October 19, 2019
Announcing the Future of Transportation Caucus
For years, transportation systems in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district and across the country have perpetuated disparities – forcing many of our low-income neighbors to pay more, endure long commutes, and lose pay and family time. With our current transportation infrastructure entrenched as one of the largest sources of carbon emissions, it is critical that we support multi-modal transportation options like cycling, rapid speed transit, and walking.
I’m proud to announce that I, in partnership with my colleagues Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (D-CA), and Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA), launched the Future of Transportation Caucus – a new congressional caucus dedicated to creating a vision for the future of our transportation system that emphasizes equity, access, and sustainability.
At our launch, I was joined by transit justice advocates from our district including LivableStreets Alliance, Green Roots, Transportation for Massachusetts, and the Boston Cyclists Union and others.
Earlier this month during our district work period, I convened transit experts and advocates for a roundtable discussion on what we can do to reimagine our transportation systems and affirm transit equity in the 7th district and across the country. The thoughtful insights and innovative ideas shared at the roundtable will inform the caucus’s agenda as we lay out the vision for the future of transportation in our communities.
The Future of Transportation Caucus will bring together experts, activists and policy makers to advance federal transportation and infrastructure policies that prioritize community connectivity and promote transportation justice so every community has access to the critical housing, education, employment and health services necessary to thrive.
Our caucus is already at a robust 21 members, including Reps. Hank Johnson (D-GA), Joe Morelle (D-NY), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Donna Shalala (D-FL), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), and Gil Cisneros (D-CA).
I’m excited about this opportunity to reimagine our federal transportation policy together, and I look forward to partnering with many of you to ensure that we are building a roadmap for how our transit system can stop perpetuating disparities and reverse them for good. Stay tuned for updates from the caucus and ways to get involved in the 7th!
If you missed our kickoff event, you can still watch it here!
Sincerely,
Ayanna Pressley
Member of Congress