The ability to access reliable transportation impacts lives. And the needs of individual passengers are unique, whether it’s getting to work, to school or to visit family and friends.
Their stories were recently told. City and Greenville Transit Authority (GTA) leadership celebrated the launch of the Greenlink Poetry Project, an effort to raise awareness about the critical need public transit fills in the lives of Greenville residents.
Mayor Knox White celebrated the effort during a poetry reading and launch event at M Judson Bookstore in downtown Greenville.
“Their stories are important,” said Mayor White, “That’s why the City and the County are investing in a reliable, sustainable urban transit system. That commitment will continue to grow.”
The project, titled “Why I Ride” and led by City Poet Laureate Glenis Redmond, highlighted seven Greenlink riders who collaborated with local poets to share their stories. The poets created a collection to celebrate the riders’ lives.
“I love any way that we can tell our stories,” Redmond said. “These poems are a window into another person’s life. There are so many reasons why people ride the bus, so this gives people an opportunity to learn about our transit system and about those who ride.”
The poetry will be featured inside of buses, on rack cards, bus shelters and on the Greenlink website. Additionally, the poets’ readings are available on the City of Greenville’s YouTube channel.
Listen to the Poets’ Readings on YouTube
Read the Poems
Written by the City of Greenville.