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NEWS FROM TALC
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Help us reject the Governor's attack on transit
In his revised 2007-08 budget proposal, Governor Schwarzenegger is calling for
deeper cuts in transit funding -- over $1.3 billion -- than he first proposed in
January. TALC and CalPIRG have been leading a statewide effort to educate
legislators about the importance of public transit funding. Two weeks ago, in a
sign our message is resonating, legislators rejected most of the Governor's
proposed cuts during the Senate and Assembly Budget Subcommittees on
Transportation. Now it is up to the Conference Committee -- three
representatives from the Senate and three from the Assembly -- to develop a
budget both houses can support.
Please call or fax Senate President Pro Tem Perata, Speaker Núñez, and the
members of the Conference Committee (their phone and fax numbers are available
on our website). Urge them to support full funding for public transit in the
budget and encourage them to pursue Assemblymember Feuer's proposed long-term
solution to protect and expand funding for transit. See the webpage below to
find out more about the Governor's proposal, the subcommittees' responses, and
what you can do. For questions, contact Carli Paine at
carli@transcoalition.org or 510-740-3150 x315.
Learn more:
www.transcoalition.org/c/sus_spill/index.html
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Keep your camera handy this summer!
TALC's photo contest has begun. This summer, keep an eye out for opportunities
to snap pictures representing the contest's three categories: world-class
transportation, great communities, and social justice. See the website below for
an explanation of the categories. The grand prize is a lifetime free SmugMug Pro
account (a professional-quality, online photo storage and sharing service worth
$150 per year) and $250 cash. Six other winners will win prizes from SmugMug,
Patagonia, Photoworks, A1 Photo & Video Labs, and others. Entries will be on
display at our ten-year anniversary event on October 18, 2007 at the Oakland
Museum of California.
Learn more:
www.talcphotocontest.smugmug.com
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Support key legislation
TALC is endorsing several important bills this session, including the Global
Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S 309), co-authored by Senator Boxer. In
California we're backing AB 444 (Motor Vehicle Registration Fees), AB 1221 (Tax
Increment Financing for Transit Villages), AB 1358 (Complete Streets), AB 437
(Public Health in Land Use Review Process), and AB 57 (Elimination of the Sunset
Date for Safe Routes to School's funding). Take action by getting your
organization to endorse these bills!
Learn more:
www.transcoalition.org/legislation.html
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Bus Rapid Transit in the East Bay -- comment by July 3
BRT in the East Bay has taken a major step forward with the release of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement/Report (DEIS/R). The public comment period will
end on July 3. The DEIS/R for this line connecting San Leandro, Oakland, and
Berkeley evaluates four alternatives for their effects on traffic and parking,
environmental impacts, construction and operation costs, and cost-effectiveness.
TALC is encouraging TALC member groups and East Bay residents to comment on the
details of the project, including determining which best meets community needs.
For more information on the public hearings and to review the DEIS/R, please go
to
www.actransit.org and click on the link "East
Bay BRT Gets More Real", or contact Joel Ramos at
joel@transcoalition.org or 510-740-3150 x318.
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High Speed Rail struggles for funding; planning for Bay
Area segment advances
The High-Speed Rail Authority Board recently selected Anaheim-Central
Valley-Bay Area as the first phase of the statewide train network for
construction. On June 27 in San Mateo, the Board will review the findings of a
study looking at ridership, cost, revenue generation, and environmental impacts
associated with potential connections between the Central Valley and the Bay
Area. For details about the June 27 meeting and other key issues, see the link
below.
Growing support for high speed rail convinced state legislators to reject the
Governor's funding proposal. He had proposed giving the High Speed Rail
Authority just 5% of their requested funding for next year. The next two months
will be critical for high speed rail's future as the conference committee
hammers out a final proposal to send to the Governor.
Learn more:
www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/meetings/default.asp
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TALC advocates for an improved RTP
TALC's work to build a shared coalition platform for the 2009 update of the
Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is moving forward. The RTP is the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission's 25-year, $100+ billion blueprint for
how transportation funding will be spent in the Bay Area -- and a huge
opportunity to shape how the Bay Area grows and ensure we take on the climate
crisis. TALC's platform will include the Coalition's top recommendations for
bicycle and pedestrian projects, equity, smart growth, cost-effective transit,
and pricing within the RTP. At the May Regional Meeting, 50 member/affiliate
groups and activists responded to the draft platform. TALC is now getting the
platform ready for the next round of feedback with an online survey we'll soon
be sending out. Minutes from the May Regional Meeting are available at the link
below.
