Feb 4, 2023 Community Panel for Transit Equity Day of Action
Some participants in Transit Equity Day at Truman High School, Feb 4, 2023.
Report from Bronx Transit Equity Day Panel with School Transportation advocates
[ Full video of the event is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSnXLM6Bhu8&t=282s ]
The Transit Equity Day Community Panel at Truman High School in Co-op City, the Bronx on February 4, 2023 was a moving exchange on the obstacles students encounter getting to school and extracurriculars–whether they rely on yellow bus service or subsidized MTA metrocards–but also on the growing advocacy for change in the governance of school transportation.
Elias Ellis, brother of a school bus rider, spoke from there to the Transit Equity Day: Live! national event, which also featured the trailer for the School Bus Bill of Rights video made in 2022 (minutes 36 and 10 respectively). Ellis emphasized how the City’s privatized busing contracts removed Employee Protection Provisions for school bus workers on many routes, leading to a shortage of drivers.
April Parks, District 11 Parent Advisory Council, Title I advocate:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CoaCzQUjOGJ/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CoQIQHKDP4v/
“Parents call me crying, threatened by ACS because their child is being marked absent–when in fact these children are late due to doubled up school bus routes. In this new semester, metrocards were not received at a number of schools in our district. There’s no one working in the subway booth to open the gates. This is not a good time for our minority youth to jump the turnstile. They are being arrested, given a summons – unless the principal intervenes – and this follows them in life. The Metrocard also has to be extended to seven days, so students can attend internships and therapies that are scheduled on the weekend.”
Ronald Hartridge, P153X Helen Keller School Parent Coordinator, DC 37 Local 372 Shop Steward: “We are the elementary school in this area with the highest number of students who rely on school bus routes. The person whose job was coordinating transportation always had a line of parents waiting to see her, yet she was excessed (laid off) in 2005; this got added onto my work duties. What do I tell a mother with a mobility disability who can’t walk her son three blocks to the bus stop that the Office of Pupil Transportation has assigned?”
Wanda Ivette Balines, PTA President in a District 75 program:
“My daughter has severe allergies. I am still fighting for her to have air conditioning on the school bus because otherwise they leave the windows down and bugs could fly in and bite her, causing a crisis. When I ask the attendants from companies like Lorinda if they are trained to give her an epi-pen, they look at me like I’m from another planet.”
Rima Izquierdo, P176X PTA President; Bronx High School Federation Presidents’ Council:
“School bus paraprofessionals are underpaid when the route is cut short, or if students are picked up before the official dismissal time. We need the people who transport our children to get full pay so they don’t quit.”
Rima Izquierdo speaks at the microphone while Lisa Lockley signs.
Lupe Hernandez, Community Education Council District 2 Manhattan Borough President’s Appointee:
“Following the Citywide Council on Special Education, many Parent Associations and councils are passing resolutions on pupil transportation demands that reflect aspects of PIST NYC’s School Bus Bill of Rights proposal.”
Sara Catalinotto, Co-founder of Parents to Improve School Transportation:
The best ideas about how to make student transportation work better come from the actual stakeholders. Leaders of parents/caregivers, disability rights organizations, school staff and school bus workers are ready to work together and to stop repeating the same harm every year. We have a challenge ahead of us, to gather thousands of signatures for a ballot proposal to empower a task force that decides and enforces equitable policies.
Longtime supporters of busing and special education Journelle Clark and Milagros Cancel each paid tribute to the inspiration of Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks, who would have been 110 on this date. Cancel, president of Timon Family Services Inc. and a mother of three students with Autism, spoke in Spanish, interpreted into English by Ms. Balines and then into ASL. (clip https://fb.watch/izGY8r4efo/)
Hernandez, Monica Roman and Johnnie Stevens of PIST worked on audio and cameras with remote support by Robert Lamothe of http://www.filmourwayfilms.com/film/ . In the end the livestream did not function, but images and video will be available on this website and/or at
https://www.youtube.com/@pistparentstoimproveschooltran
Others joined who had gotten flyers from schools across Truman/Educational Park campus. American Sign Language interpretation was hired from DB-TIP; the providers Lisa Lockley and Katie Peacock Helde signed the commentary with feeling and flair.
Organizers expressed gratitude to the administrators of P176X, and to everyone who helped publicize the event, such as Amalgamated Transit Union local 1181-1061, Communication Workers of America local 1180 Committee on People with Disabilities, the Office of Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, the Co-op City Times, and the national Transit Equity Network.
Building up to this event, the school bus activists also sought out connections with groups working for Civil Rights, educational equity, environmental justice, Grandparents' involvement with grandchildren, Paratransit riders, and NYCHA tenant rights. Other NYC Transit Equity Day actions were sponsored by The Queens Link and the #6MinuteService campaign.
…….español a continuación…….
Mark the birthday of late Transit Equity fighter Rosa Parks with school bus activists and others.
Saturday February 4th from 12 noon to 2 p.m., at Truman High School, 750 Baychester Avenue in the Co-op City area of the Bronx, 10475.
All 8 schools at that campus are coping with transportation issues, and we will hear from the community there.
