Portland metro area: Free rides Sunday in honor of Rosa Parks

TriMet, the Portland-area’s regional transit agency, will not collect fare on Sunday, Feb. 4, in honor of Rosa Parks, on what would have been her 111th birthday.

The free-ride day includes all TriMet buses, MAX trains and LIFT paratransit vehicles.

The transit agency released a statement: “On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks changed the course of history when she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her act of defiance and resulting arrest sparked protests from the streets of Montgomery that inspired change across the United States. Rosa Parks’ brave act became a cornerstone of the civil rights movement and the catalyst for a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court affirming transportation equity as a civil right.”

Partner transit agencies at the Portland Streetcar and C-TRAN will join TriMet for the annual tribute to Rosa Parks.