Beyond the Bus Stop: Transportation, Organizing, and Storytelling in Spokane | Local-Motive Tour

Sustainable transportation work is not just about buses, sidewalks, bike lanes, or street design. It is also about helping people imagine a different future for their city—and then organizing them to make that future possible. In this session, Sarah Rose of Spokane Reimagined will share how local advocates in Spokane are using storytelling, public participation, and community mobilization to push for safer, more accessible, and more people-centered transportation.

Drawing from Spokane Reimagined’s work, Sarah will explore how advocates can connect big-picture transportation goals with the everyday experiences of residents: waiting at an uncomfortable bus stop, navigating unsafe crossings, walking along dangerous streets, or struggling to get around without a car. She will also discuss current transit advocacy efforts in Spokane, including lessons from working on a ballot measure to renew transit agency funding.

This session will look at how transportation campaigns can move beyond technical arguments and become broader community conversations about safety, access, dignity, and local possibility. Participants will hear how Spokane advocates are building momentum through public storytelling, coalition-building, creative action, and persistent engagement with local decision-makers.

Participants will gather practical lessons for making sustainable transportation advocacy more visible, more relatable, and more community-powered in their own cities.

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Get a single-stop ticket to attend just this session, or get a round-trip ticket to attend all Local-Motive sessions for the fall 2026 tour.