Worcester, MA — In recognition of Black History Month, the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) will reserve a seat on every bus honoring the legacy of Rosa Parks, whose birthday falls on February 4th.
While riding a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, Parks didn’t give up her seat when told to do so by the bus driver. Her refusal to give up her seat is considered a pivotal moment that helped spark the Civil Rights Movement. Her courageous actions and subsequent arrest served as a catalyst for the Montgomery bus boycott that lasted nearly 381 days, devastated the transportation system in Montgomery, and captured the world’s at-attention. The boycott led to the Supreme Court ruling declaring segregation on public transportation systems unconstitutional.
The seats aboard WRTA’s fixed route system will be reserved for the duration of February and affirms that everyone has the equal right to public transportation and honors Rosa Parks’ dedication to the Civil Rights Movement.
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The Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) is a regional transit system that services the City of Worcester and the surrounding 36 communities in the Central Massachusetts area with a bus fleet that includes diesel-electric hybrid buses, and clean-diesel buses. The second largest regional transit authority in Massachusetts, the WRTA offers reliable, comfortable, and safe transportation for traveling to work, shopping, school, medical appointments, and leisure activities. The WRTA also provides paratransit service for the elderly and disabled, as well as a variety of special services for those groups in the entire service area. All fixed routes are free through June 2023.