Public Transportation
Did you know... more 65,000 people each month ride the bus in our community. And the post-pandemic era has seen a 60% increase in ridership. Many riders spend hours per day commuting on a public bus.
According to the American Public Transportation Association, economics plays a significant role in who chooses public transportation. Those making $50,000 annually or more choose personal transportation or rail travel (where available). Below this, people choose the bus, cycling, or walking.
This severely limits a person's access to the amenities, job opportunities, social opportunities, and more that a modern community offers, increasing the divide between people groups, further isolating families, and increasing their vulnerability.
The Story
Beth recently aged out of foster care. She was not able to safely reunify with her family and was not adopted by one of her many foster families.
Beth just had a baby, and they are currently homeless. She was staying on a friend’s couch and contacted our organization, looking for support.
She has a job and daycare for her baby. She is looking for affordable housing near her work because she depends on public transportation.
Beth, like so many others, cannot afford a vehicle. She waits at the bus stop (for 10-20 minutes) with her infant and rides the bus (for 30-40 minutes) to daycare. She then waits for another bus (10-20 minutes) and rides an additional 30-40 minutes to get to work. She is often late to work (due to transportation delays) and is worried she will lose her job.
She spends an average of 2.5 to 3 hours waiting and riding the bus every day–and that is just to work–she must also depend on the bus to take the baby to their doctor appointments and to the grocery store.
She would love to buy a car but states she has to prioritize housing.
The Challenge
Ditch the car and go public! Ride the bus wherever you need to go – work, church, the doctor, a friend's house, to pay a bill, grocery shopping - anywhere you'd normally drive. Do it for at least a day, but you can certainly do more.
We encourage you to invite others into the experience as well.
We've made it easy for you to share this with your friends help raise awareness and critical funding to serve families like Beth's. Because of the generosity of fellow supporters, Beth and her children were able to find reliable transportation!
Let's ensure others have the same opportunity!