Transportation Justice Program

Call To Action, Re-Fund Transit, Make Banks Pay!

Editor2 — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:48:54 -0600

For the past five years, working people in the Bay Area have faced brutal cuts to vital services. Bus riders have been hit especially hard, some losing more than 15% of their transit service. This means longer waits, higher costs, and missed appointments.

Banks Must Pay
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Banks that wrecked our economy continue to overcharge our public agencies—the Metropolitan Transportation Committee (MTC), for one— millions of dollars on bad loan deals.

What You Can Do
On Feb. 20th through 24th, join bus riders, ACCE, Urban Habitat, and our allies in the Transportation Justice Working Group, as well as the 6 Wins For Social Equity, for a Week of Actions, to demand that banks renegotiate interest-rate swap agreements.

House Bill Could End 30 Years of Dedicated Federal Funds for Mass Transit

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:59:25 -0600

ACTION ALERT! From Transit Riders for Public Transportation (TRPT)

Stop the assault on the public sector,
protect environmental justice and civil rights
in transportation funding.

SAY NO to H.R. 7 — TAKE ACTION NOW!

House Republican Committees voted last week to eviscerate transit in the federal transportation bill by eliminating the 20% share of dedicated funding for public transit and giving 100% of federal funds to roads and highways. This bill also targets our grassroots communities of color who make up the backbone of transit ridership across the country.

CALL your Congressional Representative and the Speaker of the House and tell them to vote NO on H.R. 7 (the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act) Contact Your Congressional Representative: http://www.house.gov/representatives/

Contact Speaker Boehner: Phone: (202) 225-0600 Fax: (202) 225-5117

Coalition criticizes spending plan for Alameda County sales tax

Editor2 — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:23:39 -0600

By Denis Cuff

OAKLAND -- Plans for a November ballot measure to double Alameda County's sales tax for transportation to 1 cent are being rocked by a debate over allocating $400 million of the money to a BART extension to Livermore.

A coalition of social justice and public transit advocates said Tuesday the tax proposal needs an overhaul because it gives too much to expanding BART to Livermore and not enough for maintaining and operating public transit systems like struggling AC Transit.

"When you don't have enough money to take care of your existing systems, it doesn't make sense to make them bigger," said Jeff Hobson, deputy director of TransForm, a transit advocacy group. "This draft plan doesn't cut it, but it's not too late for the Alameda County Transportation Commission to get it right."

The Tea Party, Planning and Democracy (Part One)

Editor2 — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:28:05 -0600

By Zelda Bronstein

Editor's Note: This is the first part of a two-part news analysis which explores some unexpected synergies between Tea Party protesters and progressive opponents of planning policies which are perceived as anti-democratic. Part 2 will appear on Friday.

Most people regard meetings about regional planning, if they regard them at all, as soporific, PowerPointed affairs frequented by policy wonks. But on January 11, I attended a regional planning workshop in Dublin that was anything but dull. That’s because protesters from the East Bay Area Tea Party showed up along with some “fellow travelers” and nearly took the evening over. Their appearance was no surprise.

For over a year, members of the Tea Party have descended on planning events around the country. The Dublin event, sponsored by the lead regional planning agencies in the Bay Area, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), was the Alameda County installament of the second round of county-based Plan Bay Area public meetings [http://www.onebayarea.org/spotlight_12-11.htm] about the forthcoming Sustainable Communities Strategy/Regional Transportation Plan (SCS/RTP) mandated by the 2008 legislation, SB 375. The Tea Party also weighed in at the first round, held last May, as well as at all of the second round workshops that have been held so far.

Petition: Support Free Public Transportation for Youth

Editor2 — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:11:20 -0600

Help us Win Free Transit for Youth in San Francisco Now: Click here and Sign the Petition!

Thanks,
Bob & Lindsay

Petition: Support Free Public Transportation for Youth

Young people are having a harder and harder time getting around San Francisco—getting to school, after school programs, jobs, volunteer activities, museums and parks. Major cuts to the yellow school bus program have forced school-age children to find their own way of getting to school—and a youth Fast Pass costs more than twice what it did two years ago. Young people who cannot afford the rising cost of transportation risk getting a $100 fine if they ride the bus without paying the fare.

