As part of the Regional Network Project, we are tasked with advocating for walking and bicycling at the regional level and specifically working with our local metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs).
This October I was asked to write a guest post for the Green Trips program blog on how families and children can learn about their impact on the environment, their health, and their budgets by choosing to bike or walk for transportation instead of using a car.
On November 2, bicycle advocates in Fairfax County, Virginia came together for the second Fairfax Bike Summit hosted by the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB).
In my last post, I talked about the government shutdown and how the fighting over funding could be a bad sign for the next surface transportation bill, given the $15 billion per year funding shortfall.
In early November 2013, the San Bernardino Association of Governments (SANBAG) board adopted a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (Item 7) with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). The MOU commits the two agencies to working together on projects related to the implementation of the 2012 Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS). While the RTP/SCS is mandated by SB 375, state legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through trying land use and transportation planning in the RTP process, the MOU is strictly voluntary.
The MOU between SCAG and SANBAG demonstrates both agencies’ commitment to the policies, projects and strategies set forth in the 2012 RTP/SCS. It is important for County Transportation Commissions (CTCs) to show commitment to implementation of plans and policies.
Specific planning projects are included in SANBAG’s MOU that will transform San Bernardino County into a more walkable and bikeable place, improve the public health outcomes of its residents and help increase the number of children walking and bicycling to school. The MOU incorporates items recommended in the San Bernardino Active Transportation Vision, statistics and policy recommendations developed by stakeholders from San Bernardino County, including SANBAG staff, San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Omnitrans, Safe Routes Partnership, American Lung Association, MoveIE and Inland Empire Bicycle Alliance.
Ready to act? Contact your members of Congress now. Want more background? Keep reading...