Got Sustainability? Reserve your spot at TALC's Summit on April 9!
Join TALC on April 9th for our 8th annual Summit, entitled Got Sustainability? Charting a New Course Towards Walkable Communities and World Class Transit. The event only costs $10, which includes breakfast, lunch, materials, and free valet bike parking and you can register online.

Whether you are new to the Coalition or a longtime supporter, whether you are a citizen activist, transit or planning professional, or elected leader, TALC’s Annual Summit is a great place to learn about key issues, hone your advocacy skills, and take part in the movement for a sustainable region.

For information/registration: www.transcoalition.org/cal/summit05/summit.html

VOLUNTEERS: We can use volunteers before and during the Summit. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Seth Schneider at seth@transcoalition.org or (510) 740-3100. The fee will be waived for volunteers.

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Support our Livable Communities Platform
We need your help to alleviate traffic, promote affordable housing, and make our transit systems work! TALC and our allies have been advocating for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Joint Policy Committee (JPC) to include strong and specific guidelines to connect land use to transit investments. We have made progress in our discussions, but now they need to hear from you! Your voice will give these officials the support they need when they share the proposed policy with their local city councils. You can help by writing letters to the JPC and attending public meetings. We are especially looking for those of you in Bay Area suburban and outlying communities to make your voices heard.

To find out more about the Livable Communities Platform:
www.transcoalition.org/c/landuse/landuse_home.html#platform

To see a sample letter:
www.transcoalition.org/c/landuse/landuse_jpc_letter.html

To find out which meeting would be most helpful for you to attend and speak out, please contact Rachel at smartgrowth@transcoalition.org or call (510) 740-3100.

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TALC adopts position on high-occupancy toll lanes
At TALC's Regional Meeting in February, we had a lively discussion about High-Occupancy Toll lanes (HOT lanes), with presentations by Steve Heminger of MTC and Asha Weinstein, a professor at San Jose State University. For details, see the meeting notes at: www.transcoalition.org/cal/05_feb_min.html. As a result of this conversation, the TALC Board approved including the following policy in TALC's platform: "[TALC supports] the conversion of existing lanes to high occupancy toll lanes, if the toll revenues support transit alternatives. For projects where a portion of the tolls would go to highway construction, TALC will evaluate the environmental and equity impact on a case-by-case basis."

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Next regional meeting: May 18th
The next Regional Meeting will be held after the April Summit on Wednesday, May 18, 5:30-7:30 pm. (Orientation for new attendees from 5:00-5:30.) Sierra Club, 85 2nd Street, San Francisco.

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Now available: free trainings and technical assistance
For community groups in the Bay Area's low-income and people-of-color communities, TALC is now offering free trainings and technical assistance to help you win the transportation your community needs, and a free Access Now! guide as a resource.

Trainings cover a “Who's Who” of transportation decision makers and help community leaders and volunteers identify the best opportunities to win the transportation changes you need. Trainings are typically two hours and are individually tailored to your group’s situation and issues. Trainings are available in Spanish and other languages. Technical assistance is also available in Spanish. TALC can also give a brief presentation as part of your organization's regular meeting. A Spanish version of the guide will be available shortly.

To make sure you get an Access Now! guide, or to request Trainings or Technical Assistance, call TALC's new TEACH Program Director Emily Rogers at 510-740-3109 or Jeff Hobson at 510-740-3102, email us at access@transcoalition.org, or see www.transcoalition.org/access. For inquiries in Spanish, call Sandra Padilla at 510-740-3104.

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Regional Equity Summit in Philadelphia
PolicyLink and the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities will host the Advancing Regional Equity Summit on May 23-25, 2005 in Philadelphia.

The summit will feature workshops that explore innovative strategies, policies, alliances, and coalitions advancing regional equity, smart growth and social justice. Stuart Cohen, TALC's Executive Director, will present at one of the 40 workshops.

Visit the PolicyLink website for registration, an agenda, confirmed speakers, workshop descriptions, and logistical information: www.policylink.org/Summit2005/. Or contact PolicyLink if you would like more information at (510) 663-2333.

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Members In Action: Walkable Streets Toolkit now in stores
Urban Ecology’s latest publication, Walkable Streets: A Toolkit for Oakland, is now available for purchase throughout the Bay Area. In addition to highlighting case studies in Oakland, this book provides community members the tools they need to document safety problems and the “keys to success” for achieving pedestrian improvements in their own neighborhoods. Whether you are a resident who wants cars to stop speeding down your block, a student who wants to walk to school more easily, or a businessperson who wants to see more people walking through your front door, this toolkit is for you!