Our Comments on Plan Bay Area: The Region Needs a Bigger Investment in Active Transportation

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership submitted comments on the Draft Plan Bay Area and the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR), both of which will have massive impacts on active transportation, public transit, housing,  and other factors affecting the growth, health, and climate of the climate of the region for years to come.

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Our comments emphasized the need for much larger regional investments in active transportation. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) adopted broad goals for increasing walking and bicycling in the region to improve our health and protect our climate. But the region will not come anywhere close to meeting those goals without a significant investment in programs that directly increase walking and bicycling, such as the Regional Safe Routes to School program.

Solano Safe Routes to School Summit!

Solano Transportation Authority and Solano County Public Health invite you to Solano’s first Safe Routes to School Summit on May 23.

Learn about the new, fun and exciting things the SR2S program is working on and future plans.  More information here.

Comment on the Future of Bay Area Active Transportation by this Thursday, May 16!

The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) are accepting comments on the Draft Plan Bay Area, and the Draft Enviornmental Impact Report (EIR) until this Thursday at 4pm. Nearly three years in the making, Plan Bay Area is an integrated long-range transportation and land-use/housing plan that will support a growing economy, provide more housing and transportation choices, and reduce transportation-related pollution in the San Francisco Bay Area.The effort grew out of the California Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (California Senate Bill 375, Steinberg), which requires each of the state’s 18 metropolitan areas – including the Bay Area –  to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks.

Elements of Plan Bay Area and the EIR are vital for active transportation and equity. Make your voice heard and comment by Thursday’s deadline!

Thursday, May 9 Is Bike to Work Day in the San Francisco Bay Area!

The San Francisco Bay Area’s 19th Annual Bike to Work Day is tomorrow,  May 9! Bike to Work Day — the largest of many Bay Area National Bike Month events — will give residents the opportunity to choose a healthier commute and experience the benefits of cycling firsthand.

Instant Recess today at 1pm in Honor of Dr. Toni Yancey

Just a reminder about our post below on the instant recess today at 1pm. Enjoy the movement!

Repost:

Last month our movement lost Dr. Antronette (Toni) Yancey, a true leader in advancing the cause of physical activity. She was a UCLA professor who was an advocate for short bouts of physical activity, and was described as a “rock star” in the public health community. She was 55.

Join the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, Prevention Institute, and many of our partners, to honor her memory. Gather your co-workers on Tuesday, May 7 at 1 pm PDT (4 pm EDT) for a 10-minute instant recess. Click here (http://www.instantrecess.com) to learn more about how to do an instant recess.

Help spread the word
We need your help to get as many people as we can up and moving on Tuesday. Please forward this information to your networks, and share on social media, too!

Click here to read more about Dr. Yancey’s amazing life and legacy.

Instant Recess May 7 in Honor of Dr. Toni Yancey

Last month our movement lost Dr. Antronette (Toni) Yancey, a true leader in advancing the cause of physical activity. She was a UCLA professor who was an advocate for short bouts of physical activity, and was described as a “rock star” in the public health community. She was 55.

Join the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, Prevention Institute, and many of our partners, to honor her memory. Gather your co-workers on Tuesday, May 7 at 1 pm PDT (4 pm EDT) for a 10-minute instant recess. Click here (http://www.instantrecess.com) to learn more about how to do an instant recess.

Help spread the word
We need your help to get as many people as we can up and moving on Tuesday. Please forward this information to your networks, and share on social media, too!

Click here to read more about Dr. Yancey’s amazing life and legacy.

February 7 PLACE Brown Bag Speaking Series Event featuring Ryan Snyder

The Community Outreach Partnership Centers’ HOPE (Healthy Outcomes through Planning and Engagement) Initiative will be continuing their Practices from Livable, Active Communities and Environments (PLACE) brown bag speaking series during the 2013 spring season. The next event will be held February 7 at the University of California, Irvine. The event will feature a lecture from Ryan Snyder, the president of Ryan Snyder Associates, detailing how revising certain manuals and standards for transportation planning can help recognize the vitality of streets as public spaces in a healthy livable community.

