Posted 8 years ago on April 4, 2012, 10:22 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Occupy Wall Street and the Amalgamated Transit Union have declared today, April 4, a National Day of Action for Mass Transit. Demonstrations are taking place in over 20 cities including New York, Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Milwaukee, Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Denver, and Portland.

Today is also the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who called public transit a civil right. With today´s coordinated actions, first proposed by Occupy Boston and endorsed by dozens of other community, labor, and Occupy groups, we are standing with transit workers and all of our supporters to continue the fight to make this dream a reality. According to the ATF, Chicago has lost 14 percent of its transit services in just the past two years, while Pittsburgh has lost over half. Even in New York City, which has historically prided itself on its subway system, the transit system has suffered severe cuts. Instead of more service cuts or fare increases that working people cannot afford, we are calling for investment in resources that benefit our communities, especially low-income communities and communities of color who were hit hardest by the Wall Street-manufactured economic crisis.

While governments have been slashing away spending on projects that benefit the 99%, the 1% on Wall Street has been reaping the rewards. Banks and elite financial institutions have been reaping huge profits as the rest of us suffer from lack of services. With each cut in public funding, Wall Street investors step in with pricey loans that cost taxpayers and transit riders even more. It´s time to say no more! Their greed got us into this mess; now is the time the 99% take control of our public resources and fix it.

via Amalgamated Transit Union:

"URBAN TRANSIT SYSTEMS HAVE BECOME A GENUINE CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE” - DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. On the anniverary of Dr. king’s death, April 4, 1968, transit workers join together with the occupy movement and transit passengers across the us to honor Dr. King’s legacy. We ask: “Where Is Mass Transit Today?” In 2011 Americans took 10.4 billion trips on mass transit, the most in decades, but public transportation is still under attack... Thousands of transit workers have lost their jobs.

85% of transit systems have cut service or raised fares since the recession having a devastating impact on those who rely on mass transit — the 99%.

Transit systems are deteriorating: older vehicles, deferred maintenance, longer wait times for overcrowded buses and trains.

Wall Street is profiting off of the debt that transit systems face. The NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) had to pay over $1.1 billion in interest payments in 2011. Instead of cutting fares, **MTA is cutting checks to Wall Street bankers – the 1%.&&

Service is being outsourced to foreign national companies looking to make a killing while compromising the safety and service for passengers and workers. Meanwhile... The Pentagon spends $300 million per day on the Afghan War. That’s our tax dollars that could be spent on public transportation and other critical investments for our communities.

Politicians won’t commit to fund mass transit adequately and blame the economic crisis. Instead they raise fares and cut routes, but service does not improve.

The bankers and brokers – the 1% - control the money for public transportation and threaten the transit systems that took a century to build. The greed and corruption must stop.

Take Action Now!

It’s time for sustainable, reliable funding for public transportation to improve the lives of 99%, not pad the pockets of the 1%. We demand:

No service cuts!

No fare hikes!

No layoffs!

No privatization of our treasured public transit system!

A comprehensive plan for affordable and sustainable transportation that works for the 99%.

Original call to Action from Occupy Boston: