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TALC NEWS AND EVENTS

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Support the coolest bill: AB 2744, $7 billion for climate protection
After learning that 50% of Bay Area greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, TALC's member groups said we needed to address the climate crisis. TALC is proud to have joined with Assembly Member Jared Huffman to introduce AB 2744, the most ambitious attempt yet to provide transportation choices and reduce vehicle travel. The bill would enable MTC and stakeholders to develop a proposal for a $7 billion climate protection program and bring it to Bay Area voters as Regional Measure 3. It could fund strategies ranging from education programs like Safe Routes to Schools, to transit efficiency programs, to bicycle and pedestrian capital improvements. The program would be funded by a climate mitigation fee on gasoline that would start at 2-3 cents per gallon and could rise to 10 cents per gallon by 2014. To learn more about AB 2744, what it could fund, and how you can support it, visit the webpage below or contact Carli Paine at carli@transcoalition.org or 510-740-3150 x315.

Learn more: www.transcoalition.org/c/ab2744/

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Don't miss TALC's April 5 Summit: one week left for a discounted price
Join advocates and practitioners for TALC's 2008 Summit, Healthy Communities, Healthy Planet. The Summit will focus on the connections between how neighborhoods are designed, how people get around, and the health of our communities and planet. TALC's Summit will bring together transit advocates, health and planning professionals, and concerned citizens for a day of learning, engaging, and connecting with others. Online registration is now available -- with an early registration price of $15 until March 14. Session topics for this year include: Safe Routes to Schools, smart growth without displacement, a Regional Transportation Plan strategy session, high-speed rail, engaging the community with health impact assessments, plus many others. We anticipate selling out so sign up today!

You can attend the Summit for free by volunteering during the event or on Wednesday, April 2 between 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. If you're interested, contact Karla Pérez-Cordero at karla@transcoalition.org or 510-740-3150 x319.

Register now: www.transcoalition.org/cal/summit08

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Tell State decision makers to include land use as a key climate strategy!
Join other transportation and land use advocates at a key hearing on Friday, March 21 at 9:00 a.m. in Oakland. State representatives will describe current proposals, and take public input on how best to address the threat of climate change through land use and transportation strategies. This is a critical opportunity to learn what the State is doing, and voice your support for smart land use policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, give Californians more choices in where we live and how we get around, and preserve vanishing farmland and natural areas. For more information contact Autumn Bernstein at ClimatePlan at autumn@climateplanca.org, a new network of groups coordinating action on this issue (and fiscally sponsored by TALC).

Learn more: www.climateplanca.org
Agenda and location: www.arb.ca.gov/cc/localaction/meetings/031708/luscatpublicsympagenda.pdf

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Mark your calendar for TALC's regional meeting -- Wednesday, May 21
TALC's next regional meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 21 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Sierra Club in downtown San Francisco at 85 2nd Street. If you have questions or suggestions for the meeting contact Marta Lindsey at marta@transcoalition.org or 510-740-3150 x321.

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Action alert: AC Transit may raise fares and double youth fares
To address rising operating and personnel costs, AC Transit staff is recommending a fare increase for all riders. The proposal would increase the adult pass by 14% to $80 per month, the senior/disabled monthly pass by 40% to $28 per month and the youth pass by 87% to $28 per month. TALC believes there needs to be significant changes to reduce the impact on AC Transit's 227,000 daily riders, including 60,000 youth. Please attend the AC Transit Board meeting, when this issue will be discussed, on Wednesday, March 12 at 5:00 p.m. at 1600 Franklin Street. See the webpage below for more information and additional actions you can take.

Learn more and take action: www.urbanhabitat.org/node/1571

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Envision the future of the Concord Naval Weapons Station -- Saturday, March 29
Greenbelt Alliance and TALC are sponsoring a tour and talk from experts on promoting smart growth and protecting critical open space at Concord's Naval Weapons Station. Join us to learn about the site, the process to develop it, key dates and events, and how to make your voice heard. The event will be on Saturday, March 29, 1:00 – 3:00 pm at the Willow Pass center at 2748 East Olivera Road in Concord. Please RSVP to Christina Wong at Greenbelt Alliance at cwong@greenbelt.org or 925-932-7776. To learn about other sites where the Great Communities Collaborative is active, visit www.greatcommunities.org.

Learn more: www.greenbelt.org/regions/eastbay/camp_concord.html

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Did you miss Todd Litman at the February regional meeting?
It was standing room only at TALC's February regional meeting when Todd Litman, the well-known sustainable transportation policy analyst, gave a fast-paced and entertaining presentation on strategies to reduce how much people drive. You can watch the presentation at the link below. While the room was dark the audio came out fine, so you may want to listen to the audio and follow along with the slides.

