Bay Area Will Decide How It Wants to Grow

A Coalition-backed effort to reform the Bay Area's planning framework took a big step forward in fall 2001 when workshops were held to build support for a preferred land use pattern that will inform how the Bay Area could grow over the next twenty years. During the workshops, participants identified the most appropriate locations in their county for future growth and the character and design of new development.

The regional Smart Growth Strategy - co-sponsored by five regional agencies, including the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), and the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development - has now distilled the results of the fall workshops into three alternative scenarios. ABAG is now analyzing these scenarios for their likely effects on housing, transportation, environmental quality, social equity and market feasibility.

Together, the nine county workshops held in September and October produced 105 alternative growth scenarios. These 105 scenarios were analyzed for common themes and then distilled into three thematically distinct regional alternatives. Consistent with the overwhelming preference of workshop participants, all three themes would provide enough new housing to accommodate the one million new residents as well as the 265,000 incoming commuters the region expects in the next twenty years.

The three proposed alternatives are:

• Central Core and Existing Transit Network Focus. Locates most new growth in each county's largest city or cities and emphasizes development in the region's central cities (San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose). Also locates growth around existing public transit stations.

• Transit Oriented Neighborhoods and Corridors. Locates most growth in the same locations as Alternative 1, but at lower densities. Spreads growth to additional transit-rich and walkable communities and corridors along an expanded public transit network.

• Core to Edge Development. Locates growth in same locations as Alternatives 1 and 2, but at still lower densities. Spreads job and housing growth to edge communities, but at higher densities than currently exists or is planned. Locates new housing in employment centers and new employment in residential areas on the region's fringes.

The final stage of the distillation process was a "reality check" meeting in early December. The purpose of this meeting, held with local planners from all Bay Area jurisdictions, was to ensure that the three alternatives were consistent with any existing development, or with developments already well advanced in the planning stage. Objections based on existing political or financial constraints were not entertained.

Now, the three alternatives (and ABAG's current trends projection, which is being treated as a fourth, no-change alternative) are being extensively analyzed for their impacts on housing, transportation, jobs-housing balance, environmental quality and social equity. The results of these analyses will be available for the public's consideration at the second round of workshops in spring 2002.

In addition, each scenario is being analyzed for its development feasibility. Issues include how the envisioned development patterns would fit within available land supply and consumer demand for the mix of housing types in each alternative.

Upon completion of the analyses, ABAG will hold a second round of workshops in all nine Bay Area counties in April and May 2002, to present the three thematic alternatives and allow citizens to select the one they prefer.

Dates and locations are posted online at www.abag.ca.gov/planning/smartgrowth

Following the second round of workshops, the preferred alternative will be forwarded to the ABAG Board for formal adoption. If adopted by ABAG, it will guide transportation investments in MTC's 2004 Regional Transportation Plan.

The regional Smart Growth Strategy offers a chance to achieve a broader public consensus about the need for change in development patterns and to build support for new regulatory incentives and programs to encourage local jurisdictions to improve their land use planning.

The Coalition is moving ahead now to take advantage of the momentum created by the regional Smart Growth Strategy. In December, we began working with other regional and statewide organizations to identify one or two regulatory or financial strategies that would have a significant impact in accomplishing key Smart Growth goals for the Bay Area, and that are politically viable. Once we have identified and agreed on these initiatives, the Coalition and its partners will work to build broad-based support - including labor, faith-based groups and progressive business interests - for enactment of these initiatives at the state and regional level.

To get involved in the Coalition's Smart Growth campaign, contact campaign coordinator Jessica Rothhaar at jessica@rothhaarcom.com or (510) 525-4921.

Student Bus Pass Program Gets Green Light

Students in the East Bay scored an important victory in December 2001 when MTC agreed to help fund a two-year pilot project in which AC Transit will provide free and discounted bus passes for middle and high school students. While some questions remain about the program's funding, Coalition members are already making plans to replicate this around the region.

Youth activists played a crucial role in demonstrating the need for the passes. They collected thousands of postcards and testified repeatedly in front of MTC along with teachers, school administrators, religious leaders, and Coalition members. Three elected leaders - Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, County Supervisors Keith Carson (Alameda) and John Gioia (Contra Costa) - were instrumental in hammering out the final agreement with MTC.

Starting in fall 2002, from Richmond to Fremont, AC Transit will provide free passes to students who qualify for the free or reduced-price school lunch program. Other students can buy passes for $15 per month - over two-thirds off the adult fare.

In addition to MTC's commitment, the program still needs local funds. Every dollar raised locally will be matched by MTC, up to $1-million per year, for a $4-million total budget for the two-year pilot. Project proponents will be looking to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, foundations, and schools, in addition to funds already committed by AC Transit and county governments.

Coalition members hope to build on this important victory by seeking more free and discount passes for students and low-income residents throughout the region.

For more info, contact Jeff Hobson at jeff@transcoalition.org or (510) 740-3102.

Letter from the Director - Hard Decisions on BART to S.J.

On December 19, 2001, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) adopted the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), and with it the most comprehensive campaign in the Coalition's history drew to a close.

