Prioritizing Transit in COVID-19 Response & Recovery

The Issue

In early- to mid-March 2020, COVID-19 infections accelerated across the United States. Social and economic institutions began to shut down in a hurry. The week of March 14, over 280 thousand people filed for unemployment in the U.S. Two weeks later, the number jumped 2400% to 6.9 million. With the pandemic upending daily life and keeping many people at home, transit ridership plummeted. Transit systems here in Minnesota and across the nation were in trouble, and would require significant infusions of money to stay afloat.

Why It Matters

Transit is an essential service to sustain our communities. Many of our most vulnerable community members rely on transit to get to work, the grocery store, and the doctor. Many of these community members are essential workers—people whose jobs are to care for the sick and elderly, people who keep childcare centers running, people who pick up the trash and process shipments. Transit is critical at all times and is crucial for our future.

Our Actions

In the face of these realities, Move Minnesota advocates for emergency and ongoing transit funds at the state and federal level. We coordinate with national transportation and transit advocacy organizations, including TransitCenter and Transportation for America, to push for transit stimulus money and to ensure that funds designated for transit can be used for transit operations as well as capital expenses. We organize partners in Minnesota to boost transit funding on the priority list for the Governor’s administration and for leaders of both parties in the Minnesota House and Senate.