55 years after Rosa Parks stayed in her seat, FTA pursues equal transit access for all

Thanksgiving may have been last week, but today is the day to express our enthusiastic gratitude to the late Rosa Parks. It was on December 1, 1955, that this courageous seamstress refused to give up her seat in the "whites-only" section of a Montgomery, Alabama, transit bus.

Her arrest for disobeying the bus driver's authority to enforce Montgomery's segregation laws led to the end of those laws and helped fuel the Civil Rights Movement.

2005 poster commemorating the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks' arrest, courtesy Metropolitan Transit Authority / BusTalk

In the years since then, the Federal Transit Administration has worked hard to eliminate discriminatory barriers of all types on America's public transit systems. More proactively, the FTA has also worked to increase minority and lower-income engagement in the transit planning process.

As FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff said:

“The FTA is proud to carry on the legacy of Rosa Parks every day as we ensure that all transit riders are treated with dignity and respect and have equal access to transit. No one should ever be prevented from connecting with their families, meeting friends, or visiting their local downtown centers. And FTA will continue to work diligently to safeguard the civil rights of all transit riders in every community.”

The bus where Rosa Parks sat on December 1, 1955, now on display in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI

Thanks to the FTA's historically high investments in public transit, riders across all geographic, economic, and ethnic lines now have access to safe, affordable, and reliable transportation.

In just a few decades, the FTA has helped transform transit from a separate-but-equal enterprise in many parts of the country to a thriving industry that strives to serve all. And for her role in initiating that transformation, we owe our thanks to Rosa Parks.

Comments

[Sally Flocks]

I encourage the USDOT to require increased investment in facilities that provide safe pedestrian access to transit. Research by the Atlanta Regional Commission showed that one-fourth of all pedestrian crashes in the 18-county Atlanta region occurred within 100 feet of transit stops. Pedestrians love transit -- but should not be dying to catch a bus.

[VA home loan]

1 small act of courage can change history. Consider this next time you think that you cannot make a difference.

[Tabitha]

We've made tremendous progress, but let's not forget that there's still more to do. Women and minorities are still not well represented in many stages of the planning process, communities still struggle to maintain service and affordable fares in economic downturns, many fare structures still place more burden on those who travel with children (who, statistically, are more often women), many vehicles and facilities still present barriers to those with limited mobility--the list goes on. Honor the past, but keep fighting the good fight.