| R 088 |
| 2023 -- H 5406 Enacted 02/07/2023 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| PROCLAIMING FEBRUARY 4, 2023, AS “TRANSIT EQUITY DAY” IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN HONOR OF ROSA PARKS AND HER HISTORIC FIGHT FOR EQUITABLE PUBLIC TRANSIT |
Introduced By: Representatives Morales, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Tanzi, Fogarty, Shallcross Smith, Ajello, Kennedy, and Kislak |
| Date Introduced: February 07, 2023 |
| WHEREAS, Transit Equity Day is the collaborative effort of Civil Rights Leaders, |
| Environmental Organizations, Labor Unions and Laborers who are working together to bring |
| awareness about the critical importance that robust public transportation has to all members of |
| our community and to galvanize people to support equitable and sustainable public transit; and |
| WHEREAS, The day chosen for this event is the birthday of Rosa Parks, an iconic figure |
| during the civil rights movement for refusing to give up her seat on the bus, and thus signifies the |
| connection between her act of resistance to the essential need to fight for a truly equitable transit |
| system and the rights of all people to high-quality public transportation; and |
| WHEREAS, To honor and celebrate Rosa Parks’ life and legacy, many public transit |
| systems across the country have reserved a seat in respect of this civil rights hero with a rose and |
| her picture occupying an empty seat on public buses; and |
| WHEREAS, Public transit provides basic mobility for many in our communities. It is |
| also as essential an urban infrastructure as are roads, bridges, tunnels and utilities, and is crucial |
| to the economic, social and environmental well-being of our State; and |
| WHEREAS, Investments in the public transit workforce, in addition to providing better |
| service, boosts local economies, expands opportunity and racial equity, and increases |
| environmental sustainability by reducing climate emissions; and |
| WHEREAS, Affordable public transit, that reliably connects people in all communities to |
| their home, work, school, places of worship, shopping, health, and recreation, in an efficient, |
| sustainable and timely manner, is crucial to the economic growth of this State and to ensure that |
| no community, regardless of income, national origin, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, |
| age, religion, or ability, is left behind; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| proclaims February 4, 2023, as “Transit Equity Day” in honor of Rosa Parks and to bring |
| awareness to the public to support equitable and sustainable public transit; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode Island Department of |
| Administration, RIPTA, the RI Transit Riders, the George Wiley Center, Grow Smart RI, and |
| Labor 4 Sustainability. |
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