OJTA and its community members take action at the Capitol for Move Oregon Forward Advocacy Day
Transportation Justice Leadership Institute participants at the Move Oregon Forward’s Advocacy Day in Salem, Oregon.
Speaking out for transportation justice
On April 17, over 100 people all over the state advocated for a safe, clean, affordable transportation system during Move Oregon Forward’s Advocacy Day. More than a hundred community members representing organizers, youth, elders, and neighbors with disabilities came together to speak directly with lawmakers and demand climate justice in the transportation package. It was a powerful display that our future belongs to the people, not polluters.
“Too often, the voices of everyday people are missing from the state capitol, especially those from communities of color, rural areas, and low-income neighborhoods,” said Ana Molina, Advocacy and Systems Director of OJTA. ” But our communities face the greatest transportation barriers and the harshest impacts of being ignored. That’s why OJTA centers community in everything we do, because justice means nothing about us without us.”
At Move Oregon Forward’s Advocacy Day we put our values in action in ways both big and small. We carpooled to reduce pollution and so people without cars and those with disabilities could participate. We arranged live interpretation so Spanish speakers could engage fully and be heard. This bold step toward justice and liberation resulted in 117 advocates participating in 45 meetings with legislators, representing 53 House and Senate districts across Oregon. Community care, solidarity, and inclusivity—that’s what a Just Transition looks like in action.
Building leadership for lasting change
Some of the advocates at the capitol were new leaders who participated thanks to our Transportation Justice Leadership Institute (TJLI), run in partnership with member Verde. This 10-week program meets every other week, providing stipends so participants can fully engage. Members learn about transportation justice through the lens of Just Transition, moving away from systems that harm communities and the environment toward solutions that work for everyone.
"Through the Transportation Justice Leadership Institute I’ve learned the ins and outs of transportation policy and how to advocate for what matters to my community,” said Graciela Leon Garcia, who attended the advocacy day. "When people who are directly affected by these issues speak up, lawmakers listen differently. This was my first time at the statehouse but it won’t be my last.”
The TLJI builds on our 2021 Energy Justice Leadership Institute, which showed us how powerful it is when community members understand complex issues and can speak from their own experiences.
“Verde began investing in leadership institutes because we saw that people who are most impacted were not being heard in policy debates,” said Cheyenne Holliday, advocacy manager of Verde. “From the first Water Justice Leadership Institute to this collaboration with OJTA, we’ve seen our community’s power and expertise grow. It’s amazing to see these new leaders go to Salem to participate in important discussions about transportation and our future.”
Transportation justice for all
OJTA Legislative Advocate Marisol De La Torre reading a TJLI participant’s transportation story translated from Spanish into English at the transportation justice rally outside the Oregon State Capitol.
Oregon's transportation system faces serious challenges. We lose hundreds of lives to traffic violence every year. Transportation creates more pollution than any other sector, and it’s only rising. The Oregon Department of Transportation is running out of money as gas tax revenue falls. And for the one in four Oregonians who don't drive (whether due to age, ability, cost, or preference), the system often fails to meet our basic needs.
The 2025 state transportation package is an opportunity to address these challenges and build a safer, better future. That's why we are working with our partners through the Move Oregon Forward campaign to make sure we:
Fund transportation so that it doesn’t add to the burden low-income people already face
Put safety first to protect our communities
Make sure every dollar advances our climate goals
Hold ODOT accountable for the way it spends on megaprojects
Advocacy Day is about more than just one day, it’s part of a larger movement to shift power to the people and build lasting community leadership. It’s about making sure frontline communities lead the way. And it’s about working toward a transportation system that truly serves all Oregonians, regardless of where we live, how we get around, or how much money we have.
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