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File #: 1357-2024    Version: 1
Type: Ordinance Status: Passed
File created: 5/6/2024 In control: Public Service & Transportation Committee
On agenda: 6/24/2024 Final action: 6/26/2024
Title: To authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into a grant agreement with Transit Columbus to conduct a public outreach campaign regarding the benefits of public transportation and to challenge the stigma of public transportation; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure of $10,000.00 from the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($10,000.00)
Sponsors: Lourdes Barroso De Padilla
Attachments: 1. 1357-2024
Explanation

BACKGROUND:
Public transportation plays a vital role in ensuring accessibility and mobility for diverse communities. However, negative stereotypes and misconceptions about transit ridership persist. This stigma not only undermines the dignity of transit riders but also discourages others from considering public transportation as a viable option. Columbus City Council seeks to address these issues and foster a culture of dignity and respect in transit.

Public transit ridership is diverse, encompassing individuals from various socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, and cultural identities. By celebrating the benefits of public transportation, and empowering individuals to make informed choices about their mobility options, this campaign seeks to create a more inclusive and respectful transit environment for all residents. Through collaboration with community stakeholders, transit agencies, and advocacy groups, the City aims to promote a positive and empowering narrative around public transit, emphasizing its role as a vital lifeline that connects individuals to opportunities, services, and each other. By elevating the voices and experiences of transit riders and fostering a sense of pride in using public transportation, the City seeks to build a more equitable and dignified transportation system that serves the needs of all members of the community.

Transit Columbus is uniquely situated to assist the City of Columbus in de-stigmatizing public transportation and other modes of transportation outside the norm of single-occupancy vehicles. Their mission is "to transform our mobility options to center people and communities, increase equity, and expand opportunity." Transit Columbus was organized in 2011 by community members who had long been working on sustainability and sustainable transportation. They believed that Columbus residents and the Columbus region could never reach our fullest potential without major improvements in sustainable transportation, m...

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