By Lookout Staff

February 2, 2026 -- On Wednesday, the Big Blue Bus will honor the legacy of Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks during Transit Equity Day by offering free rides to all passengers.

Transit Equity Day is celebrated nationwide "as a day of action supporting equitable, affordable, accessible, reliable, and safe transit for all," Santa Monica Transportation officials said.

This year’s theme, “Transit Moves Democracy”, "highlights the work being done by community leaders, environmentalists, and social justice advocates fighting for equitable, accessible, and fully funded sustainable public transit systems in our communities."

To celebrate Transit Equity Day, motorists are urged to leave their cars at home and choose public transit to support "a greener and cleaner tomorrow."

People can also encourage others to "organize a trip with friends, classmates, coworkers, or community groups."

"Traveling together builds a culture of shared responsibility, increases ridership, and sends a message to community leaders that people want sustainable alternative modes of transportation," organizers said.

Transit Equity Day celebrates the legacy of Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks, who on December 1, 1955 boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

"Instead of going to the back of the bus, which was designated for African Americans, she sat in the front," according to the National Women's Histoty Museum.

"When the bus started to fill up with white passengers, the bus driver asked Parks to move. She refused. Her resistance set in motion one of the largest social movements in history, the Montgomery Bus Boycott."

Years later, Parks put to rest false claims about the motivations behind her fateful action.

“People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true," Parks said. "I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day.

"I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”

City Transportation officials urge residents to honor Rosa Parks and advocate "for a more equitable future in transit. Together, we can preserve her legacy and ensure access to public transportation for all!"

To plan your trip, visit www.bigbluebus.com.