|
Ask the Governor and legislature to resolve the transit strike!
You can take action on this alert by reading the information below and following the
directions at the bottom.
The Governor and the Metropolitan Council have failed to reach a contract agreement with the transit drivers’ union, and a general strike has occured.
Over 200,000 people use transit in our region each day. The strike has stranded many bus riders. Others have been forced to bike, walk or catch a ride with someone. Regardless, tens of thousands of cars have been added to our already congested highways.
Our transit system has been chronically underfunded for over a decade – our region invests only 65% per capita for transit of what other cities our size invest in their transit systems. The Governor and legislature have cut transit funding three times in the last three years. Riders have endured fare increases and service reductions and now transit workers are fighting against reductions in benefits and wage freezes. The Twin Cities region must begin investing in its transit system. The costs to our region’s families, businesses and workers are enormous, and have gotten worse since the strike occured.
These costs include:
• potential job loss, medical care and other essential services denied to those who cannot drive
• health care costs aggravated by air pollution as thousands more cars are added to our roads and freeways
• increased costs to workers and businesses who now have to pay to park
• time and money lost when workers, families and freight sit in congestion
The Governor should agree to binding arbitration of all outstanding issues to resolve the strike. The Governor and legislature should also restore past cuts to transit funding to help resolve the strike and restore the service cuts imposed last year. Legislators have the power to provide more transit funding and can help pressure the Governor to come to a resolution for the strike.
Please edit the message below and then click send to tell the Governor and your legislator how important transit is to you and the region and tell them to do whatever they can to resolve the strike and restore funding for transit.
Your message will be sent to each of the following targets:
Governor
Your State Representative
Your State Senator
A sample message appears below, which you may edit before sending.
Transit is essential to our region – resolve the transit strike
Dear Governor,
Our transit system keeps the region moving. The transit strike has stranded people who cannot drive or don’t have access to a car. Many riders have also been forced to drive making traffic congestion even worse.
Our transit system has been on a “starvation diet” for a decade. Cuts to transit funding in the last three years have only moved us backwards and made our region less competitive. We must invest more in our transit system – we only invest 65% of what our peer cities invest in transit. More transit means more options for people, cleaner air, reduced energy use, less congestion and a reduced need for parking.
A transit strike will cost our region when:
• bus riders miss work and loose access to essential services
• workers have to drive and pay for parking
• congestion increases and workers, families and freight sit in traffic congestion
• public health is impacted by air pollution when thousands more cars are added to our roads and freeways
Together the Governor and legislature should find more funding for transit. In the meantime, please do whatever you can to resolve the transit strike without cutting service or raising fares. Binding arbitration would allow a neutral third party to determine what is fair. The costs of the strike are too high for me and our region’s families, businesses, and workers.
Sincerely,
Your name and address here
|
This Action Alert Campaign is Closed.
|
|
