A Message From Our Executive Director
We at Commute Seattle are passionate about our work because we believe access to transportation can tie people and communities together and lead more people to reach their goals.
As we reflect on the events of the last several weeks, including the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Manuel Ellis, Commute Seattle joins with those who demand an end to all forms of racism, police brutality and injustice. Black lives matter, and as Seattlites take to the streets to protest and demand change, I and our team at Commute Seattle stand with you. The past few weeks have been a time for our organization to listen and learn.
Our commitment to keeping Seattle moving and thriving for all has never been needed more. Yet we cannot achieve social justice within transportation without first addressing bias within our work. As we help our community recover, we must address long-standing inequities in access to transportation options. As we confront these challenges we must also confront the fact that we are currently an all-white organization.
That is why I am implementing the following strategies to help us achieve more equitable outcomes in our work:
- Seek out and listen to diverse voices, including black transportation experts, and center these voices in our work
- Generate an organizational Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Anti-racism action plan to guide our policies and programs
- Establish a diverse advisory panel to receive regular input and critique from businesses on our services and program development
The conversation is just beginning and there is much learning and work for us to do. That is why our entire organization is listening and educating ourselves. Below are some resources we are reading:
- The Racial Injustice of American Highways
- Planning While Black: A Powerful Call for Racial Equity
- The Anti-Racism Demand from Transportation Community
- Pursuing Racial Equity within a Mobility Framework
- Bikequity: Money, Class and Bicycling
- Bicycle/Race: Transportation, Culture and Resistance
I invite your input, feedback or thoughts on how we can best move forward and serve you and the cause of equity in transportation. Email Me.
In Solidarity,
Kevin Futhey, Executive Director