Not too long ago, I started taking the bus much more regularly, and quickly became an STA fanatic. For years, I fed into the propaganda here in Spokane (and across the country) that the bus isn’t a viable option to get around. People told me it took too long and was unsafe, but, this year, relying on public transportation more heavily than I ever had, I discovered the wonders of STA, and the joy in life that a life without consistently driving entails
As my climate anxiety heightened to new levels with such ridiculously warm winter here in the Pacific Northwest, I began to challenge the notion that I was doing everything I could to fight the climate crisis. I began to expand myself to new horizons of climate work. My plant-based diet and advocacy work began to feel like not enough. And while I believe that community-based systemic action is the most fruitful and sustainable way to make change, I found that challenging myself personally was also incredibly fruitful and hope-giving, too.
So I started taking the bus! And let me tell you, there are great things about taking the bus.
And in a culture of immediacy and fear of minor discomfort, it feels like a win in and of itself to lean into a slightly slower commute. I have time to collect myself, not focusing on driving downtown in traffic or being married to my parking meter. As a somewhat anxious person, as I imagine many other advocates are, the ritual of my bus commute routine is almost always consistent and peaceful. I am able to read a book or listen to a podcast because I get my time back by not being behind the wheel. I am even able to practice more patience and mindfulness when I have to wait for the bus. I can accept that things are not always in my control, and that’s okay.
An unexpected delight from my newfound love affair with Spokane Transit Authority is that I feel much more connected to my community. Car-centric infrastructure and the destruction of third spaces to build more roads and parking lots (in combination with many other factors) has disconnected us, but riding the bus directly challenges this. I befriend my regular bus drivers and can recognize people that ride my line (the 7!). At bus stops, when I’m feeling up to it, I talk to the other people waiting; for the first time in life, I actually know who my neighbors are. Countless people in Spokane rely on the bus to get to work and school, and it’s wonderful to be connected to those people. Even my awareness of the geography of my town has increased. Recently, someone needed to borrow my phone after we both got off at the park and ride, and it felt good to be helpful. It felt good to be able to offer them something that they needed and reminded me that if I ever needed something like that, I could rely on a fellow bus buddy to do the same.
I recognize that some people have very busy lives, and taking a longer commute can feel inaccessible at times. But in doing so, we reduce our vehicles’ miles traveled, meaning fewer trips to the auto shop for servicing, not to mention that it’s more cost-effective long term, especially when you take parking into account. STA’s fare-capping allows your daily fares to be capped at $4; in other words, you could get around much of the Spokane Public Transit Benefit Area while spending less than you would on a gallon of gas There is also monthly fare capping at $60, which means a person commuting into work won’t have to pay a cent to ride the bus for the rest of the month after bussing in and out for 15 workdays. Additionally, if you commute less than the monthly $60, that fare will roll over to the next month meaning that you won’t lose out on it if you don’t spend it that month, like a gift card.
To be clear, I am not saying that you should swear off cars completely. Movements, especially the climate movement, get stuck when we see our lifestyle changes and advocacy work through the lens of an all or nothing mindset – we lose people when we ask them to swear off meat completely, ignoring the potential impact of millions of people just cutting out meat once or twice a week, for example. My personal philosophy is that anything we do has to be seen through an intersectional lens. In the case of buses, that means using the bus when you can and driving when you have to, recognizing that expanding your means of transportation beyond just cars is still leaps and bounds better than staying an obedient client of the automobile and gas industry. Being hard on myself after life gets in the way of my bus ride does nothing for the movement (after all, it’s not my fault that the automobile industry has spent billions trying to build cities exclusively for cars). The words ‘always’ and ‘never’ are really unhelpful words and trigger troubling emotions especially when it comes to the hard work of activism and advocacy. On the contrary, doing what you can, as much as you can, is both more personally sustainable and more approachable to beginners. And this is subjective, we each have different life complexities and experiences that make certain climate strategies our jam. Whether you are a composter, a plant-based diet enthusiast, a bike commuter, someone who gives personal testimony at council meetings, or someone who fundraises for local environmental non-profits efforts – we need all of you. If you are dabbling in all of these areas (and more!) it can be so rewarding to tie together all of the intersecting pieces that build up the environmental community here in Spokane. So I encourage you to try taking the bus at least once, and let me know what you think.
Lastly, if you are in Spokane County’s transit service area we at 350 Spokane encourage you to vote yes for buses on STA Proposition 1 in the August 4th primary election. STA Prop 1 is a ballot measure that will renew a 0.2% sales tax, or 2 cents every $100.00, not including purchases on groceries, medication, and other basic necessities. We’re already paying this tax after voters approved it in 2016, and it currently represents about 20% of STA’s operating revenues. Without it, services will be cut, the Division Bus Rapid Transit project will be under threat, and we’ll lose millions in funding from federal and state grants (some of which fund programs like Youth Ride Free) that are contingent upon the 0.2% sales tax continuing If this ballot measure passes by a large margin, this would also demonstrate the community support that the STA Board needs to dream bigger. We need you to vote yes on STA Prop 1 August 4th!
Learn more about STA Prop 1 here https://www.yesforbuses.org/ !!!
