Public transit “a civil right,” says transit union leader

​Calling access to reliable, affordable, safe public transportation “a civil right,” Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 President Raymond Jackson announced that Local 689 has joined with the Labor Network for Sustainability and a broad coalition of organizations for Transit Equity Day today, “a day to call for increased investment in public transportation.” February 4 is civil rights icon Rosa Parks’ birthday and Jackson said that “It is no coincidence that Mrs. Parks’ act on Montgomery public transit served as the springboard for the Civil Rights Movement. Public transit has and still gives access to economic opportunity that drives working families into the middle class.” That upward mobility is under attack in the Metro system “through acts including privatization, cutting service and raising fares,” Jackson said. “We should follow Rosa Parks’ example and use Transit Equity Day to ensure that public transit will always put the public first. Our re-commitment is the greatest way we can honor Rosa Parks’ legacy.”

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