In recent months, during and in spite of the coronavirus pandemic, the Traveling Forward in Jerusalem forum, a large and growing group of Jewish (secular and Haredi) and Arab residents, has been working to promote initiatives to improve public transportation in Jerusalem. (You can read about the first, kick-off conference here.) The group consists of residents as well as professionals, who work together to develop different channels to solve problems and improve public transportation. We serve as mentors and catalysts to the group, providing the structure and infrastructure, together with and vis-a-vis the Municipality, to create a real partnership between residents, professionals and the municipality.
Public transportation in in Jerusalem (photo credit here)
In July, a meeting of activists in the Traveling Forward in Jerusalem held a meeting with Jerusalem Mayor, Moshe Lion. There were some 30 residents, Mayor Lion, transportation portfolio holder David Zohar, and representatives of the master plan for transportation.
During the meeting, four residents presented public transportation issues. Afterward, the discussion was opened up to the other participants.
The main issue raised at the meeting is the need and the residents’ desire to establish a Public Transportation Committee, to be headed by the Mayor. This committee would enable residents, professionals and council members to work together to brainstorm, plan and promote public transportation in Jerusalem. The purpose of the committee would be to advance the different issues that concern residents and professionals, and create a process of joint work that would enable both professionals and residents to improve different aspects of public transportation in the city.
The Mayor noted that while he wanted to establish a Working Committee, he felt it was too early, especially when the city and entire country are dealing with coronavirus crisis. To work up to the establishment of the committee, it was decided to establish a Learning Committee for Public Transportation, which will study the issues and potential planning processes and solutions. The Learning Committee will include residents, professionals, and City Council members David Zohar and Laura Wharton, and it is hoped that a working committee, led by Mayor Lion, will be established in the coming months. The first meeting of the Learning Committee members will take place in early September, and all members of the Travelers Forward in Jerusalem initiative group will be invited. They will decide together what the committee will concentrate on, what and how they will learn from the field in preparing to move forward.
And, of course, many thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation, the Natan Fund and the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem, Tel Aviv Branch Office and U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem for helping us to advance tolerance and cross-cultural activism in Jerusalem.
