Equity & Environmental Justice

In collaboration with local advocacy groups, Safe Routes Partnership submitted a policy comment letter this week to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) on the 2020 update of the Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS). The 2020 RTP/SCS, also known as Connect SoCal, will set the Southern California’s plans for transportation and housing for the next 25 years--including thousands of transportation projects. 

We are disappointed that Tamika Butler has had to resign as a CTC commissioner only a few months after her appointment last fall.

Workshops to determine guidelines for Cycle 5 of the Active Transportation continue, with input coming in from around the state. The schedule of workshops, as well as downloadable materials, is available on the CTC's ATP website under the 2021 ATP Cycle 5 header. 

Manteca is in the process of developing its general plan to guide how the city will grow. We recently recommended that Manteca include in its plan concrete ways it will improve bicycle and pedestrian access around schools, improvements in active transportaton data collection, and measurable goals on Complete Streets. We also urged the city to prioritize affordable transportation options as part of the environmental justice component of the general plan.

We salute the Air Resources Board for the creation of the new Sustainable Transportation Equity Program (STEP).

The next application deadline for the Active Transportation Program (ATP) will be June 15, 2020 for Cycle 5, with projects awarded in 2021. The California Transportation Commission is currently holding workshops to get feedback and input on the ATP guidelines. “Branch” workshops will be held in locations where workshops haven’t been help before, and will be for input.  “Central” workshops will be in more central locations and will include discussions and decisions on different aspects of the guidelines; there will also be a webinar and real-time chat function available.

October 2nd was International Walk to School Day & Clean Air Day, and Muscoy celebrated both. Vermont Elementary school recieved a small microgrant from the Coalition for Clean Air to help support efforts to launch a walk to school day event and promote clean air stratgies in their school. Vermont Parents in Action and Safe Routes Partnership organized partners including Assemblymember Eloise Gomez Reyes, San Bernardino County Department of Public Works, San Bernardino County Public Health, San Bernardino City Police Department, Go Human and Alta Planning and Design.