Joshua Houdek
Over twenty years ago Deb Alper founded Sierra Club’s Sprawl Committee, now the Land Use & Transportation (LUT) Team. Deb and others organized to protect treasured green spaces in the suburbs from sprawling development. But getting to many of these outdoor natural areas required driving. Transportation is the largest source of climate change pollution in Minnesota and the US, and a dangerous source of particulate and ozone pollution. So in 2008, committee members explored ways to reach the outdoors via transit. They called it “Transit to Green Space.”
Going Green
Deb and the team began organizing hiking, biking, skiing, and snowshoeing outings to regional parks with a twist. Instead of everyone driving, they arrived by bus or train. “Half the fun is getting there (and back),” said Deb. Planning these outings required a lot of detective work. Deb and other leaders quickly learned that many outdoor destinations were poorly served by transit, especially on weekends. And before smartphones, charting bus routes and transit accessible park entrances was a challenge, so they produced a handy fold out map.
Deb and others helped reveal what we now know well. Outdoor access provides numerous mental and physical health benefits. Just 20 minutes in a local park helps kids concentrate better in school. But not everyone is privileged enough to have access to a local park. People of color and low-income families in cities across Minnesota are significantly less likely to live near a park. Congress is beginning to take notice of this environmental justice issue. The Transit to Trails Act (HR 3092/S 1440) creates a grant program to fund local projects that make clean transit accessible for critically underserved communities.
What you can do
- Got 30 seconds? Ask your members of congress to cosponsor the Transit to Trails Act
- “Go green” and get outside. Check the Sierra Club calendar to join a fun outing. Try getting to a park or trail by taking the bus or train. Get inspiration here and share your adventure on social media using the hashtag #Transit2TrailsSeason.
- Email Joshua Houdek or call him at 612-259-2447 with questions or ideas.
Joshua Houdek is the Sierra Club North Star Chapter’s Senior Program Manager for Land Use and Transportation. He loves getting outside and “going green” by riding his bike, a bus or a train.