Move SD News - April 11, 2010

Events

April 13: California High Speed Rail Panel

The cost and legal ramifications of the proposed California High Speed Rail system will be discussed at a program sponsored by the Urban Land Institute San Diego/Tijuana. 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the University Club, 750 B St., in Downtown San Diego.

Panelists: John Chalker, member of the California Transit Commission; Steve DeBaum, partner with Best Best & Krieger; and Job Nelson, director of intergovernmental relations for the San Diego Mayors Office. Moderator: Jose Martinez, regional program manager for the California High Speed Rail Authority.

$40 for ULI members, $50 for nonmembers.
To register, call (800) 321-5011 or visit http://www.ulisd.org.

April 14: Give Input to the Urban Area Transit Strategy

SANDAG and the San Diego Council of Design Professionals are co-hosting a session for urban design and planning professionsl to provide their creative input to the Urban Area Transit Strategy, which is part of the 2050 RTP (Regional Transportation Plan).

When: Wednesday, April 14, 4-6pm
Where: Caltrans District 11 Offices, 4050 Taylor St. San Diego CA 92110
Free Parking. Close to Old Town Transit Center.
Questions: contact: nick@delorenzoinc.com (619)295-5115

MoveSD News

MoveSD.org advocates for mass transit and smart growth
San Diego Newsroom, March 30, 2010

If you're a San Diego resident who's lived in or visited any other metropolitan area, chances are you're critical of what San Diego has to offer for mass transit.

Sprawling, isolated communities, complete with their own tangled highway ramps, make San Diego an unlikely candidate for a well-oiled public transit mechanism. What the city does have to offer is limited to inadequate trolley lines and bus routes, steep fares, stations without easy walking access and non-bike-friendly roads. And as of November 2009, sales tax shortfalls have forced deep cuts in San Diego's Metropolitan Transit Service (MTS), dramatically reducing its weekend service.

Is there a solution? MoveSD.org, a nonprofit focused primarily on improving public transit options and educating the public about alternative forms of transportation, has zeroed in on that question over the past six years.

Regional

County Provides $1.7 Million for "Green" Locomotives
County of San Diego, March 31, 2010

Two new low-emission locomotives partially funded by the County Air Pollution Control District were on display at the Amtrak/Santa Fe depot... The Air Pollution Control District received $1.7 million from a California Air Resource Board grant program to cover 60 percent of the cost of the locomotives, which are operated by the San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad.

The locomotives will replace three of the railroad's older locomotives. The new ones reduce nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions by 85 to 90 percent and have an average fuel savings of 20 to 30 percent. The San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad is a property of RailAmerica Inc., and runs on 33 miles along the MTS Trolley lines between San Diego and El Cajon, and San Diego and San Ysidro.

Toll road operator files for Chapter 11
San Diego Union Tribune, March 23, 2010

What was heralded in late 2007 as the next big thing in regional commuting - a 10-mile, privately operated toll road in South County - may wind up testing the wisdom of public-private partnerships. ...

On average, nearly 22,600 cars travel the road each day, far below initial projections of 60,000. ... Hulsizer said his company intends to operate the tollway through bankruptcy reorganization and beyond ...

When it opened the tollway, South Bay Expressway touted that the option would cut an average of 20 minutes off the daily commute. And at first, the numbers looked promising. Caltrans officials said the road resulted in an 11 percent decrease in morning traffic on nearby Interstate 805 during the beginning months. Average driving speeds on Interstate 805, which largely parallels the toll road, rose from 45 mph to 65 mph. But as the economy stumbled, overall congestion dipped on South County highways, undercutting the need for the toll road.

Now Hiring: Southern California Field Organizer
Transportation for America, March 22, 2010

The Transportation for America Campaign is hiring a Southern California Field Organizer to direct the development of a diverse coalition of prominent state and local organizations working in the greater Los Angeles and San Diego areas to reform federal transportation policy.

National

LaHood: "This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized."
League of American Bicyclists, March 15, 2010

When the Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood stood on a table at the National Bike Summit to thank the crowd and show his support for bicycling and walking, he was just getting started.

Today, he announced his new Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations. It is simply the strongest statement of support for prioritizing bicycling and walking ever to come from a sitting secretary of transportation.

On his blog, he writes:

Today, I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.

We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

To set this approach in motion, we have formulated key recommendations for state DOTs and communities:

Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
Go beyond minimum design standards.
Collect data on walking and biking trips.
Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.

Now, this is a start, but it's an important start. These initial steps forward will help us move forward even further.

LaHood blog: http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/03/my-view-from-atop-the-table-at-the-national-bike-summit.html

Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations
United States Department of Transportation

The establishment of well-connected walking and bicycling networks is an important component for livable communities, and their design should be a part of Federal-aid project developments.

Walking and bicycling foster safer, more livable, family-friendly communities; promote physical activity and health; and reduce vehicle emissions and fuel use. Legislation and regulations exist that require inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian policies and projects into transportation plans and project development. Accordingly, transportation agencies should plan, fund, and implement improvements to their walking and bicycling networks, including linkages to transit. In addition, DOT encourages transportation agencies to go beyond the minimum requirements, and proactively provide convenient, safe, and context-sensitive facilities that foster increased use by bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities, and utilize universal design characteristics when appropriate.

Transportation programs and facilities should accommodate people of all ages and abilities, including people too young to drive, people who cannot drive, and people who choose not to drive.

Fast Facts

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