(VIA News Release) — VIA Metropolitan Transit will offer fare-free service on Wednesday, Dec. 4, and all vehicles will shine their headlights throughout the day, in observance of Rosa Parks Day and in honor of her legacy.
VIA joins transit agencies and cities nationwide in designating a day of remembrance for Parks, who on Dec. 1, 1955, was arrested when she refused to give up her bus seat to make room for a white passenger. Her bravery inspired Civil Rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to organize a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, which lasted several months and was successful in efforts to desegregate U.S. public transportation.
The VIA Board of Trustees approved a resolution in 2019 to observe and commemorate Parks’ contributions and the role of transit in the American Civil Rights movement each December. Since Dec. 1 fell on a Sunday this year, customers can ride fare free on all VIA services, Wednesday.
The complimentary service extends to all bus, VIAtrans, and VIA Link trips. VIAtrans customers must book their trips in advance, per usual.
VIA’s commitment to honoring Parks and the role of transit in the modern Civil Rights Movement goes beyond the annual fare-free day. In 2005, the agency launched its Rosa Parks Seat Program, which is designed to educate and engage riders on the history and contributions of the Civil Rights icon. An embroidered seat dedicated to Parks’ memory is placed in each of VIA’s 500-plus buses. The bright yellow seat is installed in the front portion of each bus, below a sign that describes Parks’ protest.
Visitors can plan a trip on VIA, using the convenient online trip planner at VIAinfo.net, the free app goMobile+, or by calling the Go Line at (210) 362-2020.
