Policy Resolution ETE-18-09

WHEREAS, the U.S. Constitution guarantees to all persons, various civil rights to include equal access to opportunities that promote our individual welfare and enable our pursuit of happiness regardless of race, age, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation;

WHEREAS, the right of access to public transportation has been the subject of great attention and investment since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA);

WHEREAS, despite considerable investment, the public sector has yet to provide equal transportation access for many Americans disadvantaged by physical, economic, education, and/or health care hardships;

WHEREAS, public resources continue to subsidize more and wider roads, free parking and the location and relocation of jobs and services farther away from existing, underfunded transit services and communities, many of them impoverished or heavily populated with minorities or disabled persons; and

WHEREAS, this worsening isolation of American communities and citizens and the resulting economic and human consequences have been documented by the Federal Reserve Bank, the American Community Survey, the Brookings Institution and others.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) calls for additional funding sources for more, affordable public transportation;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL calls for the public sector to explore the opportunities for affordable public transportation to include buses, vans, shuttle buses, and other means of transportation and for the public sector to consider the financial, social, and environmental affordability issues related to access to public transportation;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL declares access to public transportation should be accessible to all regardless of a citizen’s address, race, age, religion, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation, or physical and financial ability; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.

• SPONSOR: Representative Brenda Gilmore (TN)
• Committee of Jurisdiction: Energy, Transportation, and Environment Policy Committee
• Certified by Committee Chair(s): Representative Billy Mitchell (GA) and Representative Cherrish Pryor (IN)
• Ratified in Plenary Session: Ratification Date is December 2, 2017
• Ratification is certified by: Representative Gregory W. Porter (IN), President