Transit Equity Day 2020: TOWN HALL Report

April 8, 2020

Introduction

Transit Equity Day, coined by the Labor Network for Sustainability, is a day of action for unions and organizations to collaborate and elevate the message that public transit is a civil right and a key strategy to combat climate change. Transit Equity Day honors the birthday of Rosa Parks, who in 1955 refused to give up her seat on the front of a bus as an act of civil disobedience against segregation. Her actions affirmed that everyone has a right to equal access on public transit.

The Sierra Club and Philadelphia Climate Works joined several local community, environmental and workers justice organizations to form the Philadelphia Transit Equity Day Coalition and participate in the Labor Network for Sustainability’s Transit Equity Day national call to action.

We chose to use Transit Equity Day as a platform to honor the histories of other key local transit and civil rights advocates, like Octavius Catto, an educator, abolitionist, and civil rights advocate whose activism successfully desegregated Philadelphia’s horse drawn trolleys in the 1860s. We celebrate Philadelphia’s Transit Equity Day on Octavius Catto’s birthday: February 22nd. 

Why is Transit Equity Important Now?

Transportation decisions we make today will have a significant impact on the lives of our communities for years to come and we must ensure that our policy and funding opportunities address, not worsen, the health and social inequalities facing Philadelphians. This is at the heart of Transit Equity Day, and it is even more important due to several transportation planning processes launching this year.

The City Transit Plan is one of the recommended strategies from the Strategic Transportation Plan, CONNECT, published in 2018. This plan will define Philadelphia’s role in improving public transit into one where residents choose transit first, over other transportation options. The result of the plan could include a long-term vision for transit, rail infrastructure and bus corridor improvements, and policy and funding recommendations. Public engagement will begin in March 2020 and the 18 month planning process should be completed in 2021.

SEPTA’s Comprehensive Bus Network Redesign, as recommended by the 2018 Philadelphia Bus Network Choices Report will redesign our bus network to get more people to more places sooner. This process will change some routes, the spacing between bus stops and service patterns. This is a multiyear process: SEPTA will release a Request for Proposals to select a consultant team to assist with bus network redesign, and will also engage stakeholders and the public in goal-setting and reviewing design options. Additionally, SEPTA announced a proposed Fare Restructuring Plan to address the inequitable cost burden on low-income families. Although the transit agency initially planned to coordinate 10 public meetings on its operating budget, including the fare restructuring plan, these meetings have been postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis and will reconsider scheduling planning meetings in May 2020. 

At the state and regional-level, the Transportation and Climate Initiative is pushing states, Pennsylvania included, to design a regional cap-and-invest program to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector while generating income for transit and clean transportation investments. This process is moving into Phase 5, where states will decide to sign a final Memorandum of Understanding, agreeing to the terms of the policy proposal. Implementation of the program is expected to begin as early as 2022.

With community voices at the center, these opportunities could open the door to more equitable investments in transit to reduce the legacy of harm on low-income communities and communities of color while also increasing connectivity throughout the city and Greater Philadelphia region.

The Transit Equity Day Town Hall

The Transit Equity Day Coalition chose to plan and facilitate a community town hall event to give community members and local decision-makers the opportunity to address challenges and discuss visions for public transit in advance of the launch of the region’s upcoming transportation planning processes. The goal of the Town Hall was to begin critical conversations about the future of our transit system while demonstrating a model of public engagement that centers lived experiences and community-generated solutions.

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Two photos of the Transit Equity Town Hall event showing participants having seated discussions in the auditorium at Project HOME. Photos by Ricky Yanas.

Typically, planning processes led by the City and SEPTA follow a standard model: residents and transit riders are invited to come into Center City Philadelphia to view poster presentations or watch a live presentation given by an agency official and ask questions and provide feedback, either verbally or in writing. Virtual feedback options are also provided during the comment period. Once the comment period ends, a final plan is released, and participants have no way of knowing whether their comments and feedback were considered. 

In contrast, the Philadelphia Transit Equity Day Coalition chose to develop and model our version of an ideal public participation and community engagement process that: 

1. Centers the lived experiences of residents as necessary expertise, 
2. Reduces burdens on residents to participate, 
3. Levels the power dynamics between city and agency decision-makers and residents, and, 
4. Is a fun demonstration of popular education as a necessary component of public participation.

