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2/4/2025
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Rep. Morales celebrates Transit Equity Day, calls for RIPTA funding
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STATE HOUSE — Rep. David Morales introduced a resolution today honoring Rosa Parks and the long struggle for racial equality in transit and across public life by declaring Feb. 4 Transit Equity Day in Rhode Island.
“As we celebrate the historic struggle against public discrimination that Rosa Parks so powerfully and lastingly embodies, we must remember that if services are not accessible, they are not equitable,” said Representative Morales (D-Dist. 7, Providence). “Our governor’s proposed budget fails to fund our own public transport at levels adequate to maintain current routes and timetables. This failure comes after years of underfunding of RIPTA during which our state has neglected to commit the sustainable revenue sources needed to meet the transportation needs of its residents. An insufficient system is not an equitable system, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure RIPTA receives the funding it needs to continue serving our communities.”
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority faces a $32.6 million budget gap in the governor’s proposed budget, a shortfall that would lead to service cuts and layoffs.
First celebrated in 2017, Transit Equity Day has grown from event organized by labor unions, community organizations and environmental groups to an event recognized by public transit organizations, municipalities and states across the nation. It is celebrated each year on Rosa Parks’ birthday, Feb. 4.
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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