PIST work in 2024 = Sharing knowledge
We find it unfair that only those with “inside information” get attention to problematic routes from the authorities. Our main work this year has been sharing that to the outside. See below for some of the tables, workshops and meetings where we did this in the past months.
A 3-minute video summarizing Feb 2024 to Feb 2025 is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcORQPO3IDo
February - TED
&
IncludeNYC fair
Transit Equity Day - in honor of Civil Rights Activist Rosa Park’s birthday, we brought the issue of school bus rights and safety to a national network of activists for fair mass transit that creates union jobs and respects the environment. #WheresMyBus
March - Women’s History Month in the Bronx
We were invited to table at an event hosted by Timon Family Services outdoors in the Bronx at Poe Park.
April - Rainbow Garden opening
Several PIST members became involved with the community garden at 757 Melrose Avenue in the South Bronx. Johnnie in particular worked on a vegetable plot and volunteered on the farm as well as the Melrose Environmental Action Committee. Flyers from PIST can always be found posted inside the garden which is open to all.
May - promoting a student transportation jobs pipeline
Summer
We had tables at back to school events, presented in online busing workshops and met lots of people whose life is better or worse depending on what type of school bus route OPT sends.
Fall
Together with the District 75 President’s council, we held two Town Halls on the issues with busing, interpreted in American Sign Language. The videos can be found on our youtube channel linked above.
December = workforce development ideas
Informed parents about job openings for paraprofessionals, some of whom go on to also be student transportation paras on the yellow bus.
Brainstormed with parent and worker leaders about recruitment/training for school bus drivers and attendants.
Advocated with the new Schools Chancellor and her team for a “school to student transportation jobs” pipeline at a Bronx listening tour (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BfTkejALpvE)
Connected the Travel Training program with a Career Day event in Brooklyn.
Late Winter 2024-25
We continued our twice monthly meetings to train each other on handling specific bus route issues and also work on strategies for the larger fight to support riders and workers.
We also returned to the Include NYC fair with new materials directed at our multilingual parent community.