We are excited to have an exchange with activists of all ages about the goals of our School Bus Bill of Rights campaign.
Contents of this page:
Live stream of Feb 4 panel is the link for those who cannot attend in person
Flyers in English and Spanish with image descriptions
Map with controls
Transit information from other parts of the city
Information about national Transit Equity Day
(in progress) information about participating panelists,
(in progress) provisions for access for persons with mobility disabilities, those who need childcare on site, etc. ASL interpretation is confirmed as of 1/24/23.
(in progress) sources for more about the contribution of Mrs. Rosa Parks
(in progress) guide on ways to help the event and/or the ongoing campaign (see home page)
Please email questions or suggestions to pistnyc@gmail.com or call/text us at 631.743.6296 in English or Spanish.
Transit Equity is a lifelong fight - it starts on the school bus - Access to school is a Civil right!
IMAGE DESCRIPTION:
Background: light neutral colors resembling a faded close- up of the black stripes on a yellow school bus.
Text: Transit Equity Day of Action; February 4th, 2023 at 12 pm noon; Truman HS, 750 Baychester Ave., Co-op City in the Bronx All are welcome! Transit equity is a lifelong fight, starting with school bus rights.
Contact pistnyc@gmail.com , 631.743.6296 , pistnyc.org/events/2023transitequityday
Images: the message Happy Birthday Rosa Parks, a glitter gold circle containing her photo, a Yellow school bus, logo of the Transit Equity network, logo of Parents to improve school transportation in English & Spanish, logo of Timon Family Services, Inc., logo of The Bronx High School Federation, QR code for this page, and symbols for ASL and mobility access.
Final line of text: Labor donated by volunteer transportation advocates.
Descripcion: Fondo: colores neutros claros que se asemejan a un primer plano descolorido de las rayas negras en un autobús escolar amarillo.
Texto: Día de Acción por la Equidad en el Tránsito; 4 de febrero de 2023 a las 12 del mediodía; Truman HS, 750 Baychester Ave., Co-op City en el Bronx ¡Todos son bienvenidos! La equidad en el tránsito es una lucha de por vida, comenzando con los derechos del autobús escolar.
Comuníquese con pistnyc@gmail.com, 631.743.6296, pistnyc.org/events/2023transitequityday
Imágenes: el mensaje Feliz cumpleaños Rosa Parks, un círculo dorado brillante que contiene su foto, un autobús escolar amarillo, logotipo de Transit Equity Network, logotipo de Padres para mejorar el transporte escolar en inglés y español, logotipo de Timon Family Services, Inc., logotipo de The Bronx High School Federation, código QR para esta página y símbolos para ASL y acceso para movilidad.
Línea final de texto: Mano de obra donada por defensores voluntarios del transporte
Taking transit to this event ( dress warmly to wait for buses )
Accessible routes according to https://new.mta.info/
SUBWAY
The only accessible 2 and 5 station is Gun Hill Road and then you have to take a bus* or car service; the elevators and escalators are functioning as of Feb 1. Double check at link above.
* BX38 toward BAY Plaza BLvd/BARTOW AV + 3 minute walk
or Bx28 to ERSKINE PL/EARHART LA , get off at ASCH LOOP/BARTOW AV + 10 min walk
On Saturday the 2 train runs every 12 minutes and is mostly going local.
EXPRESS BUS
The BXM7 Express bus goes from midmanhattan to the stop called Asch Loop/Alcott Place in 40ish minutes plus a 10 minute walk https://bustime.mta.info/m/?q=BxM7
The BXM10 Express bus goes from midmanhattan to the stop called E Gun Hill/Eastchester and then you catch the Bx38 to Bay Plaza Bartow Ave + 1 minute walk.
CITY BUSES WITHIN THE BRONX
Regular buses that run on Baychester Ave are the Bx23, Bx25, Bx30, Bx38,
and the Q50 from Flushing, Queens.
Bronx bus map was changed significantly in June 2022 https://new.mta.info/map/5366
If mobility is not an issue:
The closer, elevated stations with a long staircase are
a) 219th on the 2/5 line plus 15 minute cab ride
b) Baychester on the 5 plus 8 minute ride and we may have people to shuttle you there for free if early for the meeting.
We realize we are having a meeting in somewhat of a transit desert, but those are the communities who have the most to add to this battle.
Why February 4?
This parent and grandparent-led event is officially part of the national Transit Equity Day celebration of Rosa Parks’ birthday. The network emphasizes reliable affordable transit, clean vehicles, labor conditions, disability access, and civil rights.
WHAT HAPPENS ON TRANSIT EQUITY DAY?
All across the U.S. there will be various local events plus a national live stream from 12 noon to 2pm Eastern on Saturday Feb 4 where people will check in and describe their local transit issues. PIST will be included with others in a brief panel on school busing as transit.
Background:
Short power point https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i-zTD7nJMAQgmxsFb3F1wp-d5olfQHyc/view
3 minute video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VYYy-BAglY
Website page https://www.labor4sustainability.org/transit-equity/
***We are exploring, with this network and other groups we know of, a future virtual event to bring together student transportation activists from multiple cities and towns.***