Everyone deserves to be able to get around this city in ways that allows for equitable access to housing, food, and jobs through a transportation system that cares for people and the planet. We can do this through expanding our public transportation system, helping people get around in cars, and taking steps to usher in the future of transportation.
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS TOLD US
“Out here at the plaza on Florida Mart, they have been trying so hard to get a grocery store – the Piggly Wiggly. We don’t have access to fresh, healthy food. I know the pandemic has stalled a lot of things, but we haven’t heard anything since 2019. Those of us who are blessed with a vehicle, can go. But for a while we didn’t have a vehicle. The busses only allow four bags. Or you have to come out of pocket for an Uber or taxi.
[The busses] are a great resource as long as they’re running on time. Often, I would have to go into work an hour and a half early or risk being late because of the way the system was run.”
“[Guilford County] is a nice place to live, but you don’t have transportation. It makes you want to go back up north where you can get around with no problems. And then there’s the job situation. All the jobs are not on the bus line. They’re too far and you can’t depend on nobody to take you back and forth to work all the time. A lot of people don’t want to pay the gas price. I live on the east side, and if Somebody wants to go to the airport, I have to pay 40-60 dollars a week to get there. If you tell somebody that, they think you are trying to rip them off. Half a tank will last you half a week. The busses can go cheaper. People can’t get out where the jobs is.”
HELP US GET AROUND
- We need elected officials who will champion the expansion of public transportation for all of Guilford County. Increasing access to transportation will make it easier for people to get to their jobs, as well as to shops and amenities to enjoy our community. Busses should run more frequently , make better connections with other routes, and take us to more places, especially where significant portions of the population do not have access to a vehicle. We also need more protected bike lanes and improved walkability. Bus fares should be immediately suspended for a short term period of “economic recovery” due to the financial burdens of the pandemic, and suspended permanently if possible. We also need to work with the bus drivers’ union to meet workers’ needs.
- We need elected officials to help people get around in cars. Many people we spoke with own a car, but it needs to be repaired or has expired tags, or they can’t afford insurance, so they can’t use it to get around. From helping people with repairing their cars to developing a municipal car-sharing program that is accessible to people without credit, we need to find ways to help people get around the county.
THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION
- We need elected officials who will advocate at the local, state and federal levels to invest in our transportation system so that we can have:
- Expanded routes that prioritize census tracts where households struggle to access vehicles
- A study on semi-permanent bus lanes for our peoples’ safety
- Light rail and bus connections to rural, residential, economic, political, and outdoor recreational centers.
- Urban Planning for future employment centers to be built with access to bus stops and within walking/biking distance of our communities’ housing.
- Bus routes that take people to hiking trails, water bodies, and parks, because these centers of our city and community provide joy, happiness, and a connection to the environment around us.