There has been a second push to get the Transit to Trails Act passed. Reintroduced in the Senate and House by its sponsors, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and California Rep. Jimmy Gomez, the Transit to Trails Act is an effort to create a program that awards grants to groups that can provide transportation from critically underserved urban and rural communities to the countries’ green spaces.
“Due to unjust, racist policies such as redlining and economic segregation, communities of color are three times more likely than white communities to live in nature-deprived places,” said the nonprofit Wilderness Society. “Seventy-four percent of communities of color in the contiguous United States live in nature-deprived areas, compared with just 23 percent of white communities.”
“Getting out in nature is essential for our mental health and physical wellbeing, especially for our children. But many cities are built in a way that makes America’s national parks and public lands inaccessible for underserved communities,” Gomez said in a statement. “Everyone deserves access to green spaces, not just those who can afford to drive to them. That’s why I’m proud to partner with Senator Booker on this legislation that will remove barriers between our cities and our parks to ensure everyone, regardless of their ZIP code, can enjoy the beautiful outdoors.”