|
Special TALC regional
meeting at Fruitvale Transit Village - May 17
You're invited to attend a special TALC regional meeting: Wednesday, May 17,
5:30-7:30 pm, with an optional orientation from 5:00-5:30, at Fruitvale Transit
Village at the San Antonio Senior Center at 3301 East 12th Street, Oakland -
adjacent to the Fruitvale BART station.
In 2004, after fifteen years in the planning,
major construction was completed at the Fruitvale Transit Village. The $70
million project, led by the Unity Council/Fruitvale Development Corp., came out
of a community organizing effort to transform the Fruitvale neighborhood from
its declining status to one of economic vibrancy. Since the first tenants began
occupying the Village, there have been a variety of challenges. This tour and
discussion is an opportunity to get an insider view of lessons learned from this
innovative project and future plans to secure its sustainability. Led by Gilda
Gonzalez, Executive Director, and Jeff Case of the Unity Council.
View our calendar of events:
www.transcoalition.org/calendar.html
.................................................................................................
San Francisco BRT strategy
meeting - April 11
Frustrated with slow, unreliable transit on Van Ness Avenue or Geary
Boulevard? Ready for the transit revolution? Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - dedicated
bus lanes and the best available technology for speedy and convenient service -
is on the horizon. At this BRT meeting, the San Francisco Transportation
Authority will present information about proposed BRT projects on Van Ness and
Geary. Then join TALC staff and Coalition members to discuss how we can help
move this important project forward. Meeting is from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the
Sierra Club offices at 85 2nd Street, 3rd floor (near Mission), San Francisco.
Dinner provided. Please RSVP to Amber Crabbe
amber@transcoalition.org or
510-740-3105.
.................................................................................................
Support AB 2444: new funding
for transportation and environmental protection
TALC is sponsoring its first bill, and we need your help. AB 2444 would
enable a $10 vehicle registration fee to be placed on Bay Area vehicles, raising
up to $60 million a year to mitigate air and water pollution caused by cars and
to reduce congestion with flexibility that could be used to build and operate
public transit, for bicycle and pedestrian safety, or road improvements (but no
road widening). We need organizations to endorse this bill and supporters to
attend an April 11 press conference at 10:30 in Oakland at the Alameda County
Congestion Management Agency at 1333 Broadway, Suite 220, and bill hearings in
Sacramento on April 17 and 26. Contact Marta Anderson at 510-740-3150 or marta@transcoalition.org
for more information.
Take action:
www.transcoalition.org/legislation.html#ab2444
.................................................................................................
TravelChoice launches first outreach of its kind in the Bay
Area
TravelChoice, an innovative new program to reduce auto trips that is
coordinated by TALC, began outreach on April 3 to the city of Alameda's East
End, the first of two neighborhoods this year. By July, TravelChoice will have
contacted 6,500 households in the East End and Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood,
with the goal of reducing solo driving trips by 9% by increasing transit usage,
biking, and walking. The educational campaign, which uses innovative social
marketing techniques, is modeled after similar projects around the world, but
has never before been tried in the Bay Area. If successful, TALC will be looking
to launch the project region-wide in the next five years. Funding for
TravelChoice is provided by the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency, The
Transportation Fund for Clean Air, AC Transit, BART, Alameda County's Public
Health Department, and the cities of Alameda and Oakland.
Volunteers interested in calling homes to provide
further biking, bus riding, or other transportation information are encouraged
to take part. For more information, contact John Knox White or Jonathan Geeter
at 510-740-3150 or
john@transcoalition.org.
.................................................................................................
New TALC report details progress on improving access to health in
Contra Costa
A new report documents the progress of TALC's Transportation Equity And
Community Health (TEACH) Project to improve transportation access to health care
facilities in two low-income Contra Costa County communities: Monument Corridor
and Bay Point/Pittsburg. The report, Priorities for Access to Health Care
(PATH), identified community priorities and recommendations which are already
being incorporated into Community Based Transportation Plans in both
communities. For copies of the report or more information about TEACH Contra
Costa, contact Sandra Padilla at sandra@transcoalition.org or 510-740-3150 or
visit TALC's website.
Learn more:
www.transcoalition.org/reports/path/path.html
.................................................................................................
Former Bogotá, Colombia mayor on livability and BRT - June 19
This visit by distinguished former Mayor of Bogotá, Columbia, Enrique
Peñalosa, will offer an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of a leader
who has earned an international reputation for transforming previously
dangerous, blighted public spaces in his city into livable, vibrant places. He
is an incredibly engaging speaker with a similarly incredible story to tell.
TALC is cosponsoring this evening with SPUR, The Institute for Transportation
and Development Policy, and Environmental Defense. Monday, June 19, 5:30-8:00
p.m. in San Francisco. You're your calendar and stay tuned for final details.
.................................................................................................
"All Nighter" service launches into full gear
The much-anticipated All Nighter began full operation on March 19, 2006. The
All Nighter uses regional buses to connect most BART stations at night when BART
is closed. The service weaves together a coordinated system, with timed
transfers between late-night bus routes, that is focused around the BART system.
