Transportation Is a Civil Right

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:[email protected]

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% 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, [email protected], (916) 399-3211

Kim Chen, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, [email protected], (916) 447-1299

Joshua Stark, TransForm, [email protected], (916) 706-2035 ext. 302