Below is an overview of the event structure, outreach process and outcomes. 

Community Partnerships and Targeted Neighborhood Outreach

We chose a community partner organization to host our event, Project HOME, because of its commitment to the community that it is located in, North Central Philadelphia, its commitment to addressing poverty and social barriers to community resilience, and because of its multigenerational reach with services. The venue, Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs, is also an ADA accessible location. However, this area of North Philadelphia is not one of the most transit accessible neighborhoods within Philadelphia, which is also another reason why we chose to prioritize residents in this area.  

We partnered with Project HOME and with multiple community and nonprofit organizations within and outside of the Coalition to promote the event in the neighborhood. A few members of the Coalition went throughout the neighborhoods surrounding our event venue to ask local organizations and businesses including churches, recreation centers, convenience stores, pharmacies, barber shops and hair salons, to hang a flyer on their walls or doors. We also guerilla postered over predatory home-buying signs and handed out flyers to transit riders waiting at nearby stops. Our coalition partners, the People’s Emergency Center and Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, also advertised and flyered in their neighborhoods in West Philadelphia and North Philadelphia, respectively. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, Transit Forward Philadelphia, and Indego Bike Share collaborated on advertising and group bike rides to the event. We also targeted outreach to specific organizations and demographics that were not represented in our Coalition including, the Center for Returning Citizens, Liberty Resources Inc., and Strawberry Mansion High School. And each organizational partner within the Coalition pushed out communications to their citywide networks. 

Modeling Popular Education in Public Participation 

One of the central goals of the event was to level the power dynamics inherent in most public participation processes by inviting City and SEPTA officials and City Council members to attend the event as participants and witness the testimonies and solutions generated by community members. We invited city and agency officials to attend and hand delivered invitations to City Councilmembers. Representatives from Representative Houlahan, Councilmember Gym, and Councilmember Green’s offices attended, as did a representative from the City’s Office of Sustainability and from SEPTA’s Citizen Advisory Committee. 

The Coalition chose to continue the birthday party theme that we established in 2019’s Transit Equity Day event by celebrating Octavius Catto’s birthday, providing food and birthday cake, and fun, interactive activities. We began the event with a gallery walk of posters providing background information on transit equity, asking generative questions that participants responded to using sticky notes, and interactive activities, like a mapping exercise where participants drew their route to the event on a large scale transit map. We had students from a local afterschool music program, Beyond the Bars, perform original live music for the event and participate. And, one of the favorite elements of the event was a large-scale graphic illustration designed by Illustrating Progress during the event, which captured the feedback and stories shared during the event.

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Mabari Byrd (Sierra Club, TED Coalition) is shown chatting with an attendee as she writes on a sticky note for one of the event activities (top left); a student from Beyond the Bars sings lead as her classmates plays original songs for the event (top right); Nora Elmarzouky (in.site collaborative, TED Coalition) takes notes as folks seated at their table listen to a participant’s comments (bottom left); a young attendee holds the microphone as a participant shares a summary of her table’s discussion (bottom right). Photos by Ricky Yanas.

We had a facilitator at each table of participants guide an open-ended discussion and record notes, asking questions like, “What does transit equity mean to you?”, “Do you have any significant memories/experiences on SEPTA/public transit?“ and, “Imagine public transit 10 years from now — what would you like to see?” (A full run-of-show can be viewed here).  Then, each table had one participant briefly share an overview of the issues, solutions, and stories discussed (and those report backs were recorded on the graphic illustration). The group also discussed how they’d like to see our Transit Equity work move forward in the future, which included suggestions that the Coalition do more work around reporting on the surveys we collected in 2019, and marking the progress made on addressing the issues and recommendations for next year. We ended the event by asking participants to sign the graphic illustration, take photos (and tweet SEPTA’s Twitter handle) as a testament of the collaborative visioning that we completed. 

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An adult attendee assists a young participant in signing their names onto the graphic illustration (left); several attendees gather around the graphic illustration to take closer looks and sign their names (right). Photos by Ricky Yanas.

Outcomes

Overall, the feedback, stories, and solutions captured during the Town Hall event were in alignment with the results of the Coalition’s 2019 survey results: fares, cleanliness and communication, accessibility, and service frequency are the top priorities for transit riders and community members. 

