Thanks to everyone who attended the Solidarity Summit on Affordable Transit on July 26th! The house was packed with people and energy, and the afternoon was filled with great speakers, discussion & comradery. Special thanks to our panelists, emcee, workshop facilitators, and all the TRU members who volunteered their time and helped to make the event a success!
If you didn’t make it, you can still watch the speaker program below. Big thanks to Mike McCormick, host of Mind Over Matters on KEXP, for taking the time to come out and record!
Tuesday, July 26th
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
215 Columbia St.*
Seattle and King County are at the forefront of a growing movement for mass public transit that is affordable and accessible to all. Just in the past few years, low-income transit riders, public school students, college students, workers, social service providers, and homeless people have organized and won important victories.
Riders speak out for affordable transit in April 2015
And yet, we still have a long way to go. You’re invited to participate in a community assembly on July 26th as we celebrate the progress that’s been made, discuss campaign efforts now underway, envision a future of universally affordable mass transit, and build momentum for new wins this fall!
*SEIU 775 building downtown, served by many transit routes
Solidarity Summit Program
11:45 am Doors open, Socializing and Refreshments
12:00 pm Welcome & Introductions
12:15 pm Panel discussion with audience questions
1:15 pm Break & Mingle
1:30 pm Workshops
2:15 pm Break & Mingle
2:30 pm Report-backs & Action Plans
This event is free and open to all, but registration is encouraged. In addition to helping us plan, benefits of registration include:
We have four great workshops planned for July 26th. Here they are! We have limited space in the workshop rooms, so if you have your heart set on one in particular please make sure to register in advance.
1. Riding While Poor: Transit Access for Homeless & Very Low-Income People
For many, ORCA LIFT is too expensive. Thousands of homeless and very low-income people rely on single-use transit tickets from social service providers; but as housing costs and homelessness continue to rise, the need has far outstripped the supply. This workshop will focus on King County’s Human Services Reduced Fare Ticket Program program. How is it working and how could it be improved? What potential exists for new pass-based programs that are more affordable than ORCA LIFT? What are the challenges? How can transit riders and service providers build grassroots momentum and political will to improve transit affordability & access for homeless and very low-income people?
2. Affordable Transit Around the U.S. and Around the World
Rising fares and inadequate funding for public transit are problems that extend beyond Seattle, King County, and Washington State – and so does the movement for affordable transit! In this workshop we’ll look at some different ways transit systems around the country and the world have implemented programs to make transit affordable. We’ll find out how these programs work, how they’re funded, and what King County and Seattle can learn from them.
3. Climate Change, Public Transit & the Funding Wars
As climate change accelerates, we are confronted with the urgency of reducing carbon emissions. Public transit is a clear part of the solution. So why is investing in a true mass transit system, and incentivizing ridership by keeping fares low, not a priority in the United States? In this workshop we’ll delve into the details and history of the underfunding of public transit systems in Washington State and beyond, and discuss what we can do to turn the tide.
4. Tell Your Story to the Camera!
Do you have trouble coming up with money for bus fare, or have you in the past? If you had an unlimited transit pass, how would that change your quality of life? Do you rely on tickets from human service agencies? Your story can help us to win more affordable transit for thousands of people, and we want to record it for posterity! In this workshop we’ll be conducting short video interviews, inviting you to speak about your experiences riding public transit and what affordable transit means to you. We’ll use these videos to create a short online film. And if you prefer to write about your ex periences instead, that helps too!
In March TRU endorsed Initiative 1433, to raise the minimum wage and guarantee paid sick leave for workers throughout Washington State. The clock is ticking to gather enough signatures before the June 30th deadline. This month TRU members and friends will be helping to gather signatures. Join us! Check our calendar for details, or volunteer directly with the Raise Up Washington campaign.
This Saturday, come on out to the Hillman City Collaboratory for a community screening of This Changes Everything, the 2015 documentary film based on Naomi Klein’s best-selling book on climate change and the need for a radical social and economic transformation. TRU is hosting this free event in collaboration with the Meaningful Movies project. There will be popcorn and other refreshments, and the movie will be followed by a discussion. RSVP on Facebook and invite your friends!
