Lack of Accessible Transportation Can Be a Detriment to Your Life
Without transportation equity, a lot of Charlotte citizens will continue to lack the access
to healthcare, food and other life necessities.
Environmental justice is more than just a slogan. It is a movement that demands fair and equal treatment for all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, income, or location. Transportation equity is a key aspect of environmental justice, as it affects the health, safety, and mobility of millions of people who rely on public transit, biking, walking, or other modes of transportation.
What is Transportation Equity?
Transportation equity means that everyone should have access to clean, affordable, and reliable transportation options in their communities, especially Black and brown communities that have historically faced discrimination, disinvestment, and displacement due to transportation projects.
Sol Nation is committed to transportation equity and will be working with Charlotte residents whose communities have been impacted by the construction of the new transit line. We want to ensure that they have a voice in the planning process, that they benefit from the improved service and connectivity, and that they are not forced out of their homes or neighborhoods by rising costs or gentrification. Sol Nation believes that transportation equity is not only good for the environment but also for social justice and economic opportunity.
Sol Stories: Transportation Equity
Propelling the conversations around environmental justice and social justice in ways that are authentic to the people we serve, Sol Stories amplifies these topics by adding a visual component for a deeper insight of how environmental injustices are streamlined by social injustices. In this Sol Story, we take a closer look on how unaccessible public transportation can cause the lack of healthcare, the inability to maintain employment and limited access to necessities such as groceries and medicine.
Sol Nation Gathers For Solutions
Sol Nation is about the people and getting closely involved in BIPOC communities to be a catalyst of solutions for environmental injustices such as transportation equity. This past September, Sol Nation filled a bus of local Charlotte residents and took them to Raleigh to participate in the "Activate North Carolina Transportation Convening". The purpose of this trip was to learn about transportation issues throughout North Carolina and how they can better advocate for transportation equity here in Charlotte. At the convening, topics such as "What is walkable for me, may not be walkable for someone else" surfaced. This opened up a new prospective on how important transportation equity is because often times elderly citizens are left out of conversations, sometimes with the assumption that they will be taken care of. More times than not they are alone. As shown in the Sol Stories video, It can be hard for the elderly to walk and move around just to get to the bus stop and everyone can't afford to always take the bus or call CATZ for a pick up.
Get Involved!
Stay tuned for the follow up conversation to discuss next steps to making Charlotte a more accessible city. Follow Sol Nation Inc on our campaign page, as we continue to advocate for transportation equity and other environmental justice topics. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to see updates on what we are doing in the community and how you can get involved.
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