Learn more:
www.transcoalition.org/cal/minutes_archive.html
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Tell VTA to reduce the price of its transit passes
TALC and our South Bay allies have fought VTA's service cuts and fare hikes for
many years. As transit advocates warned, the cuts and hikes have resulted in
alarming ridership declines, especially among youth, elderly, and disabled
riders. Now, VTA is taking a step in the right direction by proposing to cut the
price of fares and monthly passes. However, the proposed changes do not go far
enough. Youth passes would remain among the highest in the nation and VTA would
still not offer low-income passes, despite the fact that most riders are low-or
very-low income. Take action by attending the VTA board meeting on Thursday,
June 7 and writing a letter to the editor and the VTA Board. For more
information see the webpage below or contact Christopher Lepe at 408-425-4430 or
chris_lepe@sbcglobal.net.
Learn more:
www.transcoalition.org/c/sus_vta/vta.html#tellvta
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Smart parking policy event -- Thursday, June 14
Encourage your city staff and elected officials to attend MTC's Smart Parking
Policies day-long seminar on Thursday, June 14 in Oakland. Elected officials,
city staff, and development professionals shouldn't miss this exciting
opportunity to learn how to create livable communities through good parking
policy. Registration is limited.
Learn more:
www.mtc.ca.gov/meetings/events/parking.htm
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Mark your calendar for TALC's regional meeting --
Wednesday, July 18
TALC's next regional meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 18 from 5:30 -
7:30 pm.
at the Sierra Club’s third-floor conference room
in downtown San Francisco, 85 Second Street, near the Montgomery BART/Muni station. The meeting is free and open to the public.
Burritos and beverages will be served. New to TALC? Come at 5:00 p.m. for an
optional orientation about TALC and regional issues. To RSVP, or if you have questions,
contact Marta Lindsey at
marta@transcoalition.org or 510-740-3150 x321.
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Save the date for TALC's tenth birthday bash -- Thursday,
October 18
Please join us in celebrating TALC's tenth birthday on October 18, 2007 at
the Oakland Museum of California. Coming Together for a Better Bay Area
promises to be a memorable evening and will showcase all of the photo contest
entries. If you or your company would like to join Honorary Chairs Senator
Barbara Boxer and Peter Calthorpe as sponsors of the event, please contact Marta
Lindsey at
marta@transcoalition.org or 510-740-3150 x321.
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NEWS FROM TALC MEMBER GROUPS
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Do you know someone who would be a great TALC Board
member?
TALC is seeking four committed and talented individuals to represent TALC's
member groups on our Board of Directors. Nominations are due on July 10.
Learn more:
www.transcoalition.org/about/board_elections.html
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TALC's newest member groups
TALC now has more than 100 member and affiliate groups from across the
region. We welcome our three newest member groups: Save Mount Diablo, Sonoma
County Conservation Action, and EAH Housing. Save Mount Diablo works to preserve
Mount Diablo's peaks and surrounding foothills through land acquisition and
preservation strategies. Sonoma County Conservation Action's mission is to
protect the quality of life in Sonoma County through educating and directly
engaging the public on local environmental issues and policies. EAH Housing is a
nonprofit housing development and management organization dedicated to building
communities that enhance the surrounding neighborhoods.
Learn more:
www.savemountdiablo.org,
www.conservationaction.org and
www.eahhousing.org See how
your
group can become a member.
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Greenbelt Alliance wins an education award
Greenbelt Alliance's report, the Bay Area Smart Growth Scorecard, has
been chosen to receive the 2007 Education Project Award from the regional
chapter of the American Planning Association. The Smart Growth Scorecard
evaluated all 101 cities and 9 counties in the Bay Area, breaking new ground in
the effort to prepare the region for coming growth; its release last June
garnered significant media attention. The APA award recognizes the report's
effectiveness in educating the public and decision-makers about the importance
of good planning. Since the report's release, Greenbelt Alliance has been
working with elected leaders and Bay Area residents to help cities and counties
adopt better policies to manage growth and improve the region's quality of life.
Learn more:
www.greenbelt.org/resources/reports/smartgrowthscorecard/index.html
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