BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore group pushing for more equitable transit policies commemorated the 64th anniversary of the Montgomery bus boycott with a virtual rally, linking the civil-rights campaign of the 1950s to the fight against local public-transit cuts brought on by the pandemic.

In response to record low ridership in recent months, the Maryland Transit Administration aimed to eliminate 25 Baltimore bus lines that would affect mostly Black neighborhoods.

Sharif Rashid, a Baltimore resident, and the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition pushed back to stop the agency but it still slashed service, making it difficult for Rashid and others to get to their jobs.

"When the pandemic hit I had to change the location of my job, and now I'm currently at FedEx," Rashid explained. "Just for, you know, a $16 or $17 wage, I've got to go hours out of the way. If I catch a Lyft or Uber, it's $25 or $30; I didn't really make anything for the day, you know what I mean?"

Rashid spoke at the virtual rally. About one in three Baltimore residents lacks access to a car, and nearly 40% of bus riders work essential jobs.

The rally was sponsored by groups including the Equity Coalition, Racial Justice Baltimore and the Maryland Sierra Club. It's on the Facebook page of the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition.

The 64th anniversary of the Montgomery bus boycott is a compelling reminder of how public transportation activism can result in social change.

Brandon Scott, Baltimore's newly elected Mayor, made that point at the rally. He said Baltimore's Black neighborhoods are still dealing with the challenges and injustices of biased transit policies.

"Historically, transit and equity has always been linked back to racial injustice, in Baltimore and beyond," Scott remarked. "The work that's happening today is building on the work of civil rights leaders like Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks, who we know started the Montgomery bus boycott."

Claudette Colvin, the first person arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white person, also spoke at the rally.

The Central Maryland Transportation Alliance's 2020 report card gave Baltimore's transit system a letter grade of "D" for the fourth straight year.


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Two South Dakota cities scored well this year on a national ranking of livable communities.

In AARP's 2024 Livability Index, Pierre ranked 15th in small communities and Sioux Falls ranked 14th in the large community category. The platform scores towns based on indicators like housing, transportation, environment and health. Pierre and Sioux Falls scored highest in the "opportunity" and "engagement" categories.

Lindsey Holmquest, associate state director of community outreach for AARP South Dakota, said such qualities are often underestimated.

"The piece that is often overlooked is that social connection piece," Holmquest pointed out. "It's important for people to feel connected to their community, their neighborhood, their neighbors, their service providers. The people that make up a place are just as important as the infrastructure."

Holmquest noted the index could be a useful checklist for ensuring communities are welcome places for people of all ages. The "neighborhood" category, for example, considers access to grocery stores, parks, libraries and more.

Whether a town made the list, the ranking system could be useful for any community.

Steve Watson, partner at Teton Ridge Consulting, has helped communities across the state with development projects. He said city leaders, economic development organizations and city councils could all use the index.

"I think it would be a really good framework to help ensure that the policies they're creating, the investments they're making, the decisions they're making kind of tie back to these indicators," Watson outlined.

Watson used the Tatanka Trail as an example. The Fort Pierre project, currently in design, includes a pedestrian bridge, plaza, outdoor exhibits and a trail. The project has received federal funding through the American Rescue Plan.

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is leading efforts to modernize and expand the state's passenger rail system, with significant projects underway to separate passenger and freight rail services.

DJ Stadtler, executive director of the authority, is touting what he hopes to be a game-changing effort to separate passenger and freight services and build state-owned rail infrastructure. He thinks current plans will lead to better on-time performance and increased reliability for both freight and passenger trains.

"We're purchasing a lot of the rail between Washington and really North Carolina, so we have dedicated passenger track, so only passenger trains will go on our track that we own," Stadtler explained. "The freight track traffic will stay on the freight lanes."

Virginia's rail modernization comes as part of a broader national effort. The Biden-Harris administration recently announced more than $1 billion in funding for passenger rail improvements and the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is applying for more grants under the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program, with applications due in December.

The rail authority's ambitious plans aim to make passenger rail a more attractive option for Virginians, with incremental improvements leading to a more comprehensive rail system by 2030. By 2027, Stadtler pointed out Virginians will also see the introduction of Amtrak's Airo equipment, modern train sets designed for improved energy efficiency and a better passenger experience.

"The engines are dual mode, so you'll be having the same engine in D.C. that's electric when you get there," Stadtler outlined. "Instead of taking that engine off the conductor, the engineer will just hit a button, the electric pantograph will go down, the diesel engine will light up: boom! And then we'll continue southbound, so it'll be a much smoother trip."

As part of the future vision, the number of daily round trips between Richmond and Washington, D.C. will increase from five to 13, with nearly hourly service by 2030. In August, Virginia officials approved a deal with Norfolk Southern to expand passenger rail services, extending trains from Roanoke to Christiansburg in the New River Valley.

This week, federal officials announced a new round of funding for passenger rail projects. It is part of a larger push to expand and restore service, including an old Amtrak route which once made stops in North Dakota.

The $1 billion in total grants is part of a larger rail funding pool under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority is helping restore a former route connecting Chicago to the Pacific Northwest, which ran until the late 1970s. The reinstated line would bring back service along the route to cities such as Bismarck.

Dave Strohmaier, chairman of the authority, said they were awarded seed money last year and remain hopeful about what lies ahead.

"The addition, the restoration of this passenger rail service would make a big difference to the economies, to the opportunities for transportation options for small and large communities along this route," Strohmaier contended.

There's an Amtrak route still operating across northern North Dakota, but Strohmaier said bringing back stops to the southern half helps communities with tourism, while getting rural residents to medical appointments in larger cities. He noted a small percentage of riders travel the entire multistate route.

The latest funding is for competitive grants. Regional leaders indicate they will bypass this round because it doesn't align with their effort. More funding will be needed once they move past the planning stage.

As for tourism, Strohmaier noted reinstating this service would also coincide with the planned opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in western North Dakota in the coming years. He described it as a match made in heaven.

"What a great way to travel -- in the same manner in which Theodore Roosevelt traveled many, many decades ago to the great state of North Dakota," Strohmaier stressed.

Project leaders added the new project would not disrupt North Dakota's current Amtrak route, the Empire Builder. Strohmaier said if all the stars align, the restored service could be up and running within the next decade. Potential complications include overcoming a shortage of manufactured train cars in the U.S.


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