Nearly 400 people turned out April 9 to join the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and its many partners for a unity parade and rally as a part of “Stand Up 4 Transportation Day”— a national day of advocacy on April 9 to create awareness and support for long-term, sustainable transportation funding.
The event began with a unity parade down the 16th Street Mall from Market Street Plaza to Denver Union Station. Leading the parade were various modes of transportation including buses, shuttles, vans and bicycles, cabs, car services, and pedicabs, followed by regional leaders and members of the public. Participants wore matching SU4T t-shirts, carried signs, waved “transportation rally towels” and chanted in unity as they marched to Union Station – an iconic example of the importance of federal transportation funds.
At Union Station, the crowd gathered for a rally to encourage Congress to pass long-term transportation funding. The rally featured speakers from a cross-section of the community sharing brief comments about the importance of transportation in their lives.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock got the crowd pumped up with a catchy chant, “Pass the bill. Pass the damn bill.” He also spoke about the importance of transportation funding for a city to flourish. “Transportation is the lifeblood of our city,” he said. “But just as a strong public transportation system can provide our cities with a competitive advantage, a crumbling infrastructure is threatening our economic future. That’s why cities are taking the lead to push Congress to reauthorize a long-term transportation bill that increases federal funding.”
Congresswoman Diana DeGette attended the rally to hear the call from the people first-hand. “The message from today’s rally was clear: people are desperate for expanded, updated and affordable transportation,” said Representative Diana DeGette. “They expect Congress to do their job and pass a transportation bill. I call on Speaker Boehner to do his job and bring the bill to the floor for a vote.”
The Stand Up 4 Transportation effort is being led by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) to push the U.S. Congress to pass a long-term transportation spending bill. The current funding bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP 21), expires May 31. RTD General Manager and CEO Phillip Washington initiated the idea in his role as this year’s chair of APTA.
“It’s time to do some nation building,” said Washington. “But the funding is the key to more access to transit, new buses and trains, more reliable service, less gridlock. We can’t meet the demands of our growing population and economy without a long-term commitment from Washington.”
Along with RTD, more than 300 transportation partners from across the nation marked the day with a variety of activities in many other cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Dallas, Atlanta, New Jersey, Phoenix, Charlotte, Boston, Salt Lake City and others.
In Colorado, RTD collaborated with various transportation partners on this effort including the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado Association of Transit Agencies, the Denver Regional Council of Governments, the city and county of Denver, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Contractors Association, Transit Alliance, the Downtown Denver Partnership and other regional transportation organizations.
“Sustainable funding is crucial for maintaining roads and transit facilities; replacing bridges and buses; and building new roads and rail lines,” said RTD Board Chair Chuck Sisk. “Locally, projects like Union Station, the 16th Street Mall and five RTD rail lines, including the East Line to Denver International Airport, have occurred due to federal funds.”
At the rally, elected officials and citizens from a cross-section of the community emphasized how significant federal funding is for the growth and success of the region and giving a sense of independence to people with disabilities.
In addition to the advocacy events, the Governor of Colorado, along with several other local cities, officially proclaimed April 9 as Stand Up 4 Transportation Day.
An online petition to Congress as well as information on how to contact members of Congress voicing support for transportation funding is available online at www.standup4transportation.org.
At the end of the rally, Washington encouraged everyone to continue their advocacy efforts beyond April 9.
“Thank you so much for being here today,” he said. “And for having a voice, for showing your support for our future, for standing up and speaking up to keep transportation moving. Today is just one day in the fight for our transportation infrastructure. Please keep showing your support to Congress and together we can make a change.”
