Transit Equity Day, also known as Rosa Parks Day, was celebrated on February 4, 2023. The date marked Parks’ 110th birthday, and is an official holiday in Alabama, California, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Tennessee. (In Alabama, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Tennessee, the holiday is observed on December 1, the day Parks was arrested.)

Here is North Carolina, we celebrated with a great event at the Steel String Brewery in Downtown Carrboro. There were bike light and helmet give-aways, a bike repair station by the Recyclery, a thank you writing station to thank Chapel Hill Transit staff, and a brief program to highlight transit equity needs.

The event was hosted by Next Chapel Hill-Carrboro, a group working toward a sustainable, resilient, and equitable community in Chapel Hill-Carrboro, North Carolina.

It was a beautiful day in Carrboro and the vibe outside of Steel String was festive and fun.
There were stickers, small bus toys, and transit-related books to read for kids.
Here’s the thank-you station for Chapel Hill Transit operators who expertly drive 11,000 riders per day, fare-free.
The Recyclery showed up to fix bikes. They’re hands-down one of the best community partners out there.
Simon Palmore delivered a great speech reminding us that Rosa Parks didn’t refuse to give up her seat because she was tired but because she was fed up.
Crystell Ferguson, the Community Navigation Manager at the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, discussed the urgency of addressing pedestrian safety on the NCDOT-controlled MLK Blvd in Chapel Hill after two of her clients lost their lives in recent weeks.
Carrboro Mayor Damon Seils urges those in attendance to continue fighting for equitable transportation options that serve the entire community.
The Town of Chapel Hill’s Transportation Planning Manager, Bergen Watterson details Chapel Hill’s prioritization of racial equity for transportation projects and funding.
Emily Powell from Chapel Hill Transit highlights the work being done day in and day out by our dedicated transit staff to provide high quality service to Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
Melissa McCullough ties it all other by highlighting how all of these community groups work together to serve the community.

It was a great event and great to see so many people come out to support and advocate for transit equity.

In the last municipal election cycle, we helped increase turnout by over 20 percent. We're all volunteers who care deeply about Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and we're working to make Chapel Hill and Carrboro more vibrant, accessible, fun, and sustainable.  Please consider a small donation to help us keep our digital lights on, host events, and hire students to do data deep-dives.

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Ryan Byars writes about transportation infrastructure, greenways, and how to get around with your kids safely on a bike. He lives in Carrboro with his wife and three young children.