TALC coordinated a multi-agency press conference
on Treasure Island on March 21 to announce the service, which was covered by all
five major TV stations, Univision, three newspapers, and KCBS radio - including
live TV reports throughout most of the day.
Conceived of by TALC in 2001 and originally called
"Night BART", the All Nighter is funded by Regional Measure 2, the one-dollar
bridge toll increase for public transit TALC helped to pass in 2004.
Learn more:
transit.511.org/providers/night.asp
.................................................................................................
TALC Summit a success
Over 200 attendees helped make TALC's 9th annual Summit a big success. And
with 17 sessions, it was our biggest summit ever. Notes from the four campaign
sessions are available on the website.
Learn more:
www.transcoalition.org/cal/summit06/summit.html
.................................................................................................
Volunteer or intern for TALC this summer
Volunteers play an important role in helping us accomplish our work to
create a sustainable and socially just Bay Area. We have a number of ways you
can get involved this summer. Check the website for details.
Learn more:
www.transcoalition.org/about/about_intern_vol.html
.................................................................................................
Members in Action
Implementing the Smart Growth Vision - April 13
The Association of Bay Area Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission are getting their act together and taking it on the road. After
failing to reach agreement on a merger, the two regional planning agencies have
joined with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in a Joint Policy
Committee and are aggressively pursuing the regional vision resulting from the
2002 Smart Growth Strategy/Regional Livability Footprint Project. Ted Droettboom,
Regional Planning program director for the Joint Policy Committee, will describe
how the regional agencies hope to make a real difference in the Bay Area's
future.
The lunchtime forum will be held at SPUR, 312 Sutter St. (at Grant), Fifth
Floor, San Francisco, on Thursday, April 13 from 12:30 to 1:30 pm. It is located
close to the Powell Street BART station and several Muni lines. Feel free to
bring a lunch. SPUR Forums are open to the public, free for members and $5 for
non-members.
.................................................................................................
Environmental Legislative
Symposium in Sacramento - April 29
Join the state's leading decision makers in charting out policies that will
lead California towards a sustainable future at the Planning and Conservation
League's 2006 Legislative Symposium. Entitled "Climate of Change," the symposium
will be held on April 29 at the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District in
Sacramento. The event includes a number of panels and speakers, including: Pete
McCloskey, Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, Gubernatorial Candidate Phil Angelides,
Attorney General Bill Lockyer, National Wildlife Federation President Larry
Schweiger, Redefining Progress Executive Director Michel Gelobter, and many
others. For more information or to register, contact Gerald Perez at
916-313-4522 or gperez@pcl.org.
.................................................................................................
Bicycle workshops in Marin
County - May 6
The Marin County Bicycle Coalition will
offer two bicycle workshops on Saturday, May 6 in Fairfax. The "How to Ride with
Youth" workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon for ages nine to adult. Spend three
hours with a nationally-certified bicycle instructor and learn to teach your
children how to use their bikes in traffic. Cost is $15 per adult or $30 per
family. "Bicycle Commuting 101" will be offered from 1:30-3:00 p.m for ages 15
to adult. The workshop will demonstrate bike commuting options and solutions.
Learn about safety, visibility, route planning and simple accessories. Cost is
$20/person. For details and registration contact Jo Ann Richards at
joann@marinbike.org or 415-456-3469 x7#
or visit the MCBC website.
Learn more:
www.marinbike.org/Events/BTWD2006/Classes.htm
.................................................................................................
San Mateo town hall meeting on
creating safe and healthy communities - May 18
The Sierra Club and Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo will host
Communities of Today and Tomorrow: The What, Where, and How of Housing and
Transportation. The forum will feature speakers on green development,
transportation planning, regional impacts, and the environment. Speakers
include: Jeff Oberdorfer of First Community Housing; Don Weden, retired chief
planner of Santa Clara County; Jeff Tumlin of Nelson/Nygaard; and Jeremy Madsen
of the San Francisco Foundation (formerly with Greenbelt Alliance). The event
will be held on Thursday, May 18, from 6:45-8:30 pm at the King Community
Center, 725 Monte Diablo Avenue in San Mateo. The location is three blocks from
the San Mateo Caltrain Station and adjacent to the SamTrans 292 bus stop.
Learn more:
www.lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/slu/
.................................................................................................
Bike to Work Day - May 18
Thursday, May 18 marks the Bay Area's 12th annual Bike to Work Day, a
national event that promotes bicycling as a healthy, fun, and viable form of
transportation. This year up to 100,000 participants are expected in the Bay
Area alone. From new or leisure cyclists to bicycle hot-shots, the event honors
every kind of bicyclist during May's National Bike Month. In addition to the
day's events, the Team Bike Challenge encourages bicycle commuters to recruit
their colleagues, friends, and neighbors to form teams and bike for
transportation during May while competing for a grand prize. The Bike Commuter
of the Year Award honors a resident of each county who is committed to making
every day a "Bike to Work Day." To register for Bike to Work Day, sign up for
the Team Bike Challenge, or to nominate a Commuter of the Year visit the 511 web
site.
Learn more: www.511.org
|