Sunday, May 1st is International Workers’ Day! TRU will be rallying and marching in solidarity with workers and immigrants in the annual rally and march organized by El Comite, and we invite you to join us. We’re also launching the spring issue of our Transit Reader newsletter that day.
1 PM – Gather at Judkins Park, 2015 S. Norman St. (served by Metro routes 8, 48, 27, 3, 4, 7) 2 PM – Rally at Judkins Park 3 PM – March begins, proceeds to downtown Seattle.
TRU will have our table set up in the park from 1-3 PM, so come by to say hi and grab a free copy of the Transit Reader! We’ll also have copies of the Seattle Transit Map, and balloons for the kids. After that we’ll be marching with our banner, and we’d love to have you join us!
UPDATE: Monday, May 2nd Friday, April 29th is the last date for public comment on ST3, the 25-year, $50 billion light rail expansion package that will be heading to the ballot this November. Click the image at the left to visit the ST3 website, where you can read about the package, take a survey, and find details of public meetings.
TRU is submitting a letter (you can read a draft here) urging Sound Transit to make the following improvements to the ST3 proposal:
Use their progressive Employer Tax authority to raise an additional $1-2 billion
Speed up the timeline for an infill station at Graham St.
Add funding for a station at 130th St.
Prioritize affordable housing and equitable Transit-Oriented Development near stations and on Sound Transit land
Starting in June, social service organizations will be able to purchase these “combo-tickets” to distribute to very low-income and homeless riders. Until then, organizations that purchase light rail passes will receive bus tickets for free.
Thank you to everyone who signed our petition and helped us to win this campaign! TRU will continue to push for more tickets to be available to organizations at a lower cost, and for monthly ORCA passes that are affordable and accessible for very low-income and no-income riders. Join us – together we can win!
Starting mid-June, social service organizations will be able to distribute these new “combo-tickets” so that riders who rely on tickets can ride the light rail as well as buses.
Saturday, April 16th @ Westlake Park
3:00 PM Community Meal
3:30 PM Rally
4:00 PM Ride the Rail!
Thousands of riders in King County rely on bus tickets from social service agencies. But, these tickets aren’t accepted on Link Light Rail. Especially since the March 26th bus service restructure, these riders are being left with a second-class transit system.
In 2015 the ORCA LIFT program that TRU and others championed brought welcome relief from high fares for low-income riders who can afford $1.50 per ride, or $54 for a monthly pass. But for riders with very low or no income, this is still unaffordable. And it’s these people who are most reliant on public transit – to get to work and job interviews, to school, to medical appointments, and to access basic necessities like shelter and food.
In January, the Transit Riders Union and the Our City Coalition called upon Sound Transit and Metro to find a solution that doesn’t create a two-tier transit system and is affordable for all. Join us on April 16th for a community meal, rally and direct action to turn up the ????HEAT!????
Welcome to the new Transit Riders Union website! The old site served us well for the past 4 years, but as TRU has grown so have our electronic needs, and so we must discharge our old friend from duty.
Please excuse us while we finish updating some of the content. And if you find any broken links, or otherwise have any suggestions, just send an e-mail to our volunteer webmaster scott@transitriders.org.
Homeless and very low-income transit riders depend on bus tickets from social service agencies for basic mobility. Riders use these tickets to travel to work, housing, shelter, medical appointments, and essential services.
These tickets aren’t accepted on Link Light Rail or Sound Transit Buses.
On March 26th, King County Metro is restructuring bus service in NE Seattle to integrate with the newly extended Link Light Rail line. That means thousands of riders who depend on the tickets will be left with a second-class transit system, or in danger of penalties for fare evasion.
Please sign our petition below, and join us on Saturday, April 16th, 3:00 PM at Westlake Park for a free community meal, demonstration and action to bring attention to this issue.
In March TRU endorsed Initiative 1433, to raise the minimum wage and guarantee paid sick leave for workers throughout Washington State. The clock is ticking to gather enough signatures before the June 30th deadline. This month TRU members and friends will be helping to gather signatures. Join us! Check our calendar for details, or volunteer directly with the 
