District of Columbia Transit Equity Day Recognition Resolution of 2025

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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION

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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

February 4, 2025

To recognize February 4, 2025, as “Transit Equity Day” in the District of Columbia and to reaffirm
the Council’s commitment to providing residents and visitors with an equitable, accessible,
and reliable transit system.

WHEREAS, Transit Equity Day is observed annually on February 4, the birthday of Rosa
Parks, to honor her life and legacy;

WHEREAS, Rosa Parks, hailed as the “mother of the c ivil rights movement,” is perhaps
best known for her courageous refusal to give up her seat on a segregated public bus in
Montgomery, Alabama , resulting in her arrest in 1955 and the subsequent Montgomery Bus
Boycott, a foundational moment in the Civil Rights Movement that focused on the need for justice
and equity in public transportation systems;

WHEREAS, on March 2, 1955, Claudette Colvin —just 15 years of age—refused a white
woman’s request to relinquish her seat and was subsequently arrested;

WHEREAS, that same year, on October 21, 18-year-old Mary Louise Smith was similarly
arrested for her refusal to give up her seat to a white bus rider;

WHEREAS, Claudette Colvin, Mary Louise Smith, and two other Black women who
experienced harassment by bus drivers were the 4 main plaintiffs in the landmark federal bus
desegregation case of Browder v. Gayle, 142 F. Supp. 707(1956), in which the United States
District Court for the Middle District of Alabama held that racially segregated public transportation
systems violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment;

WHEREAS, despite ending legal segregation on public transit, unequal access to public
transit based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, income, age,
or disability has persisted in many transit systems across the country;

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WHEREAS, public transit is a crucial transportation option for low -income travelers, but
reduced funding for transit , and the resulting loss of service or fare increases, have exacerbated
existing economic barriers;

WHEREAS, public transit is essential urban infrastructure that —just like roads, bridges,
tunnels, and utilities —is crucial to the economic, social, and environmental well -being of the
District and the metropolitan region;

WHEREAS, a robust and accessible public transportation network connects people to
home, work, school, and places of worship, as well as to opportunities for dining, entertainment ,
and recreation;

WHEREAS, in addition to providing critical transportation services to the public, transit
agencies also provide stable careers through which thousands of people support their families,
contributing to the economic strength of the region;

WHEREAS, p aratransit services are necessary to ensure seniors and people with
disabilities maintain access to public transit, and the paratransit system should be enhanced so that
it, at a minimum, provides the same standards of reliability, timeliness, and convenience as other
parts of the system;

WHEREAS, safety is a critical component of accessibility, and t he Council remains
committed to achieving Vision Zero, eliminating all traffic fatalities in the District, and ensuring
everyone can safely move throughout the District—including to and from public transit facilities;

WHEREAS, emissions from the transportation sector account for 21% of the District’s
total greenhouse gas emissions (“GHG”), with passenger vehicle emissions comprising the single
largest source of transportation-related emissions;

WHEREAS, these GHG emissions and other vehicle-related pollutants have the greatest
impact on communities closest to highways and other major roads, which are disproportionately
communities of color or economically disadvantaged communities;

WHEREAS, public transit is a sustainable alternative to personal vehicle travel and
increasing ridership on public transit can help reduce the District’s GHG and mitigate our impact
on the environment and climate;

WHEREAS, reducing disparities in transit access , shifting to more sustainable
transportation modes, and increasing “green” career opportunities are key components of a “Just

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Transition” from a carbon- intensive, fossil-fuel based, highly unequal extractive economy to a
more just, pollution-free, and resilient renewable energy-based economy;

WHEREAS, the Council is committed to working with regional partners, including the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the Metropolitan Washington Council of
Governments, to build a modern public transit system;

WHEREAS, all District residents deserve access to an equitable, accessible, and reliable
public transportation system; and

WHEREAS, achieving transit equity requires that we strengthen our public transportation
system, expand low -cost transportation options, improve safety for all roadway users , and
eliminate physical, economic, and social barriers that prevent equitable access to all modes of
transportation.

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia Transit Equity Day Recognition Resolution
of 2025”.

Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and hereby proclaims February
4, 2025, as Transit Equity Day.

Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.