California

In September 2018, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) initiated a project to develop Active Transportation plans for each of its 12 districts, ultimately covering the entire State of California. As part of this effort, Caltrans is developing an overarching statewide data framework and methodology for collecting, storing, and using active transportation data. District 4 in the Bay Area is one of the first areas beginning this process.

In recent weeks, the City of Modesto has adopted an update to its general plan. Last year, we joined with local advocates to make comments to the plan, and many of the concerns raised were adopted in revisions. A key aspect of our comments was that the proposed draft plan did not address environmental justice as required during general plan updates by state law, SB 1000.

Because some Metropolitan Planning Organizations have not yet released their recommendations for the ATP Cycle 4 MPO component, we have extended the deadline to apply for our Cycle 5 ATP technical assistance in order to accomodate jurisdictions that are still waiting to find out if their projects will be funded.  So, if your community needs safe walking and biking infrastructure, but you need help applying for the state’s Active Transportation Program, we can help!

California’s legislative cycle is in full swing, and the Safe Routes Partnership continues to advocate for our priorities in Sacramento. In partnership with our co-sponsors CalWalks, CalBike and the American Heart Association, we have been meeting frequently with legislators and agency staff about SB 127 (Wiener), which will guarantee the implementation of Complete Streets improvements along sections of the State Highway System that fall within a half-mile radius of key community destinations such as schools and parks.

The City of Rialto in San Bernardino County convened their first active transportation technical advisory committee (TAC), called Rialto Walks, Rides & Rolls, earlier this month. The first meeting was facilitated jointly by KTUA Consulting, Alta Planning and the City of Rialto. Stakeholders in the TAC include community based organizations, businesses and local agencies.

The Southern California Association of Governments will be soliciting partnerships with community based organizations (CBOs) to help assist with outreach and feedback for the Regional Transportation Plan & Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) 2020 update. Connect SoCal is the official branding for The RTP/SCS 2020, and outreach will begin this spring. Eligible CBOs will have opportunities to be compensated to do outreach work with SCAG and the consultant team.

The Safe Routes Partnership and UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) are accepting applications for the next round of the Safe Routes to School Launch Program in 2019!

The Safe Routes Partnership is convening an Active Transportation Network in Stockton on a monthly basis as part of the Stockton Healthy Neighborhoods Collaborative. Please join us to meet others concerned about active transportation and share and receive information on best practices and policy issues that impact the health of families in the San Joaquin County area. Meetings are on the third Tuesday of every month at 1pm PT.  We’d love to see you there! Get more information by contacting Marty@saferoutespartnership.org.  

Note: Because some Metropolitan Planning Organizations have not yet released their recommendations for the ATP Cycle 4 MPO component, we have extended the deadline to apply for our Cycle 5 assistance in order to accomodate jurisdictions that are still waiting to find out if their projects will be funded.

If you are working to make streets safer or to increase access to schools and parks so that children and families in your community can have more opportunities for physical activity – we can help!

As we reported last month, the California Transportation Commission announced the results of Cycle 4 of the Active Transportation Program at the beginning of the year. There have been a few updates to the recommendations since then, and we have also had the chance to dig into the numbers and identify some trends.