Of all the RTP issues, the most contentious was the likely inclusion of the BART to San Jose extension (SJX) in the RTP, a prerequisite for the project to apply for federal funding. For the past two years, the Coalition has opposed SJX and the Santa Clara County Measure A sales tax that devotes $2 billion in funding to the extension, because our analysis showed that several more cost-effective alternatives could be implemented sooner. A report I authored, entitled Overextended, showed how the price of SJX would rise by $1-3 billion once hidden costs and underestimates were revealed. Where would this money come from? The risk of repeating L.A.'s subway financial fiasco has been a major concern to us; Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's (VTA) bus service, used by low-income riders, could be cut to pay for a $200-million-per-mile BART extension.

During 2001, eleven years before the likely start of service, our projections of higher costs proved correct when construction estimates rose almost $500 million above the 2000 estimate. Additionally, BART is now requiring VTA to pay more than $500 million over the life of Measure A to mitigate the impacts of SJX on the core BART system.

Even with these cost escalations it became evident by November that the political momentum behind SJX was going to result in its inclusion in the RTP and that MTC would soon be asking the federal government for over $800 million for the extension.

This left the Coalition with two paths to pursue. The first was for the Coalition to spend its resources opposing SJX in Washington. If "successful," such a campaign could potentially reduce the amount SJX receives by a few hundred million dollars. But this would not stop the project, for SJX already has $3 billion dedicated to it, much of it from a voter-approved sales tax. In fact, since SJX is the top priority of VTA and its new chair, San Jose's Mayor Gonzales, less money from the federal government would probably mean more of VTA's discretionary funds would go to the BART extension. This would drain additional funds from projects the Coalition supports, such as expanded bus service, Caltrain upgrades, and implementation of the county bicycle plan.

The second possibility was for the Coalition to negotiate with MTC and VTA to secure protections for bus service in exchange for the Coalition dropping its active opposition to SJX. The issue was debated both by the Coalition Steering Committee and at our regional meeting on December 12. There was an overwhelming sentiment, with SJX not likely to open until 2012 or later, that there will be significant opportunities to raise additional funds, particularly if we were to work cooperatively with VTA instead of at odds with them. Given these future opportunities, the Coalition membership adopted a resolution by a vote of 15-1 that would drop our active opposition to SJX once VTA and MTC guaranteed that bus service would be protected.

After six days of negotiation between the Coalition, MTC and VTA, an agreement was finally hammered out that would add protections to bus service for Title IV (low-income) communities. The next morning, on December 19, this agreement was adopted as an amendment to the 2001 RTP.

Dropping opposition to SJX was not an easy decision for me or our many Coalition partners. Concerns remain about the potential for significant funding shortfalls. But with billions already in the bank and strong political momentum, BART to San Jose will be built. The Coalition's agreement with VTA not only protects bus service for low-income communities but enables us to join together with South Bay leaders to ensure that all of the Measure A projects, including Caltrain upgrades, East Side light rail, and bus service expansion are funded.

- Stuart Cohen

East Bay Chapter Update - Bypass the "Bypass"

The Hayward Bypass, proposed by Caltrans as a new 4-6 lane freeway bulldozed through neighborhoods and open space, may be just one vote away from extinction.

In January, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gordon Baranco ruled against the Alameda County Transportation Authority (ACTA) and Caltrans. The ruling forbids those agencies from using Measure B sales tax funds for the bypass, because it is not the project voters approved in 1986. ACTA must decide by March whether to appeal the decision.

The Coalition opposes this new freeway because:

• It would destroy over 300 homes, evicting low- and moderate-income tenants, while we are in the midst of an affordable-housing crisis.

• Land reserved for the freeway could be better used for more than 3,000 new homes, providing much-needed affordable and market-rate housing.

• The freeway's high cost leaves other transportation projects unfunded, including commuter buses, local shuttles, and road improvements.

• While the project remains in court, traffic conditions in the central county only worsen.

• The bypass would destroy valuable open space, and displace community resources.

County Supervisors Nate Miley and Gail Steele have exerted strong leadership to stop the bypass. Mayors Roberta Cooper (Hayward) and Mark Green (Union City) are supporting the bypass by stating that they favor an appeal to the court's ruling. At least three of the ACTA Board members listed below must be persuaded to oppose an appeal. The decision is expected at ACTA's February 7th meeting, and the vote will likely be close.

For more info visit www.transcoalition.org/bypass or contact Jeff Hobson at jeff@transcoalition.org or (510) 740-3102.

South Bay Chapter Update - Housing and Transportation Equity

Housing Study

The South Bay Chapter is embarking on a housing study in the South Bay that will identify obstacles to the construction of affordable housing and identify new and innovative ways to overcome these challenges. The report will focus on key transit corridors as well as the potential for more employee housing at large work sites. A key component of the report will be "action steps" that clearly outline how we can turn these solutions into reality! Transportation Equity Working Group

The South Bay Chapter is forming a transportation equity working group in Santa Clara County to ensure that the transit needs of low-income, transit dependent and working families in the South Bay are being met. The working group will also address the issues raised at the Transportation Justice Summit which the Coalition hosted in October. The top four campaigns identified by summit participants were:

• A Lifeline Transit Network that will improve transit service to transit-dependent and low-income communities, especially night and weekend service
• Affordable housing and mixed-use development near transit stations and lines
• Affordable transit
• Improved transit to East San Jose To get involved in the working group or the South Bay Chapter contact Kim Strickland, South Bay Coordinator, at kim@transcoalition.org or (408) 984-2285.