TFN’s Advocacy Spotlight Series, spearheaded by the network’s Mobility and Access Collaborative, lifts up the work of nonprofit grantees making an impact in their communities and beyond. We asked funders to nominate a stellar grantee to be featured in this series. We’ll share these Advocacy Spotlights TFN’s Blog and social media platforms as part of our commitment to amplifying community-led sustainability solutions and building the field of philanthropy through shared learning.
Advocacy Spotlight: Transportation Riders United
Nominated by: Chris Van Eyken, Director of Policy Strategy, TransitCenter
About Transportation Riders United
Transportation Riders United (TRU) is a nonprofit that has been working since 1999 to improve public transit in greater Detroit through education, engagement and advocacy. TRU advocates for more and better public transit in metro Detroit. TransitCenter supports their grassroots organizing to strengthen support for transit improvements.
TRU fights to improve transportation justice and equity in Detroit and its suburbs. One-third of Detroiters can’t afford a car yet Michigan’s transportation investments focus on highway widening. Bus commuters — 90% of whom are people of color — have commutes that take twice as long as driving.
About Their Impact
TRU won a legislative victory last year that will support the expansion of transit to all of Wayne County. In 2022, TRU succeeded in expanding transit throughout all of Oakland County.
TRU is also one of the state leads for Michigan in the Clean RIDES Network, which unites more than 100 leading organizations working state by state to build sustainable transportation systems that cut costs for families, curb air pollution, and shorten commutes.
Featured Image: More than 100 supporters of funding public transit joined TRU in Lansing, Mich. for Transit Day at the Capitol. The day was spent meeting with legislators’ offices, hearing from transit providers and policy makers and spreading the message of why increasing funding for public transit is so important.
Photo Credit: All photos provided by Transportation Riders United.
About this series: TFN invited funders to nominate a stellar grantee to be featured in the Mobility and Access Collaborative’s Advocacy Spotlight series. The stories in this series were submitted by funders and shared with nominees in advance for fact-checking and further clarification when needed. If you have any questions about this series or TFN’s Mobility and Access Collaborative, please contact Martha Roskowski martha@fundersnetwork.org