Gathering Community Support – Eagle Rock Takes Back the Boulevard

Take Back the Boulevard is an initiative created by residents to improve the quality of life in Eagle Rock through equalizing the mode share on Colorado Boulevard. In Eagle Rock, Colorado Boulevard is the main thoroughfare, a 6 lane roadway connecting major highways and freeways. A more equitable mode share on Colorado Boulevard will facilitate more transportation options and economic opportunities. On the Boulevard, 83% of the distance between one store front to another – 120 feet – is dedicated to vehicular traffic only. Of the 120 feet of public space, including sidewalks and roads, pedestrians and bicyclists are confined to 20 feet of area.

Let’s Move California! Three Day Kick off Celebration in Los Angeles!

Save the Date: June 15th – 17th Let’s Move California kicks off in Los Angeles.  Event organizers are looking for partners across the state to join this event.

On June 15th – 17th in Los Angeles, community members, organizations and leaders throughout California, led by FAME Assistance Corporation (FAC) will join together to launch Let’s Move California!, a statewide mobilization campaign dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams.

Reflections On Active Transportation in SCAG’s RTP

Gateway to the City of Dreams Mural (Union Station)

The passage of the 2012 SCAG RTP/SCS concluded one chapter in the marathon planning effort that included SCAG staff and the hundreds of advocates who worked tirelessly to have their voices heard (See our previous blog post for more details on: Lessons Learned from Southern California). It is therefore encouraging that most accounts of the plan consider it a solid step in the right direction.  However, some would ask the question, “Did the plan go far enough?” and “What’s next?”

One of the key differences found in this iteration of Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG’s) Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is the inclusion of the Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCS). The SCS was mandated by SB 375 and it includes strategies that seek to reduce air pollution, increase the number of walkable and bikeable communities, mitigate urban sprawl, encourage transit oriented development, create streets for all modes and abilities, and improve the quality of life for Southern Californians.

One More Push Needed for regional SRTS funding and complete streets in the Bay Area!

photo by sfbike

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) released a new revision of the One Bay Area Grant proposal. Thanks to the advocacy of many of us, the new proposal has made significant changes to improve active transportation.

Regional Safe Routes to School funding was increased to $20 million over four years, after having been threatened with massive cuts. That’s a big win for our children!

Also, counties and cities will be required to adopt complete streets resolutions in order to receive One Bay Area Grant funding. This will go a long way to ensuring the Bay Area is friendly to bicyclists and pedestrians.

TAKE ACTION: We need one more push to cement these gains!

San Bernardino Improvement to Transit Access for Cyclists and Pedestrians

The San Bernardino Association of Governments (SANBAG) is evaluating conditions for non-motorized users, bicyclists and pedestrians, when accessing fixed guideway systems (Metrolink stations) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines, also known as SBX, in San Bernardino County. This effort is part of SANBAG’s Non-Motorized Transportation Plan (NMTP), which was updated in 2011, and in part a response to California Senate Bill 375′s initiatives to reduce vehicle per miles traveled in Southern California.

SANBAG is looking for comments from the public, community advocates, residents, and cities on the Transit Access Study for Cyclists and Pedestrians (“Transit Access Study”) by Friday, April 20th at 5pm. All comments should sent electronically to Mr. Ryan Graham at rgraham (at) sanbag.ca.gov, SANBAG Transit Analyst.

Help Pass SCAG Motion with Active Transportation Policies!

We need your help! Advocates and community members: Your participation will help ensure an important motion (read here) supporting active transportation policies is passed. If you can, plan to provide public comments at the SCAG Regional Council Meeting (agenda) on Wednesday, April 4th at 1:00pm @ Westin Bonaventure Hotel.  If you cannot attend the meeting, please sign on to our letter to support the motion.

SCAG Recommends Active Transportation Policies but No Funding Changes

At the March 21st Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG’s) Joint  Policy Committees’ meeting, committee members recommend that the Final Draft of the Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategies (RTP/SCS) be adopted at the upcoming April 5th General Assembly.  Active transportation and public health advocates once again made up the overwhelimng majority of speakers during the public comment period demanding additional funding and planning for active transportation.

Unfortunately, despite the repeated input from the public, the proposed final version of the RTP/SCS allocates a mere $6.7 billion dollars for active transportation over the next 25 years.  This amounts to a mere 1.3% of the total RTP/SCS budget despite the fact that active transportation accounts for 21% of all trips in the SCAG region and that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health estimates that the true need is in the range of $40 billion.

Attend the Transportation Choices Summit on May 1 & 2 in Sacramento

Photo by jglazer75

Please attend the Transportation Choices Summit on May 1 & 2 in Sacramento. Registration is open!

Californians need real transportation choices that are safe and affordable, and promote walking, biking, and transit. Our economy, environment, and quality of life depend on it.

Safe Routes to School National Partnership and other amazing organizations are on the steering committee for this event, organized by TransForm. Come together this May 1 and 2 in Sacramento to learn, develop common strategies, and send a powerful message that California must support real transportation choies that are sustainable and equitable.

A limited number of scholarships are also available. Hope to see you there!

Cost to Build a Walkable and Bikeable SoCal in 25 years: $40 Billion

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Estimates SCAG region needs $40 Billion to build and support a healthy, walkable and bikeable SCAG Region.

Walking in Baldwin Park, CA. Photo Credit: HEAC on flickr

Background

In December of 2011, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) released the draft 2012 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Community Strategy (RTP/SCS) which will determine funding and set transportation priorities in the Southern California Region for the next 25 years.  The RTP outlines the specific projects  and the amount of funding available for different travel modes.

In Southern California 21 percent of all trips are made by people walking and bicycling (2009 National Household Travel Survey) and  25 percent of all roadway fatalities are bicyclists and pedestrians (2012 SCAG RTP).   In addition, 24 percent of the residents in the SCAG region suffer from obesity with some populations reporting rates of up to 49.6 percent.  This data points to an enormous need for infrastructure improvements for active transportation.  The 2012 RTP/SCS allocates $6 billion dollars to bicycle and pedestrian projects over the course of the plan.  This amounts to a mere 1.1 percent of the total $524.7 billion allocated over 25 years.  Given the discrepancy between estimated funding in the RTP/SCS and the need for improvements to active transportation networks, it became apparent that a cost estimate was needed for building and maintaining these networks.

Help increase funding for Active Transportation in the 2012 RTP/SCS!

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has recently released the draft of their 2012 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS).  The RTP/SCS lays out transportation and land use policies for the next 25 years in the Southern California Region.  It will determine the types of projects that are built and the amount of funding available for active transportation and Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs.In the coming weeks SCAG will be holding a series of public workshops and hearings in each represented county (Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, and Imperial) to give the public (that means you) a chance to submit your comments and talk with SCAG staff about the plan.

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is actively engaged in advocating for active transportation and SRTS projects in the 2012 RTP/SCS.  Our Southern California Policy Managers (Rye Baerg and Pauline Chow) will be on hand at these meetings offering our suggestions and engaging with stakeholders.  Our goals are to increase funding for active transportation, solidify a commitment for a regional complete streets policy, ensure that social and environmental justice are prioritized, and to fast track existing and planed bicycle and pedestrian projects.

We encourage you to share your thoughts on the 2012 RTP/SCS by attending these meetings.  Future meeting dates can be found here.  If you can attend please contact us to coordinate our strategy!