I take the bus every morning to get to work. Some mornings are quiet, but most feel like stepping into a small moving neighborhood.
As I climb aboard, Jeremy, our driver, greets me with a smile. I take a seat and look around at the familiar faces that have become part of my routine. There’s 82 year old Susy who lives by herself and walks slowly with her walker, carefully making her way to her seat. When we sit together, Susy tells me about her grandkids coming to visit. She talks about visiting her sister, who can’t travel anymore, so the bus makes it possible for them to spend time together. She tells me stories she remembers from when Asheville looked different. For Susy, the bus is more than transportation; it is freedom, mobility, and connection.
A few seats away, Annie rides with her two young children. When they step onto the bus they greet everyone with a loud “Good morning!” Their backpacks are full of school projects and crafts they show to anyone who will look. Watching them talk and laugh with riders reminds me how much community exists inside a bus.
As the bus moves through the city, I watch Asheville wake up; workers heading to jobs, students going to school, neighbors traveling to doctor’s appointments. I often find myself reflecting on the same thing: so many of us depend on this system just to live our daily lives. That is why the idea of budget cuts to transit worry me.
As Asheville rebuilds after Hurricane Helene, city leaders face difficult choices about where to invest limited resources, but one priority should be beyond debate: maintaining and strengthening our public transit system. A well-functioning transit network is essential to Asheville’s economic recovery, environmental goals, and commitment to equity. Cutting transit funding now would be a costly mistake.
Asheville Rides Transit (ART) is not a struggling service looking for justification. It already delivers more rides with lower subsidies per ride than many comparable systems. It is an efficient, essential public service that connects residents to jobs, schools, healthcare, and daily necessities. As operating costs are rising nationwide, maintaining the same level of service will require more funding, not less. Asheville cannot afford a decline in frequency or geographic coverage.
Transit is also central to Asheville’s climate commitments. Transportation is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Buses carrying many riders are far more efficient than dozens of single-occupancy vehicles on the road. When more people choose transit, vehicle miles traveled decline, congestion eases, and emissions fall.
The urgency of climate action is no longer abstract. Extreme weather events like Helene are intensified by climate change. To reduce the risk and severity of future disasters, recovery must include meaningful climate mitigation. Investing in transit is a practical way to do that.
Transit is also a powerful economic engine. As Asheville works to rebuild and strengthen its economy, a reliable transit system expands access to jobs and improves workforce mobility. Workers can reach more employment opportunities, employers reach a broader labor pool, and households spend less on transportation.
Transit is not only about economic growth or environmental sustainability. It is also about equity.
For decades, land-use decisions from redlining to urban renewal have disproportionately isolated low-income and minority communities in areas with limited transportation options. These communities rely on transit the most. Maintaining and expanding service in historically underserved areas is essential to preserving opportunity and economic mobility.
Transit matters to me as a rider, as a community organizer with Just Economics and a member of the Asheville Regional Transit Coalition (ARTC). ARTC was formed in 2017 to improve the daily lives and well-being of Asheville residents by strengthening the quality and availability of public transportation. Our members include representatives of environmental advocacy organizations, members of city and county government, concerned citizens who participate in transit-related commissions and boards, and members of our local transit union who represent transit staff.
Every morning when I step onto the bus, I am reminded that transit is about people and community. If Asheville wants to be a city where seniors like Susy can visit their families, where children can ride safely to school, and where workers can reach their jobs with dignity, we cannot afford to leave transit riders behind.
Seimy Mendoza (she/her) is a passionate community organizer, educator, and advocate with over a decade of grassroots organizing experience across Central America and the United States.