Transit Justice for a Livable Minnesota
We’re organizing for a future where public transit is free, safe, and accessible for all; rooted in racial justice, climate solutions, and community care.
What is Transit Justice?
Transit Justice is the fight for fair, accessible, and sustainable transportation systems that serve everyone. It centers the needs of marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, and working-class people, who have historically been underserved by public transit. This movement challenges the legacy of underinvestment, inadequate infrastructure, and exclusionary policies.
Instead, Transit Justice calls for transportation systems that are equitable, affordable, and environmentally responsible. It ensures that all people can get where they need to go safely and reliably.
Key goals of Transit Justice include:
Equitable, affordable transportation
Infrastructure that serves BIPOC and working-class communities
Safer streets for cyclists and pedestrians
Lower carbon emissions through strong public transit
Transit Justice is also about access to opportunity. It connects people to jobs, education, healthcare, and community resources, while helping to build greener, healthier cities for all.
Why Transit Justice Matters in Minnesota
As dangerous humidity and heatwaves push Minnesota closer to “wet bulb” temperatures, when the body can no longer cool itself through sweat, access to public infrastructure becomes a matter of survival. MN350’s Transit Justice team has been out in communities distributing free water, connecting with riders about how the transit system could better protect and serve them.
Policy in Action!
Transit Justice is not just a concept. It is driving real change in communities across the country, including right here in Minnesota. From local campaigns to national wins, people are organizing for transit systems that reflect community needs, not corporate interests.
Here’s what Transit Justice in action looks like:
✅ Free-Fare Transit Campaigns
In Minnesota and beyond, communities are fighting to remove cost barriers to transit. Free-fare programs increase access for low-income riders, students, seniors, and people with disabilities. Local advocates are pushing for policies that make public transportation a true public good.
✅ Anti-Displacement Protections
Transit expansion must not come at the cost of displacement. As development grows around new transit lines, advocates in Minnesota are calling for housing protections that ensure longtime residents can stay in their homes and neighborhoods. True Transit Justice means investment without pushing people out.
✅ Spotlight: Austin’s 5 Percent Transit Justice Carveout
In Austin, Texas, organizers won a major victory. Five percent of the city’s $7.1 billion Project Connect plan is reserved for Transit Justice initiatives. This includes funding for affordable housing, neighborhood stability, and community engagement. It’s an example Minnesota leaders can follow as we build out transit systems rooted in justice and inclusion.
How to Ride & Advocate
How to Use Public Transit
All the info you need to navigate Metro Transit.
Find a Stop Near You
Use the trip planner to locate stops nearby.
Report Transit Barriers
Help identify unsafe stops, gaps in service, and more.
Advocate for Justice
Volunteer with our team or take action for transit justice!
Community Care Resource Map
Use this map to find local sites offering essential support across the Twin Cities, including free meals, food distribution, shelter, and other services. These resources help make our transit systems more equitable by ensuring everyone can access the care they need while getting where they need to go.
Project Spotlight
Free Fare Transit
A Proven Solution!
Free fares on public transit are a powerful way to increase ridership, remove economic barriers, and build more equitable cities. Pilot programs across the U.S. have shown it works.
Minneapolis launched a free fare pilot offering rides at no cost on routes 32 and 62 through December 31, 2024. Other cities have seen long-term benefits. Kansas City made its bus system permanently free in 2020. Boston’s free-fare pilot on key routes improved mobility for low-income residents, boosted ridership, and reduced fare disputes.
Free transit is a practical solution that reduces car dependency, supports working-class communities, and helps fight climate change. These programs are working, and it’s time to expand them!
New Campaign Introduction
Canopy Solution Campaign
Shade Where It's Needed Most
In Minneapolis, neighborhoods with the least tree cover are often the same areas where unhoused residents rely on the transit system for relief from extreme heat. Bus stops become makeshift shelters, yet many of these spaces offer no shade at all. In designated Green Zones, primarily in North and South Minneapolis, tree canopy is often below 15 percent, while wealthier neighborhoods enjoy over 40 percent coverage.
This isn’t just unequal, it’s deadly. Without shaded spaces, heatwaves raise the risk of illness, utility bills climb, and public spaces become unsafe.
MN350’s Canopy Solutions campaign addresses this by planting trees, sharing climate education, and working with community leaders to expand shaded space where it’s needed most.
In partnership with Great River Greening and the Minnesota DNR, we’re transforming transit corridors into places of safety and care.
Transit Survey Results
We asked riders to share their everyday transit experiences, from commute times to how often they see police interactions, to better understand what’s working and what needs improvement.
How long typically is your commute to work?
Is your bus usually on time?
How often do you see police interactions on transit?
What line do you ride most often?
Stay Connected with MN350's Tranist Justice Team!
Meeting ID: 991 9895 3823
Passcode: 771576
One tap mobile:
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