Transportation Equity Pledge for 2022 Candidates

Logos from: AARP Maryland Arm in Arm DC Action Committee for Transit Bike Maryland Cameroon American Council Citizens’ Climate Lobby - DC Coalition for Smarter Growth DC Environmental Network DC Families for Safe Streets DC Transportation Equity Network Friends of Oxon Run Park Greater Greater Washington Maryland Legislative Coalition Montgomery County Families for Safe Streets Open Streets Montgomery Potomac Pedalers Proteus Bikes Safe Routes Partnership Sunrise Movement - DC Seasoned Settlers Universal Childcare Now DC Coalition Ward 3 Bike Advocates Washington Area Bicyclist Association Young People for Progress

We, the undersigned organizations, ask that candidates running for the local MD, DC, VA elections make a commitment to prioritize budgetary and legislative measures that will develop an equitable transportation system that leads to the elimination of traffic deaths and serious crashes, while giving residents connected multimodal options to travel.   

We also ask all candidates to commit to developing traffic enforcement policies that limit biases, with the understanding that long-term, sustainable traffic safety comes from investing in the built environment. 

In an equitable transportation system, a person’s identity and experience—one’s race, gender, and ability; how much money someone has, and where a family lives—don’t affect whether they can use safe, comfortable multimodal transportation options. Therefore, we ask all candidates to pursue the legislative policies and budgetary items to move us towards an equitable transportation system with the utmost urgency. 

With these goals in mind, we are asking candidates who are running for office to take the Transportation Equity Pledge:

As a candidate running for office, if elected or re-elected, I fully commit to: 

  • Fully fund the completion of bus and bike networks
  • Fund the completion and maintenance of the National Capital Trail Network (as identified by MWCOG/TPB). 
  • Oppose highway expansion and prioritize complete streets
  • Invest in building and preserving affordable housing (ex: with rent stabilization measures) units to meet the needs of a growing region, with an emphasis on policies that will allow for more transit-oriented development. 
  • Remove Police from civil traffic enforcement while transferring the responsibility to local Departments of Transportation 
  • Ensure all residents have equitable access to affordable and reliable public transportation
  • Expand MARC and VRE commuter rail service to make it frequent, reliable, and available outside of rush hour and while opposing the Maglev train construction 
  • Reduce and eliminate the deaths, especially vulnerable road users, in traffic crashes – fully funding and implementing county and/or city vision zero plans and legislation 
  • Follow through on the Americans with Disabilities Act and address the persistent barriers and gaps that prevent our communities and public transportation systems from being truly ADA-accessible.
  • Ensure all residents have access to continuous even sidewalks placed along both sides of all local streets with the purpose of developing sidewalk connectivity.

Candidates who have taken this pledge:

Not running for office yourself? Send this page to candidates running for your local and state offices and ask them to sign it!

The signatories of this letter ask that candidates pledge to demonstrate their full commitment to supporting policies and budget measures that center transportation justice for their constituents. 

Too many lives are lost due to traffic violence and the status quo is not working anymore. We ask that all candidates reject the current status quo transportation policies, and decades of underinvestment that have caused transportation inequities. 

Going forward, we need to transform our transportation system to make it more equitable, and we need leaders who are bold enough to step forward and make it happen. 

Signed,

AARP Maryland

Arm in Arm DC

Action Committee for Transit

Bike Maryland

Black Women Bike

Cameroon American Council

Citizens’ Climate Lobby – DC

Coalition for Smarter Growth

DC Environmental Network

DC Families for Safe Streets 

DC Transportation Equity Network

Friends of Oxon Run Park 

Greater Greater Washington 

Maryland Legislative Coalition

Montgomery County Families for Safe Streets

Open Streets Montgomery 

Potomac Pedalers

Proteus Bikes 

Safe Routes Partnership 

Sunrise Movement – DC

Seasoned Settlers

Takoma Park Mobilization

Universal Childcare Now DC Coalition

Ward 3 Bike Advocates

Ward 5 for All

Washington Area Bicyclist Association

Young People for Progress

Note: WABA and most of the other organizations on this list are 501(c)3 nonprofits, and we do not endorse candidates.

Page last updated by Jeremiah Lowery on July 25, 2023.