Why Transit Equity Day Matters and How You Can Participate
Next Wednesday, February 4, 2026, transit agencies across the United States will offer free rides to honor Rosa Parks’ birthday and the ongoing fight for transportation equity.
If you’ve been curious about car-free travel but haven’t taken the leap yet, this is your chance. No fare. No risk. Just hop on and explore.
The Day That Changed Everything
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott—a 381-day protest that ultimately led to the Supreme Court declaring bus segregation unconstitutional.
Parks’ courage wasn’t just about a seat. It was about the fundamental right to move freely through your city. To get to work. To visit family. To participate in public life without discrimination.
Transit Equity Day, celebrated annually on Parks’ birthday, honors that legacy. But it’s also a reminder that the work continues. Access to reliable, affordable public transportation remains a civil rights issue—one that affects economic opportunity, environmental justice, and community connection.
A Nationwide Experiment in Free Transit
This year’s Transit Equity Day is shaping up to be one of the largest coordinated free transit days in U.S. history. Dozens of agencies—some covering entire regions—are waiving fares for the day.
Southern California alone is going nearly system-wide. From Ventura County to San Diego County, you can ride trains and buses across six counties without paying a dime. Maryland is offering statewide free transit across all its services. Denver, Sacramento, and the Bay Area are participating.
For those of us who believe in car-free travel, this is what possibility looks like at scale.
Try Something New
Here’s my suggestion: Pick a neighborhood you’ve never explored. Or that place you’ve been meaning to visit but parking seemed like a hassle. Or just ride a line to the end and see where it goes.
Use Transit Equity Day as your low-stakes introduction to how your city actually works when you’re not sealed in a car. Notice the connections. Watch how neighborhoods flow into each other. See what’s accessible that you didn’t realize was accessible.
You might discover what I did years ago in Cleveland: that the obstacles you thought would ruin your day actually become the best parts of it.
Who’s Participating?
Confirmed Free Transit on February 4, 2026:
Southern California (Nearly System-Wide):
- LA Metro (buses, trains, bike share, Metro Micro)
- Metrolink (all 6-county regional service)
- LADOT Transit (Commuter Express, DASH, all services)
- Santa Monica Big Blue Bus
- Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA)
- Riverside Transit Agency (RTA)
- San Bernardino County (all five transit providers: Omnitrans, Mountain Transit, Basin Transit, Victor Valley Transit Authority, Needles Area Transit)
- Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) providers
Bay Area/Northern California:
- Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT)
- SolTrans (Solano County)
Maryland (Statewide):
- Maryland Transit Administration (all services: Local Bus, Light Rail, Metro Subway, MARC Train, Mobility, Commuter Bus)
- Montgomery County Ride On (all services)
Colorado:
- Regional Transportation District (RTD Denver)
Virginia:
- Hampton Roads Transit (celebrating Monday, Feb. 10)
Other Cities to Check: Many major transit agencies haven’t announced their plans yet—or we haven’t found them. If you’re in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, or any other city with public transit, check your local transit agency’s website and social media this week.
Some agencies participate but announce late. Others may offer special programming or events even if they’re not going completely fare-free.
Make It Count
Transit Equity Day isn’t just about free rides. It’s about recognizing that public transportation is infrastructure for opportunity. When transit works well—when it’s accessible, affordable, and reliable—it connects people to jobs, education, healthcare, culture, and community.
When it doesn’t work well or is systematically underfunded in certain neighborhoods, that’s not just inconvenient. It’s inequitable.
So yes, enjoy your free ride on February 4. Explore somewhere new. But also pay attention to the experience. Notice which neighborhoods have frequent service and which don’t. See who’s riding. Think about what it would take to make your system work better for everyone.
Then, if you’re inspired, keep riding. Because the best way to support transit equity is to actually use transit.
Around the Corner and Around the Globe
Whether you ride next Tuesday or not, Transit Equity Day is a reminder that how we move through cities matters. Rosa Parks knew it in 1955. Transit advocates know it today.
The cities that work best are the ones where everyone—regardless of income, car ownership, or zip code—can get where they need to go.
That’s what we’re building toward. One ride at a time.
