Transit Equity Day 2025
Acknowledging Transit Equity Day helps us remember how the history of transit was shaped by the Civil Rights Movement. On Feb. 4, 1913, civil rights icon Rosa Parks was born. Metro Transit's Transit Equity Day event kicks off Black History Month by focusing on our connections to family and community.
Join Metro Transit staff at Brooklyn Center Transit Center on Feb. 4, 2025, from 2:30 -5:30pm p.m. Sign up for the Transit Assistance Program (TAP) and enjoy a delicious treat and some hot cocoa or coffee.
Metro Transit has an essential role and responsibility to examine all decisions impacting our region’s access to quality transit, to reduce existing disparities, and to prevent future inequities. Here are some examples:
Network Now:
METRO Network
The METRO network, which includes arterial bus rapid transit (BRT), highway BRT, guideway BRT, and light rail transitways, represents a significant portion of Metro Transit’s planned investment in regional transit service. The Network Now concept plan includes frequency and span-of-service improvements on existing transitways, as well as the implementation of four new BRT transitways and extension of one light rail corridor by 2027.
Network Now expands the number of routes with high frequent service to better connect customers to key destinations. New high frequency service will be available on Gold Line, Green Line Extension, B Line, E Line, G Line, and routes 4, 14, 17, 22, 58, 64, 68, 515 and 724.
Read the American Public Transportation Association’s Equity Report (Metro Transit is featured)
Read the plans for the renovation of the Lake Street/Midtown Station: "Hi-Lake Project"
Equity Statement
Metro Transit's adopted Transit Equity statement, drafted by our Equity & Inclusion Team and informed by feedback from employees across the organization, guides the steps we're taking to be more equitable and inclusive. It reads:
Metro Transit acknowledges that providing safe, affordable, and reliable transportation increases opportunity. Transit services and programs should be built to equitably benefit all, especially under-served communities, including BIPOC, low-wealth, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ, youth and older adults. Transit equity requires identifying and addressing injustices and building actionable pathways to create a fair and more just future.
Metro Transit understands that transit decisions can impact the ability of under-served communities to find and keep jobs, reach medical care, access educational opportunities and affordable housing, and develop and maintain social connections, among other impacts. Transit services and investments can reduce spatial inequalities that contribute to racial, environmental, and economic disparities.
Metro Transit has an essential role and responsibility to examine all decisions impacting our region’s access to quality transit, reduce existing disparities, and prevent further inequities by:
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Reviewing and revising policies
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Seeking partnerships with other responsible institutions; and
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Improving planning and operational practices
Key Definitions
Under-served communities: Local communities that have been historically excluded from transit decision-making and benefits while carrying disproportionate burdens.*
BIPOC: Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
Disability: Includes people with physical, sensory, emotional, and cognitive disabilities, and those with chronic/severe illness. We understand the experience of disability to occur within any and all walks of life, with deeply felt connections to all communities impacted. (adapted from Sins Invalid Organization’s mission)
Inequities: When a group or an area is serviced, represented, and/or invested greater than another group or area based on access, power, and/or privilege.
Spatial inequalities: The unequal amount of resources and services that can be accessed depending on the area or geographical location.
*MnDOT: Advancing Transportation Equity Initiative focuses on communities: (1) Underrepresented in transportation processes; (2) Experiencing known inequities in access or outcomes; (3) With unique transportation needs not well served by a business-as-usual approach
For more information on Metro Transit’s equity initiatives, see metrotransit.org/Equity