Free Muni Youth Pass Campaign

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:53:28 -0600

Free Muni Youth Pass Campaign from UrbanHabitat on Vimeo.

Alameda County TJ groups fight to shape 30-year transportation spending plan

Editor2 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:45:10 -0600

Before the end of 2011, Alameda County will commit to a spending plan that will shape its transportation system for generations to come—and transportation justice advocates are working feverishly to ensure that the plan is fair, fiscally sound and environmentally friendly.

The half-cent sales tax enacted when county voters passed Measure B in 2000 supplies the county’s largest source of transportation funding. With that tax set to expire in 2022, the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) is preparing to put a new measure before the voters in November 2012. The new proposition, if approved by a 2/3 vote, would double the tax to a full cent and make it permanent. ACTC expects to raise $7.7 billion with the expanded tax; this will represent more than half of the county’s total transportation funds. The 30-year plan for spending that money will be part of the measure on the ballot. If it is approved, county residents will not have another chance to shape transportation spending until 2042, when ACTC will submit another budget to the voters.

The Community Vision Platform for the Measure B reauthorization Transportation Expenditure Plan (TEP)

Editor2 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:33:08 -0600

November 17, 2011

The proposed reauthorization of Measure B (B3) will be the single largest transportation funding source in Alameda County, extending a one cent sales tax in perpetuity with the next voter review scheduled for 2042. As such, it is our only meaningful opportunity to rebuild our deteriorating transportation system, restore transit service to acceptable levels, maintain transit affordability, increase safety for walking and biking, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create thousands of transportation-related jobs. In short, because this measure will fundamentally shape the lives of Alameda County residents for decades to come, we must use this opportunity to put the County on the right path.

To be successful, the Measure B reauthorization must achieve the following objectives:

Fix It First: Alameda County’s transportation systems are facing massive operating shortfalls and significant capital rehabilitation needs. Transit service in the County has been reduced 15-25% over the last three years. BART has a $7-8 billion capital shortfall, without including costly new extensions. Our local streets and roads need a multi-billion dollar investment for basic maintenance. The plan must maintain our existing transportation infrastructure and restore our transit system before considering any expansions. Additional projects must clearly advance environmental, social equity, and public health goals.

FTA wants your input! Revisions to Title VI and EJ

Editor2 — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:20:38 -0600

Join us on November 14th! Strengthen the Fight for Transportation Justice

WHAT: FTA Listening Session on Title VI and Environmental Justice
WHERE: Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703 (at Ashby BART station)
WHEN: Monday, November 14, 2011, 6:00 to 9:00 PM

To RSVP Click Here

Dear Civil Rights and EJ allies,

On Monday, November 14th, Obama Administration officials will be in California to hear community input on how to strengthen civil rights and Environmental Justice rules in public transportation. These rules have been used successfully to challenge discrimination.

In 2010, Oakland activists successfully diverted $70 million from BART’s costly Oakland Airport Connector to preserve existing transit service. Bus riders in Los Angeles have used these protections to trigger a federal investigation of LA Metro’s elimination of nearly 1 million hours of bus service.

Rising fares have made it too expensive for low-income families to ride the bus. Cuts to transit service have isolated millions of people from jobs, schools and health care. Communities of color continue to receive an unequal share of funding to improve mass transit service.

This madness must stop! We need stronger civil and environmental justice protections to put an end to these discriminatory decisions. FTA's general information about proposed changes

Join Us for FTA Listening Session: Nov 14th

Help strengthen the fight for transportation justice!
Monday, November 14, 2011, 6:00 to 9:00 PM
Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703 (at Ashby BART station)

SFMTA Moves Ahead on Free Youth Pass SF Board of Supervisors passes resolution backing free MUNI for youth

Editor2 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:35:28 -0500

San Francisco’s young people are a few steps closer to having free access to MUNI.

On Oct. 18, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution calling on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) “to work collaboratively with community groups to design, secure funding for and launch a program with a clear timeline that provides access to MUNI free-of-charge for San Francisco youth.”

After listening to 90 minutes of public testimony, including comments from a several supervisors, the SFMTA agreed to step up for the Free Youth Pass.