A digital image of the graphic recording by Haley McDevitt and Chrissie Bonner of Illustrating Progress, co-signed by the Philadelphia transit rider community and participants of the Transit Equity Day Town Hall.

Fares: As highlighted by the 2019 Pew Study, SEPTA fare is expensive, particularly for those paying cash fare. Penalizing cash payment is unacceptable. Ending the transfer fee, fare capping, reduced fare programs for low-income riders, expanded fare support for youth and schools, and a family pass are all proposed strategies for making SEPTA more affordable. Participants also noted a desire for payment options to be easier by, for instance, integrating app-based payment options like Apple Pay and Venmo. 

Cleanliness and communication: User experience is an important aspect of transit Clean vehicles, and covered and comfortable waiting areas are important in communicating that riders matter and making riders feel safe. Transparent service updates with realtime information is also an important part of the user experience. Clearer announcements and better detour communications are necessary to improve rider experience.

A close-up image of a portion of the graphic recording by Haley McDevitt and Chrissie Bonner of Illustrating Progress that reads, “Transit stops need elevators, shelters, and ramps for accessibility and comfort.”

Accessibility: Philadelphians deserve an accessible transportation system. Increasing the number of physically accessible MFL, BSL, and Regional Rail stations as well as standardizing when buses kneel for passengers are proposed ideas. Neighborhood transit access – having a neighborhood well served by public transportation – is an important part of accessibility as well. Sharswood, where Transit Equity Day 2020 was held, is an example of a neighborhood that needs better transit access. Without safe and continuous sidewalks, no transportation system can be accessible.  

Service frequency: SEPTA riders deserve more frequent service with better coverage of Philadelphia throughout the week. For Philadelphians to be able to use transit outside of a 9-5 work schedule there needs to be frequent, dependable options available at off-peak times.

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An adult and child participant smiles and gives a peace sign for a photo during the Transit Equity Town Hall (left); Yasha Zarrinkelk (Transit Forward Philadelphia, TED Coalition) is shown sitting at a table listening to a young participant’s thoughts during the small group discussions (right). Photos by Ricky Yanas.

We also spent time reminiscing about our favorite features of public transit and significant memories that were made on or due to SEPTA. Here are a few of the fond memories and favorite pastimes that were shared:

• Holiday decorations on buses and trolleys
• Drivers helping community members
• Taking public transit to sporting events and avoiding the crowds in parking lots
• Beating friends to a destination on transit when they are driving 
• Recognizing the same people on during daily commutes
• Riding the 33 with kids and experiencing their joy in taking the “bendy bus” 
• Enjoying performances by artists at transit stations
• SEPTA tokens
• Making friends with bus drivers and other riders
• A story of two train conductors meeting at SEPTA and marrying each other.

A close-up image of a portion of the graphic recording by Haley McDevitt and Chrissie Bonner of Illustrating Progress that reads, “Conversations to Improve Philadelphia’s Transit System,” and “What progress have we made?”

Participants also brainstormed several visionary initiatives to build deeper and more equitable relationships between SEPTA and their communities, including: institutionalizing community leadership in designing new routes, expanding the SEPTA workforce and budget to more frequently tackle cleanliness, maintenance, while providing good, family-sustaining wages; building partnerships between SEPTA and neighborhoods to tackle dangerous corners and bus stops, and to highlight local businesses and events “on the line.” 

Conclusion

Overall, we learned that transit riders and community members want public transit to be of higher quality than private transportation services and they want transit to play a critical role in helping their communities to thrive. To directly quote a participant’s definition of transit equity, “using public transit should be as dignified as using a car.” 

The Transit Equity Day Town Hall underlined the needs and issues identified in the previous year’s work, and we learned that participants are interested in our group continuing to uplift community and transit rider-generated ideas and experiences. The Coalition will follow up with public officials to further discuss opportunities to more closely align the process and outcomes of our upcoming transportation plans and initiatives with the vision that our Transit Equity Day participants crafted. Additionally, we demonstrated that community engagement should be fun, collaborative, inclusive and multigenerational, and the Town Hall event should serve as a model that can evolve and be tailored to future public participation processes.