Watch Todd's talk: video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3005379792634390321
View a PDF of the slides: www.transcoalition.org/cal/minutes_archive.html

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NEWS AND EVENTS FROM TALC MEMBER GROUPS

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TALC's newest member groups: CalPIRG and the Accountable Development Coalition
Joining TALC's more than 100 member and affiliate groups are CalPIRG and the Accountable Development Coalition. CalPIRG, the well-known statewide advocacy group, has been working closely with TALC for the past year to protect funding for public transit. The Accountable Development Coalition works in the North Bay to promote smart growth principles in development decisions.

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CALPIRG students' spring break theme: Go high-speed rail!
From March 24-28, fifty college students from around the state will spend their spring break traveling the proposed California high-speed train route in decorated bikes, cars, and matching t-shirts. The trip will make stops in San Francisco and San Jose on Monday, March 24 and will continue on to the Central Valley, Los Angeles, and San Diego during the rest of the week. The students will hold media events with local elected officials, showing the strong student excitement for high-speed rail. Congressman Jim Costa will join the tour in Fresno on his bike, and several other state legislators are planning on attending. Contact Emily Rusch at erusch@calpirg.org or 415-622-0039 for more information.

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Does Bus Rapid Transit make sense for Oakland and Berkeley? -- Monday, March 10
ULTRA (Urbanists for a Livable Temescal and Rockridge Area) is sponsoring a Neighborhood Solutions Series that will focus on a discussion of Bus Rapid Transit with representatives from TALC and AC Transit. AC Transit's planned BRT project would serve passengers traveling between Bayfair, downtown Oakland and downtown Berkeley along East 14th Street/International Boulevard and Telegraph Avenue. The event will be held on Monday, March 10th from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Faith Presbyterian Church, 430 49th Street in Oakland.

Learn more: www2.actransit.org/planning_focus/details.wu?item_id=30

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Monthly Design by Dialogue series kicks off in San Francisco -- Wednesday, March 12
Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (NorCal Chapter) will co-sponsor a four-part, monthly Design by Dialogue series. This is not a typical lecture series, there will be no "talking heads" and engagement is the name of the game. On Wednesday, March 12, the theme will be Engaged Democracy with Dave Henson and Don Ernst. On Wednesday, April 9 it will be Community Prosperity with Raquel Rivera Pinderhughes. On Wednesday, May 14 Jason Henderson will cover Post Petroleum Transitopia. And on Wednesday, June 4 it will be Take Back the Commons with Dwayne Jones and Chris Carlsson. The events will be held from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Pacific Energy Center, at 851 Howard Street in San Francisco. Please RSVP to Saba Malik at sabsmalik12@aol.com.

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Walking tour of San Francisco's Central Market -- Saturday, March 22
Take a guided tour of San Francisco's Central Market and discover a neighborhood rich in history, art, and culture. Walk San Francisco will lead the tour, which will start at Mint Plaza on 5th Street between Mission and Market at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 22. Find out why Market Street was once referred to as "The Great White Way," discover remnants of the Central Market neighborhood's colorful past, and get an insight into the history of the most transit-intensive street on the West Coast. Find out about new development projects planned for the mixed-use district, and learn about how the new Central Market Community Benefit District is working to create a clean, safe and welcoming environment. Guest speakers who will join the group along the tour include neighborhood residents, community activists, property owners, and the Executive Director of the Central Market Community Benefit District.

Learn more: www.walksf.org/?page_id=5

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Ecocity World Summit -- April 22-26
Like the preceding six International Ecocity Conferences, the Ecocity World Summit 2008 focus is on how, through rebuilding our built environment (our cities, towns and villages) in balance with nature, citizens can, now and into the deep future, inhabit healthy and vibrant cities. The conference will take place in San Francisco.

Learn more: www.ecocityworldsummit.org

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International car free cities conference -- June 16-20
Carfree City, USA is co-sponsoring Rethinking Mobility, Rediscovering Proximity on June 16-20 in Portland, Oregon. The Towards Carfree Cities conference series brings together people from around the world who work to promote practical alternatives to car dependence. The conference attracts urban planners, walk/bike advocates, activists, and community leaders who focus on the creation of sustainable transportation systems and on the transformation of cities, towns, and villages into human-scaled environments rich in public space and community life.

Learn more: www.carfreeportland.org

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Surdna Foundation seeks program officer for its environment program
The Surdna Foundation, a New York City-based family foundation, seeks a Program Officer for its Environment Program. The Environment Program supports a healthy natural environment, the foundation upon which human communities flourish.

Learn more: www.surdna.org/resources/resources_show.htm?doc_id=671365

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