Gas prices are up. People are turning to transit in record numbers these days. But as you probably know, not everyone has access to a decent public transportation system, and many current systems are woefully underfunded or neglected, much like the rest of our national infrastructure.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) sent us this notice about their new video contest for improving public transportation. There’s a chance of not only winning some money, but you’ll be helping to send the message to lawmakers and policymakers that we need — and prefer! — more public transportation to end our dependence on foreign oil and get us where we need to go, when we need to get there.
As our very recent polling shows, half of Americans believe that improving public transportation is a better long-term solution for reducing traffic congestion than building new roads. Less than a fourth of respondents in last fall’s survey with the National Association of Realtors thought that building new roads represented the best solution for alleviating our congestion problem. From PIRG:
PIRG is committed to improving public transportation by helping to make it work faster and cleaner for all of us. That’s where you come in. We need a new vision for public transportation in America, so we’re calling on you to film it.
We want you to create your most persuasive video about why we need more and better public transportation. What should a 21st century transit system look like or not look like? Perhaps your vision focuses on biking, walking, and ultra-convenient mass transit, or perhaps it presents the endless auto gridlock and rising gas prices of today. The only limit is your imagination!
We’ll use the winning videos to help decision-makers imagine with us a better future and see the dangers of keeping the status quo. Your video will be a critical part of an effort to educate local and state representatives, and to call on Washington, D.C. to change the way it funds our transportation system.
The winner will receive a $500 prize and will be featured on our website. Runners-up will win $250, $150, and honorable mentions will receive a one-year membership to U.S. PIRG.
Entries are due by July 4.
Help PIRG — but help yourself and your community by ensuring that we have more investments in the kinds of solutions that can get us out of traffic, rather than just feeding it more lanes to fill up.