Santa Rosa CityBus, Petaluma Transit, and Sonoma County Transit are offering fare-free rides on Saturday, Feb. 4, in observance of Transit Equity Day commemorating the life and legacy of Rosa Parks and other transit trailblazers who pursued equitable transportation for everyone.

Sonoma County’s local bus transit agencies are partnering with NAACP Santa Rosa-Sonoma to observe Transit Equity Day, a national day of action to promote equity in transit that is safe, reliable, and accessible for all. This day is celebrated on Feb. 4 to commemorate Rosa Parks’ birthday. She became a key figure in the Civil Rights movement when she refused to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery, Alabama public transit bus and was arrested for her actions in December 1955. Her acts of defiance are considered a pivotal moment that helped lead to the U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring segregation on buses unconstitutional. While she was not the first person to resist bus segregation, her defiance became an important symbol for the civil rights movement.

On Feb. 4, everyone is encouraged to participate in observing this day by riding fare-free on all Santa Rosa CityBus, Petaluma Transit and Sonoma County Transit’s regular fixed routes. The seat location where Rosa Parks refused to relinquish her seat will be identified on each participating bus countywide with a timeline and information leading up to the U. S. Supreme Court 1956 decision declaring segregation on public bus transit unconstitutional.

For more information on the Feb. 4, 2023, Transit Equity Day, as well as programs and services that eliminate barriers to transit and maintain transit equity for all, visit or call:

Santa Rosa CityBus SRCity.org/CityBus, 707-543-3333

Sonoma County Transit sctransit.com, 1-800-345-7433

Petaluma Transit transit.cityofpetaluma.net, 707-778-4460

Visit Rosa Parks Transit Equity Day on Santa Rosa CityBus to learn more.