FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 6, 2017

Contact: Jeanie Ward-Waller, Policy Director, jeanie@calbike.org, 916-399-3211

Re: Coalition statement about passage of Senate Bill 1 

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Statement from 32 organizations representing walking, bicycling, public transit, public health, social equity, environmental, and environmental justice concerns on today’s passage of transportation funding bill SB 1

SB 1 will make major improvements to the transportation system in California, and our coalition of more than 80 organizations supported many elements of the package. We appreciate the bill’s focus on fixing roads first and investing significant dollars in public transportation and safe walking and biking, yet we believe there is still more work ahead to target and prioritize transportation investment to benefit disadvantaged communities.

Several key improvements to SB 1 would have won our support for the package. However, transportation justice means both funding the transportation needs of low-income communities and protecting vulnerable residents from health and other harms. Unfortunately, the bill also includes an unacceptable loophole to allow diesel trucks to keep polluting in communities already burdened with poor air quality. We cannot support a deal that sacrifices public health for public transportation — California communities need both.

“We’re proud that a diverse coalition of more than 80 groups committed to environmental justice, climate protection, public health, and sustainable transportation stood in solidarity throughout this process. Our collective effort moved this deal a long way toward providing safer, cleaner, and more affordable transportation options, and we were disappointed that the last-minute deal adding the trucking provision kept us from supporting.” –Jeanie Ward-Waller, Policy Director, California Bicycle Coalition

“We deeply appreciate all the work that went into making this bill as good as it was. It has come a long way, and that represents significant progress for public transportation, walking, and biking.” –Joshua Stark, State Policy Director, TransForm.

As amended recently through the efforts of the Governor, Legislative leadership, Transportation Secretary Brian Kelly, and others, SB 1 now:

• Triples our investment in public transportation relying on stable revenue sources compared to a previous version of the bill,
• Nearly doubles the state’s funding for safe walking and biking,
• Does not further encumber Cap-and-Trade revenues,
• Eliminates dangerous and unnecessary changes to CEQA,
• Supports regional and local planning efforts for sustainable communities,
• Includes funding for workforce development.

“We commend the Legislature and Governor for including new transit operating funds in SB 1. More frequent and affordable bus service will connect low-income families, seniors and students to opportunity, and help us meet our climate goals.” –Richard Marcantonio, Managing Attorney, Public Advocates Inc.

“Transportation remains the single largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in California. With our state’s visionary climate goals, it’s critical that our transportation dollars keep us on track to achieve these goals. SB 1 provides $25 million a year to support local and regional agencies’ planning efforts to build sustainable, equitable, and healthy communities. These types of investments will put us on the right track to achieve our state’s ambitious climate goals.” –Chanell Fletcher, Associate Director, ClimatePlan

“Together we will continue to fight to reverse this “dirty trucking” policy and ensure that the communities most burdened by poverty and by air pollution from transportation benefit from the state’s investments in transportation. We will continue to fight, in short, for transportation justice.” –Bill Magavern, Policy Director, Coalition for Clean Air

“We look forward to working with our allies throughout California to ensure that our state’s investments in transportation infrastructure and services benefit—and do not burden—disadvantaged communities, rural and urban alike.” –Phoebe Seaton, Co-Director, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability

“The passage of the transportation package represents a crucial investment in public transit, but the exemption of ports from our clean air standards is too high a price for our most vulnerable communities. Californians should not be forced to choose between infrastructure improvements, access to public transportation, and the health of their families.” –Sarah Rose, CEO, California League of Conservation Voters

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Statement issued by the following organizations: Bike East Bay, California Bicycle Coalition, California League of Conservation Voters, California Walks, Central California Asthma Collaborative, Center for Climate Change and Health, ChangeLab Solutions, ClimatePlan, Climate Resolve, Coalition for Clean Air, COAST, Ditching Dirty Diesel Collaborative, Greenlining Institute, Housing California, Investing in Place, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, Medical Advocates for Healthy Air, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition, PolicyLink, Public Advocates, Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP), Safe Routes to School National Partnership, Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, Shasta Living Streets, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, Sunflower Alliance, TransForm, Trust for Public Land, Walk Long Beach, and Walk Oakland Bike Oakland

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Re: CalBike Endorses Jesse Creed for Los Angeles Council District 5; Elections Held March 7th

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Los Angeles, CA – The California Bicycle Coalition endorses candidate Jesse Creed for Los Angeles City Council District 5.

