On the anniversary of civil-rights icon Rosa Parks' birth — Feb. 4, 1913 — North County Transit-San Diego Railroad will recognize "Transit Equity Day" by joining transit agencies around the country in offering free rides today.
The then-42-year-old Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus in 1955, sparking the Montgomery bus boycott that ultimately helped lead to desegregated public transit.
"Rosa Parks' courage was integral to advancing the fight for civil rights in our country," said NCTD CEO Shawn M. Donaghy. "NCTD honors her life by working every day to ensure the right to equal access for all on public transit."
Transit Equity Day began in a limited fashion in 2018. NCTD first recognized the day in 2022.
Riders can use all NCTD modes — COASTER, SPRINTER, BREEZE, FLEX, NCTD+ and LIFT — free of charge for the entire day Wednesday. For those traveling on NCTD+ within the San Marcos and Vista micro transit zones, customers can use promo code: ROSAPARKS in the NCTD+ app for free rides.
San Diego Metropolitan Transit System will not offer free rides, but will join San Diego Mesa College's Black Studies Department and the Black Student Union for a Rosa Parks birthday recognition at noon.
The event will include a silent march from the San Diego Mesa College Black Studies Department to the Rosa Parks Transit Station at the corner of Mesa College Drive and Mesa College Circle along Route 44 — a "traditional African ritual to honor the ancestors." There will also be presentations from students, employees and community members.
