Booker, Gomez Reintroduce Bicameral Legislation to Promote Equitable Access to Public Lands

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) reintroduced the Transit to Trails Act, legislation that would provide equitable access to parks, green spaces, and public lands and waters. The bill would establish a grant program that will fund projects to make transportation to these spaces more accessible for underserved communities.

Underserved communities are often left out from accessing our public lands due to limited transportation options. The Transit to Trails Act provides an equitable solution by funding projects that improve public transportation to green spaces and public lands, making it more accessible for everyone.

“Every American should be able to enjoy America’s parks and public lands regardless of where they live,” said Senator Booker. “However, a lack of transportation options to these places can be a significant barrier for many people. The Transit to Trails Act is an important step towards making sure that everyone can enjoy our public lands and waters. By encouraging more transportation options to our nation’s valuable outdoor spaces, this bill will help promote public health and provide more opportunities for all Americans, particularly those in underserved communities, to enjoy the great outdoors.”

“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,” said Representative Gomez. “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.”

“The Transit to Trails Act will ensure that individuals and families can safely and conveniently access public lands, no matter where they live. Transportation is one of the biggest barriers that people face when attempting to access our public lands,” said Robert Scott, of Sierra Club. “When 100 million Americans, including 28 million children, don’t live within a 10-minute walk of a quality park, bills like this are important in helping to bridge the nature equity gap to ensure that more people have a way to spend time in nature.”

“Decades of racist and exclusionary land use and city planning policies have left many low-income kids and communities of color without access to nearby nature,” said Jackie Ostfeld, Founder and Chair, Outdoors Alliance for Kids. “Many families living in nature-deprived communities also lack access to reliable and affordable transportation. Congress can break down these barriers and ensure all kids and families can experience the healing powers of our natural world by passing the Transit to Trails Act and investing in access to the outdoors for all.”

“American Hiking Society praises the reintroduction of the Transit to Trails Act by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34), which will expand access to public lands for urban and rural areas, especially underserved communities by reducing transportation barriers,” said Heather Klein Olson, Acting Executive Director of American Hiking Society. “This legislation will make sure that the communities that need them most will be able to access trails, parks, and open spaces. Congress must swiftly pass this legislation as part of transportation and infrastructure legislation.”

“The Transit to Trails Act is about more than providing transportation to parks and open spaces,” said Yvette Lopez-Ledesma, Senior Director of Community-Led Conservation at The Wilderness Society. “It centers the benefits of being one with nature, while acknowledging that not everyone has or wants access to a car to enjoy those benefits. The Transit to Trails Act will provide much needed resources to ensure that transportation options are more readily available for everyone to enjoy time outdoors. When barriers put between people and parks disappear with the support of policies like this one, that’s where park equity begins.”

The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

The full list of supporting organizations can be found here.

The full text of the bill can be found here.