On April 9, San Joaquin Regional Transportation District (RTD) is standing alongside transportation advocates throughout the United States, including the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), for National Stand Up for Transportation Day. RTD invites the public to participate at two public transportation events, at the Hammer Triangle Station (HTS) and the Downtown Transit Center (DTC) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. RTD has also invited public officials to take part in a private event.
The federal law that governs the nation’s transportation infrastructure program has expired. The nation needs a new long-term bill to provide the funding stability to support existing and future transportation projects. Stand Up for Transportation Day addresses the urgent need for a long-term transportation bill. RTD and hundreds of transportation agencies across the country are coming together on April 9 to advocate for a long-term, sustainable, and reliable transportation funding bill.
RTD’s Stand Up for Transportation Day includes several components: The public transportation appreciation events at the HTS (Hammer and Lower Sacramento Rd., Stockton) and the DTC (421 E. Weber Ave., Stockton), which include a distribution of complimentary “Stand Up for Transportation” wristbands and appearances by local bands. A private bus tour for elected officials from the City of Stockton, San Joaquin County, and representatives of Sen. Kathleen Galgiani, Rep. Jerry McNerney, Rep. Jeff Denham, Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman, and Assemblymember Kirstin Olsen. This portion of the event will encourage officials to advocate for transportation funding at the local, state, and federal levels. The tour will highlight projects in San Joaquin County, including RTD’s upcoming Regional Transportation Center, the Metro Express routes and downtown transportation projects such as the DTC and Cabral Station.
“Infrastructure funding is vital to San Joaquin County,” said RTD General Manager/CEO Donna DeMartino. “In ten years we have witnessed vast improvements to local transportation services, with investments such as RTD’s Downtown Transit Center, Mall Transfer Station, and Hammer Triangle Station. This benefits the private and the public sector by creating jobs, connecting businesses to customers, and spurring economic development. With investment, we improved our fleet by adopting environmentally-friendly hybrid electric diesels, high-capacity articulated buses, and zero-emission electric buses. It is important for Congress to take action now by passing a long-term federal funding bill that will support the existing and future transit services that this community needs.”