To the editor:

Kudos to the Walz administration for its commitment to transit and transportation funding.

As someone who relies on Metro Mobility transportation service for people with disabilities, I’m happy to see the service getting well-deserved attention.

The governor has proposed giving Metro Mobility its own budget status, separate from other transit services. That’s because Metro Mobility is separate and distinct from other transit services.

Metro Mobility provides rides for a growing number of older people in the region, and people with disabilities who can’t use the regular-route transit system. It’s a service that gives us the ability to be more independent and ensures we have access to the same places able-bodied people go; our jobs, doctor and dentist appointments, shopping, school, our faith communities and other social activities.

Mobility is a civil right under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But it’s so much more. Mobility is what connects us to other people, our communities, our independence and our freedom to go where we need and want to go.

Gov. Tim Walz is proposing significant change and investments that are long overdue and reflect the changes we’re experiencing within our region and society. I applaud the administration’s initiative and commitment to mobility and encourage other residents to support the governor on this important issue and urge their legislators to do the same.

-Katie McDermott, St. Paul