September is Transit Month
September is Transit Month! CRTP will be celebrating all month with events and public education about the crucial role public transit plays in supporting our local economy, our local communities, and our local environment. Read on for information about events and activities. And check back often for updates!
Public Talk: Protecting transit’s role in multi-racial inclusive democracy
Thursday, September 10, 2026, 5:45 pm – 6:45 pm
McKinleyville Family Resource Center, 1615 Heartwood Drive, McKinleyville
Public transit provides access to participate in society for people of all ages, abilities, and incomes. It is not an accident that transit has been the site of many of the US’s civil rights struggles. Mass transit is a mechanism for an integrated society as both a public arena that people of different backgrounds share and a means for people to access diverse neighborhoods. This talk by Laurel Paget-Seekins will discuss how the Trump administration’s attack on multi-racial inclusive democracy is impacting public transit and what we can do in California to protect and strengthen transit.
Laurel Paget-Seekins is a Senior Policy Advocate for Transportation Justice at Public Advocates where she works on equitable policies and funding for transit across California. Public Advocates is a 55 year old nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization that challenges the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving tangible legal victories.
Previously Laurel was the Assistant General Manager for Policy at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and a 2021 Open Society Foundations Leadership in Government fellow. Laurel has a Master’s in City and Regional Planning and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. Laurel has written numerous articles on transit, developed a Transit Data Primer, and created a cooperative board game about the challenges of policy implementation inside agencies.
Bus Driver Meet & Greet
Monday, September 14, 2026, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Humbrews, 856 10th Street, Arcata
Humboldt Transit Authority bus drivers will be joining CRTP at Friends of the Eel River’s monthly Solidarity Gathering. Meet the folks who keep the buses moving, ask them your burning questions about how transit works, and show your appreciation for some of our community’s most essential workers!
Transit Ride-Alongs
Are you a regular bus rider who would like to show an elected official or other decision-maker what it’s like for you to get around on the bus? Are you a local leader who would like to get some first-hand knowledge from a rider and experience a transit commute? Reach out to CRTP and we’ll connect you for a transit ride-along during Transit Month or the Week Without Driving.
October Kicks Off with the Week Without Driving
What if you couldn’t drive? What if taking the bus, riding a bike, walking or asking for rides weren’t a choice you could make, but a necessity? What would it be like getting around without driving yourself?
For people who can drive, and can afford a car, this isn’t something you think about. But for people with disabilities, young people, seniors and people who can’t afford cars or gas — this is their every day.
To help local residents and decision-makers understand the experiences of non-drivers, CRTP and Tri-County Independent Living host the National Week Without Driving in Humboldt County.
Here is what it means to participate in the Week Without Driving:
- Participate for as much of the week as you can. If that’s one day, great! If it’s the whole week, even better!
- You can get around however you want, but the challenge is not to drive yourself in any car. If you end up driving, you won’t get in any trouble. We just ask that you reflect on why you ended up driving, and what you would have done if you didn’t have that option.
- The challenge applies to all your activities — not just your work commute. If you normally transport other family members or friends, it applies to those trips too.
- You can ask someone else to drive you, but make a note of how much you “owe” this person in their time, and if you felt obligated to support them in other ways. You can use taxis or ride hail if they exist where you need to go, but again, think about how the cost could impact your decision to take this trip if this was regularly your only option.
- We’ll provide you with tools to prepare for the Week Without Driving and prompts during the week to reflect on what you’re learning and share with your community and other participants in the Week Without Driving.
- This isn’t a disability simulation or a test of how easily you can find alternatives. We know that it is far easier to give up your keys if you can afford to live in a walkable area well served by transit, or can outsource your driving and other transport and delivery needs to other people. Having to drive does not signify failure. The point is to consider how someone without that option would have coped, and what choices they might have made.
The 2026 Week Without Driving runs from Thursday, October 1st through Thursday, October 8th.
How have participants done in the past, and what did they learn?