Event Flyer

Details:
February 7, 2013
Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBSG) Room 3240
University of California, Irvine
12 PM-1:30 PM

You can RSVP to Victor Becerra at vbecerra@uci.edu

Golden Footprints Awards

Golden Footprints
Image courtesy of Irina Souiki on Flickr

WalkSanDiego invites your nominations by Thursday, January 31st for the 2013 Golden Footprints Awards.  The Golden Footprint Award recognizes efforts to promote walkability and enhance the pedestrian environment in San Diego County.  This year, WalkSanDiego will give the Golden Footprint awards in the following categories:

•          Citizen
•          Public Official
•          Non-Profit Organization
•          Urban Project
•          Suburban Project
•          Urban Trails/Connectivity
•          Complete Streets
•          Inspirational Walker

The awards will be presented at WalkSanDiego’s Annual Awards Gala on Thursday, April 4, 2013 at the San Diego Natural History Museum in beautiful Balboa Park.

Randall Lewis Seminar Series

On January 22, the Randall Lewis Seminar Series in Riverside will discuss the creation of a new nonprofit transportation advocacy group for the Inland Empire. Denny Zane, Executive Director of Move LA, will discuss efforts he and former Rialto Mayor and State Assemblyman John Longville are making to create the group, to be called Move Inland Empire, or Move IE. The group would work to implement the regionally adopted Sustainable Communities Strategy, which seeks to link transportation investments and local land use policy to reduce auto dependence, vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

The seminar will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the CE-CERT Building, 1084 Columbia Ave., Riverside

The seminar and parking are free, but seats are limited – registration is required. Register at http://or.ucr.edu/event/index.aspx

Discussion Forum: Protecting Safe Routes to School and Increasing Investment Opportunities in Active Transportation in California

Discussion Forum: Protecting Safe Routes to School and Increasing Investment Opportunities in Active Transportation in California

Conference Call: Wednesday, December 19 at 3 PM PT

Wednesday, December 19 at 3-4pm

Conference dial-in number: (559) 726-1200; Participant access code: 116936#

As the state decides how MAP-21 will affect key programs and looks toward more effective ways to meet statewide priorities for safety and greenhouse gas emissions targets, a new proposal has come out to streamline active transportation and Safe Routes to School funding and increase it in the future! The National Partnership has been working with other active transportation, health, and equity partners to meet with Caltrans and the Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency to discuss this proposal, but we also want to hear from you!

We have attached several key documents that outline our recommendations to this message, including:

1. Summary Handout
2. Dec 2012 sign on letter to BTH: Active Transportation Account
3. Nexus for Dedicating California’s Cap and Trade Program Revenue to Active Transportation
4. SRTSNP comments on revision to Statewide Transportation Needs Assessment for Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure
5. Nov 2012 sign on letter to Caltrans: Safe Routes to School – a Statewide Priority
6. Aug 2012 sign on letter to Caltrans: California Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Safe Routes to School – MAP-21 Program Investment Sign on Statement

Please review these and bring your questions to the call – we look forward to hearing your comments on the proposal and how you think it might affect Safe Routes to School. We will also discuss the timeline in the new year for advocating to protect Safe Routes to School and increase investments in active transportation.

Details:

Discussion Forum: Protecting Safe Routes to School and Increasing Investment Opportunities in Active Transportation in California

Wednesday, December 19 at 3-4pm

Conference dial-in number: (559) 726-1200; Participant access code: 116936#

Agenda:

1. Deb Hubsmith (Director, SRTSNP) – recent updates from meetings in Sacramento about the proposed Active Transportation Account and MAP-21, revision to the Statewide Needs Assessment, and next year’s advocacy timeline.
2. Rye Baerg (Southern California Policy Manager, SRTSNP) – Cap and Trade investment in active transportation
3. Questions and discussion.