As a young pup a year out of college, I headed to D.C. in 1983 to work for Congressman Jim Weaver (Oregon). Since then, I’ve worked in and around politics as a community volunteer, as a non-profit leader, or as an elected official.
Some things are always changing – the latest policy issue, the right message, the newest communications platform, or, critically, who is in office. Consequences change too – and I believe that these are extremely consequential times.
Here is what endures. Values endure. Root yourself in values and there is a basis for confronting every challenge. And organizing endures! If you just count on money or friends in government, influence will wax and wane, or you will get clobbered by those with more money. Root yourself in community aspirations and there is a basis for impact no matter who is in office.
That is why I love working at America Walks. We are rooted in values and community, which positions us to continue creating change regardless of the challenges of the moment.
Let’s take a look at what we have to work with in the coming year:
- 70 percent of Americans agree that “providing people with more transportation options is better for our health, safety, and economy than building more highways.”
- Over 500 organizations, 700 elected officials and thousands of individuals joined October’s Week without Driving
- Over 200 organizations joined in our call to prioritize maintenance, safety, health and climate over roadway expansion
- Over 400 Walking College Fellows trained across the country, plus thousands of more attendees at our workshops, webinars and Walk2Connect programs.
We know that this movement generates wins. We celebrate Walkability Wins in a blog post every month. In 2024, 19 out of 26 state or local ballot measures supporting walking, biking and transit passed.
Maybe some other organizations post-election are looking at their newly empty rolodex (oops, did I just date myself?) But we’re looking at spreadsheets of people and organizations raring to go. And those spreadsheet entries were built with person to person contact and real relationship building. We don’t have to pivot to local – because we are already there!
So do you want more responsive elected and agency officials? Do you want better democracy? Give us a hand, we’re not stopping. And with your help we can build an enduring movement, no matter the circumstances of the moment.
