October 19, 2019

Announcing the Future of Transportation Caucus

Dear friend,

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.

I’m proud to launch this caucus alongside my colleagues Chuy García from Illinois and Mark Takano from California.

I was so grateful to have the 7th represented at our launch event with representatives from groups including LivableStreets Alliance, Green Roots, Transportation for Massachusetts, and the Boston Cyclists Union.

#DidYouKnow: In our district, the four neighborhoods with the longest commute times also have the largest populations of low-income residents. In fact, Black bus riders in the Boston metro area spend 66 more hours per year waiting, riding and transferring buses than white bus riders. These disparities obstruct economic mobility and create unnecessary barriers to success: barriers for the high school student trying to get to class, for the senior trying to get to a doctor’s appointment, for the hourly wage worker trying to get to their job.

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.

Without the partnership of advocates and activists like you, none of this work would be possible.

Earlier this month, I convened transit experts and advocates to discuss how we can affirm transit equity in the 7th district and across the country.

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.

Without the support and partnership of advocates and activists like you, none of this work would be possible.

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

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