclusively the expansion of highways over public transportation. It's titled, "Potholes in the Stimulus Plan - Why isn’t mass transit part of the package?" by Amy Tennery.

Blueprint for the FSTA Is Out!

Sunyoung Yang — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:43:28 -0700

The first draft of the reauthorization bill has been released by Oberstar's committee. We will be putting out a full analysis in a few weeks but a picture is coming into focus...

TRPT Packs D.C. Briefing Room: Advocacy Day 2009 Report

Francisca Porchas — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:34:08 -0700

On Tuesday, June 9th, ten different organizations from across the country, including our allies from Transportation Equity Network (TEN) joined Transit Riders for Public Transportation (TRPT) for their first national Advocacy Day on the Hill. The first half of the day organizers from across the country met with at least 30 meetings with the staff of congressional leaders. The Advocacy Day culminated with a Congressional Briefing hosted by TRPT and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee member, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano on the importance of greatly expanding permanent transit operating assistance funding in the next federal surface transportation act...

Join us for our First Advocacy Day in D.C

Francisca Porchas — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:17:05 -0700

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Oregon Joins The Campaign

Francisca Porchas — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:23:11 -0700

We are glad to welcome Organizing People, Activating Leaders (OPAL) and the newly formed Portland Transit Riders Union to our national campaign. A third organization, Oregon Action, is currently deliberating joining. We also held extensive discussions with many new allies in the state. Oregon is extremely important because Congressman Peter DeFazio is the chair of one of the two main committees drafting the federal surface transportation act...

Atlanta Transit Riders Union – Atlanta Jobs With Justice: Statement On MARTA Financial Crisis

Terence Courtney — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:31:05 -0700

Interview with Laura Flanders, Grit TV--Transit operations crisis, 80/20 and the climate future

Francisca Porchas — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:17:27 -0700

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New EPA Chief At WE ACT Conference, What's Our Next Move?

Francisca Porchas — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:49:15 -0800

To understand how monumental it is for Lisa Jackson to be the new EPA chief, you have to look at history. Traditionally, heads of the EPA have been for the most part white men praised for how much money they saved industry....

Rose Braz and Guillermo Mayer: Budgets, stimulus, prisons and buses

Manuel Criollo — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:51:48 -0800

Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) spokesperson Rose Braz and Public Advocates civil rights attorney Guillermo Mayor unmask California's budget crisis, prison juggeraut, and future of public transportation.

Cecil Corbin-Mark: The climate crisis and obama

Eric Mann — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

WE-ACT for Environmental Justice climate policy expert and environmental justice organizer Cecil Corban-Mark asks whether or not the free market solutions that created the climate crisis should be used to fix it.