From the MBTA to Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, and from neighborhood street corners to highways spanning the state – we know that our transportation system is not working. Now more than ever we feel how the existing system limits our access to opportunity, our health, and the climate.
We know that people in Massachusetts are impacted by these issues on a daily basis, and that the best solutions will come directly from the community – not from a few people deciding what’s best for everyone.
T4MA has designed a 4-part learning series to help new organizers, members of the community, and those interested in transportation work so that they can gain new knowledge and collaborate on how best to get decision-makers to advance transportation justice.
What is T4MA's People's Caravan?
A learning series digging into transportation justice: Building foundational knowledge for folks to confidently engage in conversations on transportation policies.
This will be a 4 part series – these modules are for anyone working to advance social justice who wants to gain foundational knowledge and tools related to transportation topics in Massachusetts.
Each of the 4 modules build upon the other, but we invite you to join whichever ones you can.
2024-2025 People's Caravan Modules
We want to hear from YOU!
Module 4 – Taking the Next Step: What Can Be Done – Participate in this module to discuss what you can do to support the maintenance and improvement of transportation systems in the state. This will be an opportunity for us to collaborate on strategies for coalition building and to draft campaigns to support the ongoing journey toward transportation justice in Massachusetts.
- When: Thursday January 30th, 12:00nn-2:00pm
- We will hear from leaders and advocates who are proposing solutions and frameworks that help propel transportation systems forward.
- Joined by: Karen Chen, Executive Director of the Chinese Progressive Association and Etel Haxhiaj, Senior Policy Manager for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council and Worcester City Councillor.
Module 3 – Off the Rails: Addressing Fiscal Shortfalls – Participate to learn about what is needed to ensure robust public transit across the state, including from Regional Transit Authorities, the MBTA, and micro-transit. Together we will consider how our public transit systems impact individual decisions and have the potential to support equity for Black, brown, low-income and working class people.
- When: Wednesday January 22nd, 6:00-7:30pm
- With: Sofia Owens, Senior Attorney & Director of Environmental Justice Legal Services at Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE); Jarred Johnson, Executive Director of Transit Matters; and Stacy Thompson, Former Executive Directer of LivableStreets Alliance
Module 2 – Uncovering the Cost: Current Funding Structures – Participate to learn about how money flows in and out of our transportation systems. Together we will consider what is and isn’t working about how transportation systems and projects are funded in the state, including how funding decisions impact our ability to get where we need to go. Where does the funding come from, and where does it go?
- When: Thursday December 12th, 12:00nn-2:00pm
With: Alexis Walls, Campaign Director at the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance and co-leader of the Regional Transit Authority Advocates Coalition, Joan Griswold, Director of Community Programs at the Hilltown CDC, and Brian Kane, Executive Director of the MBTA Advisory Board
Module 1 – Grounding in Our History – Participate to learn how unjust policies have shaped our transportation systems and communities. Together we will uncover how segregation and redlining impact where we live and how we move.
- When: Wednesday December 4th, 6:00-8:00pm
- With: Vatic Kuumba of One Square World and Mela Bush-Miles from Action for Equity