To City Manager W. Pat Pate,

As a heat advisory for our area comes into effect this week with heat index values reaching 107°F, Housing Justice Now and community advocates in Winston-Salem demand free rides on Winston-Salem Transit Authority (WSTA) buses.

Local government has a responsibility to protect the elderly, children, unhoused, and others who lack access to air-conditioned transportation and are more vulnerable to the potentially life-threatening effects of extreme heat and sun exposure. The dangerously hot temperatures and high humidity that Winston-Salem is experiencing can cause heat illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and stroke, to which folks who cannot shelter indoors are particularly susceptible.

Without access to air-conditioned transportation, our most dispossessed neighbors will be forced to walk and face prolonged heat exposure. Housing Justice Now has received reports of folks walking from all corners of Winston-Salem to Samaritan Ministries for free prepared meals due to a lack of funds to pay for bus fares. In their efforts to secure a meal, people are being exposed to harsh heat conditions at grave risk to their health.

According to your website, “WSTA is fully committed to providing safe, and reliable, service to the incredible Winston-Salem community.” Ensuring that residents who cannot shelter from extreme weather have access to free, air-conditioned transportation is critical to providing safe services for our city and avoiding preventable heat deaths.

To that end, we demand that you honor your commitment to our community and suspend bus fares immediately. Our neighbors' lives depend on it.