“Jesse will be a catalyst for change on behalf of the everyday Angeleno who doesn’t want to have to be stuck in a car all the time,” said Dave Snyder, CalBike’s Executive Director.

Between now and the March 7 election, CalBike will reach out to its hundreds of members in District 5 who share a desire to make Los Angeles more livable and affordable by making bicycling a more accessible option. The Sacramento-based group recently won an increase in funding for bike infrastructure, support for e-bikes to broaden bicycling’s potential, and new design rules encouraging more protection for bike riders. CalBike rarely gets involved in local elections, but made an exception in this case because of the stark contrast between Creed’s support for a more livable Los Angeles and the incumbent’s stubborn adherence to the old transportation paradigm of reliance on cars and only cars.

“Incumbent Paul Koretz has proven in recent years that he is at odds with the needs of people who bike. He’s been a barrier to implementing safer streets for bike riders and pedestrians, including children. He went out of his way to halt the implementation of bike lanes on Westwood Blvd, conceding to the voices of a few, and not the overwhelming evidence that bicycle commuters to UCLA need a safe route to campus. He removed Westwood Blvd from the Mobility Plan 2035, completely undermining years of public input,” said Linda Khamoushian, CalBike Communications Manager.

Los Angeles’ 5th Council District spans across the Westside neighborhoods east of the 405 freeway. This includes major employment centers such as UCLA and  Century City. It is also the site of the recent extension of the Expo Line into Santa Monica, and a planned Purple Line extension. Gridlock and congestion in CD5 extend beyond the typical rush hour time frames and ever-worsening as population increases. Implementing sustainable mobility options is a priority for residents. Addressing traffic and mobility issues in CD5 has been a core component of Creed’s campaign platform from the beginning.

Creed’s campaign for city council is having grassroots success, activating and rallying community members and fundraising competitively to put incumbent Paul Koretz on the defense.

CD5 needs a catalyst for change, a policymaker to champion mobility for everyone. Creed is that guy. He is committed to creating safer streets for the most vulnerable users, in particular addressing the challenges faced by seniors and youth. More importantly, Creed supports completing the Westwood Blvd traffic safety study, in order to make a better decision based on facts. In a press conference held in the heart of Westwood Village, he reiterated his commitment to improving safety on Westwood Blvd. Creed doesn’t just understand the issues; as an avid bike commuter, he lives them.

Hear from Jesse himself at the following upcoming candidate forums:

Tonight, February 21st, 7pm
CD5 Debate hosted by Westwood Neighborhood Council at 10750 Ohio Ave

Saturday, February 25th, 1pm
CD5 Candidate Forum hosted by Mid City West Neighborhood Council

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For Immediate Release

Re: Advocates Succeed to Redirect $24 Million in Active Transportation Funding to Disadvantaged Communities Across California

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Sacramento CA — Wednesday, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved $158 million in grant funds for walking and bicycling projects, including $24.3 million that was diverted from a single high-profile project in the Coachella Valley to five very high need communities across the state. The late revision to the $24 million allocation was a result of careful scrutiny and advocacy by the California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike) and Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability.

The original CTC staff recommendation for the 2017 Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant cycle would have allocated almost one fifth of the funds available statewide to CV Link, a fifty-mile multi-use path connecting cities in the Coachella Valley. The path, intended for bicycles and pedestrians as well as “low-speed electric vehicles” such as golf carts, was missing data in its application and was inaccurately awarded too many points for benefiting disadvantaged communities. CalBike’s Policy Director Jeanie Ward-Waller discovered the error, and led a coalition of advocates to request a reevaluation by the CTC. As a result, the CTC corrected the CV Link application score and revised its recommendation to reallocate funding to five other deserving projects.

Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability works directly with residents in low-income communities in the Eastern Coachella Valley and San Joaquin Valley. Mariela Magaña, policy advocate with Leadership Counsel, met with mothers in the Eastern Coachella Valley community of North Shore on her way to the CTC hearing, and shared photos of the utter absence of pedestrian infrastructure in North Shore neighborhoods with the Commission.

“One of the many beacons of the ATP is its commitment to invest in severely disadvantaged communities, and in that spirit we want to see investment in communities like those in the Eastern Coachella Valley,” said Ms. Magaña. “Now that the state-level allocation is behind us, we’ll be ensuring that the regional ATP process in Riverside County also prioritizes investments in those severely disadvantaged communities – like North Shore – where moderate investments will have truly transformational impacts.”

“If the Active Transportation Program is to fulfill its promise in providing affordable and healthy transportation options for the people who need them the most, it’s critical that the evaluation of the projects is fair and accurate,” said Jeanie Ward-Waller of CalBike. “We commend the CTC for maintaining the integrity of the program by making the difficult decision to redirect funding to other deserving projects.”

The five new projects funded include the Central Avenue Complete Street Project in Alameda; pedestrian improvements along First Street in Santa Ana; the McGowan Parkway Bicycle Lane and Pedestrian Route Improvements in Yuba County; a regional Safe Bicycling and Wayfinding project connecting the cities of Compton and Carson; and Long Beach’s Citywide 8-80 Connections project. A total of $158,096,000 was awarded to 44 Statewide projects and 10 Small Urban and Rural projects, and approved yesterday by the CTC.

Sacramento CA – This week the California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike) rolls out a campaign to demystify and promote a type of bike lane still relatively new to the United States but rapidly gaining favor across the country – the protected bike lane, officially called a “Separated Bikeway.” As reported in the Associated Press’s “The Big […]

The Groundbreaking California Transportation Equity Summit and Bill Package Work to Rectify Unjust Transportation Policies

Sacramento CA – This May 16-17 the California Bicycle Coalition and TransForm will host the “Transportation Equity Summit & Advocacy Day.” Seeing transportation as a basic civil right, the summit will focus on how California can make sure that the benefits of bicycling, walking and public transportation more broadly extend to everyone in California, by putting a much greater emphasis on the safety and mobility needs of our state’s underserved.

For Immediate Release – April 11, 2016

From: Melissa Balmer – Media Director California Bicycle Coalition Cell 562.221.9672 email:Melissa@calbike.org

Re:  Transportation Is a Civil Right – The Groundbreaking California Transportation Equity Summit and Bill Package Work to Rectify Unjust Transportation Policies

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Sacramento CA – This May 16-17 the California Bicycle Coalition and TransForm will host the “Transportation Equity Summit & Advocacy Day.” Seeing transportation as a basic civil right, the summit will focus on how California can make sure that the benefits of bicycling, walking and public transportation more broadly extend to everyone in California, by putting a much greater emphasis on the safety and mobility needs of our state’s underserved.

“California spends billions of dollars every year on highways that divide neighborhoods, worsen air pollution, promote climate change, and put vulnerable road users at risk, especially in disadvantaged communities. We need to change this if we want sustainable communities that are safe for people to walk and bicycle to where they need to go.” Jeanie Ward Waller, Policy Director, California Bicycle Coalition.

