California

The Safe Routes Partnership urges a YES vote on the Bay Area’s Regional Measure 3, which will be on the June 2018 ballot. RM 3 is a $4.5 billion plan to make crucial investments needed to improve quality of life and will connect BART and other commuter rail services, including via Safe Routes to Transit  These improved connections between buses, trains, and bikes will help people get to work, school, and home more quickly and safely.

The Safe Routes Partnership has been working with environmental justice groups, including the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice to raise awareness about the impact of freight and warehouses on the pollution levels and traffic safety of schools and neighborhoods throughout the Inland Empire and Southern California.

In early May, California Senior Policy Manager Jonathan Matz joined our partners in the Sustainable Communities for All coalition (SC4A) in Sacramento to lobby state lawmakers for an equitable portfolio of investments from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). Among the programs SC4A would like to see funded from the GGRF this year are Urban Forestry and Urban Greening; the Low Income Home Weatherization Program; and transit passes for K-14 students in public education institutions.

Proponents of an effort to repeal SB 1 (last year’s increase in the State Gas Tax) submitted nearly 1 million signatures to place a proposition on the statewide ballot this November, widely exceeding the minimum number to qualify (584,000).

The Call for Projects for Cycle 4 of the Active Transportation Program (ATP) is set for May 16, with applications due by July 31.  Until they are released, the latest draft applications and guidelines are available at http://catc.ca.gov/programs/atp/.  New this year are separate applications for different project types and more detailed questions concerning local health disparities.

A June ballot measure to be voted on in the nine counties of the Bay Area will help address the region’s air quality, congestion, and transportation needs. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the state legislature worked to place the measure on the ballot, which will raise bridge toll revenue to finance $4.45 billion in transportation improvements, including:

• $500 million for new BART cars

On April 5, the Fresno Council of Governments released a draft of the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) 2018 – 2042 for a 55-day review and public comment period. The plan addresses greenhouse gas emissions reductions and other air emissions related to transportation, with the goal of preparing for future growth in a sustainable manner. Public hearings will be held on April 26, and  May 15.

The California Transportation Commission has announced another (likely final) workshop on the applications and guidelines for Cycle 4 of the Active Transportation Program on Tuesday April 17 in Sacramento. The workshop will also cover SB 1 accountability guidelines. Please see the meeting announcement with full details including how to participate remotely here.

In recent months, the Safe Routes Partnership has solicited input from constituents throughout California about the potential impact of SB 328, which would require middle and high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.  We received input from stakeholders on all sides of the legislation and have done some careful research and consideration of the issues.