[Durham INC] Easy ways you can help improve the Durham bus system

[John Tallmadge]

A big part of Bike Durham's agenda to achieve a safe, affordable, and
sustainable transportation system in Durham is tied to improving our local
and regional bus system. There are three ways right now that you can help
make this happen:

1)* Register for our webinar
<https://actionnetwork.org/events/webinar-godurham-build-a-better-bus-project?source=direct_link&referrer=group-bike-durham&link_id=0&can_id=6fe4bed85280c1c68574bedb6886ac15&email_referrer=&email_subject=do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham>
on
August 5th at 7pm to learn more about the GoDurham Better Bus Project. *We
have invited the City of Durham's Transportation department and their
consultant team (including lead consultant WSP) to share details about
this Better
Bus Project
<https://durhamnc.gov/4372/GoDurham-Better-Bus-Project?link_id=1&can_id=6fe4bed85280c1c68574bedb6886ac15&source=email-do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham&email_referrer=&email_subject=do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham>.
The City of Durham is using some transit tax money to make improvements to
the access to bus stops along segments of Fayetteville and Holloway
Streets, to the schedule reliability of some bus routes, the conditions at
50 bus stops in addition to the Village Shopping Center bus stop (the
second most used stop in the system).

The program will include the perspectives of bus riders, an overview of the
unique engagement process, and a demonstration of the projects that
exemplify access improvements, reliability improvements, and bus stop
condition improvements.

*Register now for the webinar.*
<https://actionnetwork.org/events/webinar-godurham-build-a-better-bus-project?source=direct_link&referrer=group-bike-durham&link_id=2&can_id=6fe4bed85280c1c68574bedb6886ac15&email_referrer=&email_subject=do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham>
 We thank WSP for sponsoring this event.

2) *Sign up to join the Transit Equity Campaign.*
<https://actionnetwork.org/forms/join-the-transit-equity-campaign-2?source=direct_link&referrer=group-bike-durham&link_id=3&can_id=6fe4bed85280c1c68574bedb6886ac15&email_referrer=&email_subject=do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham>
 The Durham Transit Team has released information about the options for
investing $500 million in public transit over the next 20 years. We
encourage you to visit their website
<https://engagedurham.com/durham-county-transit-plan/?link_id=4&can_id=6fe4bed85280c1c68574bedb6886ac15&source=email-do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham&email_referrer=&email_subject=do-you-want-a-better-bus-system-in-durham>.
The Transit Equity Campaign is focused on prioritizing investments that
benefit current transit riders, transit workers, and residents of
low-income neighborhoods of color. We will be evaluating the options
released to help educate you and riders on which options best achieve our
goals.

3) *Take Action to let Senators Burr and Tillis know that public transit
funding must be in the infrastructure bill.*

We have a big opportunity to increase public transit funding at the federal
level through the bipartisan infrastructure bill, but that funding is at
risk. Our Senators are both on the negotiating group for the bill, so
hearing from their constituents matters.

Federal transportation policy has basically been on auto-pilot for the past
forty years, when President Reagan and Congress made a deal to provide 80%
of transportation funding to highways and 20% to public transportation.
You get what you pay for, so it’s no surprise that we now have a
transportation system oriented toward driving, which is costly for both
families and the environment.  Public transportation – the lifeline for
essential workers not just during the pandemic but for the past forty years
– has been left behind.

Reports suggest that instead of increasing the share of funding that goes
to transit, negotiators are considering cutting it back, so that even less
of the federal transportation program will go toward clean, affordable
public transportation.

*Please call Senators Burr (202-224-3154) and Tillis at (202-224-6342) with
the following message:*

*"[Senator’s name] needs to stand up for public transit riders in North
Carolina and negotiate to include a better share for transit than 20% of
guaranteed transportation funding in the infrastructure legislation." *

Thank you for taking these steps to improve the bus system in Durham.

Be well,
John
-- 
John Tallmadge (he/him/his)
Executive Director
Bike Durham
919.672.3862


Support our work with a tax-deductible donation today!
bikedurham.org/donate [image: 🚲][image: 🚌] [image: 🚶]
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.deltaforce.net/pipermail/inc-list/attachments/20210728/64c6c918/attachment.htm>