Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Transportation as a Civil Rights Issue

From Wired, a provocative claim:

Many things come to mind when you think about transportation: Traffic, congestion, mass transit and the cost of fuel, to name a few. You might also think about the economy, urban planning and the environment. Yet one thing often is left out of the discussion: civil rights.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights lays out the case for transportation as a civil right in a report,
Where We Need to Go: A Civil Rights Roadmap for Transportation Equity.

The way the conference sees it, access to transportation is key to connecting the poor, seniors and those with disabilities to jobs, schools, health care and other resources. It is essential to widening opportunities for all. Many of us take our mobility for granted, but getting around can be a real challenge for millions of Americans.