About the Transportation Equity Summit

Advocates and media who are also interested in more equitable, healthy transportation are invited to attend the May 16th Transportation Equity Summit from noon until 5:00 pm at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, 828 I Street in Sacramento. The summit will feature keynotes by Genoveva Islas, the newest CalBike Board member and Director of Cultiva La Salud from Fresno, as well as other groundbreaking thought leaders working for healthier, more equitable transportation for all Californians. Six breakout sessions covering topics such as:

• Bicycling and walking advocacy leading with equity

• Linking good jobs and affordable housing to transportation

• Funding for equitable transit, walking, and bicycling

• Shared mobility, such as bike share and shared car services such as Lyft.

Following the summit will be an evening reception from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the International Hostel, with plenty of time for networking. On the following day at 8:00 am there will be a briefing breakfast sponsored by Dolan Law on the Transportation Equity Bill Package (described below) before converging on the Capitol for meetings with our legislators until 4:00 pm. Registration prices increase on April 15th so register today:

https://www.calbike.org/transportation-equity-summit-and-advocacy-day-may-16-17/.

Sponsors for the summit also include Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Bay Area Bicycle Law, and Yuba Bicycles.

About the Transportation Equity Bill Package

The California Bicycle Coalition, Assemblymembers Chris Holden (Pasadena), Eduardo Garcia (Coachella), Richard Bloom (Santa Monica), and a coalition of transportation and equity allies all want to ensure that state transportation resources are directed to rectify unjust policies of the past. That includes making bicycling, walking, and riding transit more efficient, safe, and affordable through the legislative process:

California Transportation Commission: Environmental Justice Act – AB 1982 (Bloom)

This bill expands the membership of the California Transportation Commission to 15 members to allow the Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly to each appoint an additional member who works directly with disadvantaged communities that are most burdened and vulnerable to high levels pollutions.

The Active Transportation Planning and Education Act – AB 2796 (Bloom and Low)

This bill would establish a permanent percentage of Active Transportation Program funding to support planning in disadvantaged communities. This bill ensures that disadvantaged communities can access funding to plan future projects, as well as to pay for non-infrastructure projects such as bicycle safety education, encouragement, and engagement programs.

The Discounted Student Transit Pass Act – AB 2222 (Holden)

This bill creates a $50M transit pass program with Cap-and-Trade funds to provide discounted transit passes to students and low-income residents. As public transit is getting more expensive, it’s becoming out of reach to the folks who need it the most encouraging greater transit ridership and reducing driving.

The Transportation Equity and Job Creation Act – AB 2332 (Garcia)

This bill codifies the Caltrans Strategic goals to triple bicycling and double walking and transit by 2020, requires that Caltrans vet SHOPP projects through public hearings in each district that are accessible to disadvantaged residents, and requires that SHOPP prioritize projects that provide benefits in DACs identified by DACs (and sets a minimum of 35{850a63fa8a72bae4d6bfa3f1eda9f619cddace10f9053ede128e2914f9ca5a15} of funding that must be spent on these projects) as well as projects that provide jobs to low-income individuals with barriers to employment.

You can add your support to these individual bills or the entire package here:http://www.fixcaliforniaroads.org/equitypackage.

The Transportation Equity Bill Package coalition includes California Walks, Safe Routes to School National Partnership, PolicyLink, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability, TransForm, Move LA, California Bicycle Coalition, Breathe California, and Gamaliel of California.

About the California Bicycle Coalition

The California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike) is California’s state-level bicycling advocacy organization, working to enable more people to ride bicycles for healthier, safer, and more prosperous communities for all. CalBike partners with all 16 professionally-staffed local bicycle advocacy organizations across the state, and hosts a bi-annual summit.

We envision millions of people riding bikes every day in California with networks of safe streets and paths conveniently connect every destination. Our goal is to double the amount of bicycling in the Golden State 2017, and become the most bike-friendly state in the country by 2020. Learn more atcalbike.org.
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For more information please contact:
Jeanie Ward-Waller, California Bicycle Coalition, jeanie@calbike.org, (916) 399-3211

Kim Chen, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, kchen@cpehn.org, (916) 447-1299

Joshua Stark, TransForm, jstark@transform.org, (916) 706-2035 ext. 302