Public Transit and Education Transform Communities

Think Outside the Box When It Comes to Mobility and Your Labor Day Weekend

• The Staten Island Ferry—This 25-minute (one-way) ride offers great views of the Statue of Liberty and downtown skyscrapers.
• Seattle-Bainbridge Ferry—Several ferries can be found in the Seattle area. Right from the heart of the city, you can catch a 30-minute ferry to Bainbridge for a great day trip. Amazing views abound.
• Water Taxis—Many cities along waterways offer water taxis. Boston, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Miami all offer water taxi services for local transportation and sightseeing.

• Google Maps
• TripGo
• Citymapper
• Moovit
• Many regions offer online trip planners or even apps to help you combine public transportation options and get around. Just search the name of your destination city followed by the words “transit trip planner.”

Come on our Summer Transit Trek!

Millions of Americans are hitting the road this summer, and many are turning to public transportation to get them around these destinations. Join us as we embark on a Tourism Transit Trek across the nation!

You can follow along and share how you use transit when you travel by joining the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Embracing Multi-Modal Transportation

A lot us begin our summer vacation by loading up the car or heading to the airport. But once you get to your destination—whether it’s a big city, resort town, or National Park—you can see more, meet people, and relax by using public transportation.

Here are just a few ideas for using public transportation on your summer vacation.

• Beach Town Buses—Many American beach communities support tourism by offering free or low-cost bus or shuttle services. Public transit helps reduce traffic snarls and can make towns more walkable. Before you head to the beach, visit the tourism website of your destination town or region. Here’s another hint: You can often reach beach towns from cities using a regional bus service. Have you tried one of these bus services? Tell us about it here!
• National Park Shuttles—Many National Parks are packed full of visitors all summer long. They suffer from road congestion and clogged parking lots. To address this problem, several National Parks now offer shuttle service. You can combine bicycling, walking, and bus-riding to see parks and help reduce the impact of cars. Have you visited a national park? Did you bike or take a sight-seeing bus? Tell us about it here!
• Multi-modal Transportation—Driving and parking in a big, unfamiliar city can be a serious drag. Some cities offer day or week-long transit passes that let you use multiple forms of transportation. You can save money and sometimes travel faster by using buses, commuter trains, and light rail. Many cities now also have bike- and scooter-sharing, which provide another transportation option for visitors. Tell us about what type of transit you hopped on when you visited your summer destination!

We want to hear from you. Share your travel transit tips and photos by posting on Facebook and Twitter and tagging us at #Voices4Transit.

We Did It!

1,000+ Petition Signers
3,700+ Emails to Congress
126,600+ Reached on Social Media

You made #GetOnBoard Day a success.

Nationwide Action for Inaugural Get on Board Day

Americans across the nation raised their voices on April 25 during the first-ever National Get On Board Day. People gathered in city squares for rallies, shared their support for #publictransit on social media, rode their local public transportation systems, and much more.

Voices for Public Transit advocates also emailed their lawmakers to urge them to champion public transportation during upcoming infrastructure and transportation debates.

Transit in Our Communities

One highlight of National Get On Board Day was the strong participation of transit systems around the country. More than 250 systems, agencies, and supporting organizations participated in the event—from Alameda-Contra Costa Transit to Williamsburg Area Transit Authority and everywhere in between.

Many transit systems rolled out the red carpet for citizens by offering free rides. We also saw systems host a health fair, offer yoga, and run a scavenger hunt. It all showcased how public transit brings communities together and improves citizens’ lives.

What Happens Next?

National Get On Board Day sent a powerful message to Capitol Hill. More members of Congress, especially those who are new to Congress, know Americans want increased funding for public transportation. Our job now is to make sure that message stays at the forefront.

In the coming months, Congress will be able to demonstrate whether they’re truly listening. We’ll be watching—and we’ll be calling on Congress again to support mobility for all Americans by investing in public transportation.</i,g>

Our Nation Needs to Get on Board

We’re coming to the climax of the public transit story: When you get right down to it, building out public transportation is a matter of national importance.

Public transit matters to individuals and communities. It must also matter to the nation if we are to achieve the kind of mobility people want and need in the 21st century.

A strong multi-modal transportation system, with public transportation as the backbone, allows people to thrive and commerce traffic, and the business of our nation to flow smoothly. That’s why today, April 25th, we are asking our lawmakers to ensure that America is “On Board.” For public transportation

1+2+3 = Better Transit—and Better Mobility—for Everyone

When you speak directly to Congress, they listen. Take just a few minutes today to urge Congress to “Get On Board!”

Federal investment in public transportation pays off societally and economically:

• Creating Jobs and Powering the Economy—Investing in public transportation creates jobs and serves as an economic catalyst. Every $1 billion invested in public transportation supports or creates more than 50,000 jobs. Transit projects also attract business investment and community development.
• Fighting Poverty—Access to transportation is the single-most significant factor in enabling people to break the cycle of poverty. Public transportation helps more people access jobs and education, and gives them greater self-reliance.
• Promoting Public Health—Every year, transportation barriers prevent millions of people from accessing medical care. A greater investment in public transit can help close the transportation gap that limits access to healthcare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports investment in public transportation because of its contribution to public health.
• Congestion--We also need public transportation to reduce traffic congestion. It’s no fun to be stuck in traffic, and it costs our nation more than $300 billion annually. A renewed national commitment to public transportation will help fight this rising cost.
• Cleaner Air—In the context of the national conversation around reducing carbon emissions, taking more cars off the road should be a key part of the solution, and that’s something public transit does better than anything else.

Why Do We Need Congress to GET ON BOARD?

Looking ahead, Congress has two major opportunities to get on board with public transit:

• Infrastructure Legislation—Republicans and Democrats alike have said they want to tackle our nation’s infrastructure challenges. Increased investment for public transportation should be part of any infrastructure legislation.
• Transportation Bill Reauthorization—Our current transportation bill, Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, expires in 2020. As part of a new long-term transportation bill—or separately—Congress needs to shore up the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which helps fund public transit.

We’re already sharing the stories of how public transportation benefits individuals and entire communities. Stay tuned for actions you can take to get our nation “On Board” not just today, but for every day to come!