TLC SESSION BUILDS ADVOCACY SKILLS, RELATIONSHIPS

Many state decision makers continue to speak and act as if no one in their district uses or supports transit. To help change that, Transit for Livable Communities cosponsored a training on February 20th to provide practical skills and strategies to build grassroots advocacy programs for transit.

Cosponsored by the Minnesota Public Transit Association (MPTA) and the Suburban Transit Association (STA), the training brought together transit providers, bus riders, and community activists. Participants came from as far away as Kandiyohi County and Albert Lea, and represented small county systems as well as large urban systems. Everyone who attended left with an action plan for building support for transit in their community.

The training featured grassroots organizing expert Ann Wiesner of the firm Grassroots Solutions, a national resource for organizations and groups working for change. Training participants talked about the six steps of organizing for advocacy, about how to define success for the long term, and about how to confront obstacles to transit advocacy in these times of budget cuts.

The training was funded in part by a grant from the Environmental Support Center. TLC plans future trainings for its members this summer and fall. For more information, contact Transportation Choices Network Coordinator Dan Walsh at 651.767.0298 or danw@tlcminnesota.org

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