For the third year in a row, San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) reserved the front seat of every RTD Express BRT and local fixed-route bus to honor civil rights activist Rosa Parks. Over 100 buses carried a commemorative sign on a front seat from Monday, Feb. 3 to Wednesday, Feb. 5 to pay tribute to Parks’ stance, which contributed to equal access of public transportation to all.

“We hope by reserving a seat for Parks that passengers would pause to remember her quiet strength that made a seat available for everyone,” said Gloria Salazar, who recently began her tenure as RTD’s Chief Executive Officer.

While on board a Montgomery, Alabama bus on Dec. 1, 1955, Parks refused to surrender her seat to a white male passenger and triggered a wave of protests that reverberated throughout the United States, changing the course of American history for the better.

Parks famously said, “You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.”

Her courage is officially celebrated in California on the date of her birth, Feb. 4. Parks would have been 107 on this day.

For more information about Rosa Parks, visit www.rosaparks.org

San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) is the regional transit provider for San Joaquin County. RTD’s mission is to provide a safe, reliable, and efficient transportation system for the region. For more information, visit sjRTD.com, follow RTD on Facebook and Twitter, or call (209) 943-1111.