We are pleased with the continued progress of SB 127 (Wiener), the Complete Streets bill we are co-sponsoring along with California Walks, the California Bicycle Coalition and the American Heart Association. The bill has now passed out of the Senate Transportation and Appropriations committees. In the process, we have agreed to amendments that removed our proposed reordering of the State Highway Account’s priorities.
In late February, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) released an updated Vision Zero Action Strategy to continue the city toward its goal of eliminating traffic deaths.
In other legislative news, we are getting ready to testify in the Senate Transportation Committee in favor of SB 127, the Complete Streets for All Bill. We plan to publish amendments before the hearing further clarifying which corridors of the state highway network are affected by the bill.
Late last month, State Senator Jim Beall (District 15, Santa Clara) introduced SB 152, which would radically restructure the Active Transportation Program, reducing the statewide component to 10% from its current 50% while increasing the Metropolitan Planning Organization component from 40% to 75% and the Small Urban and Rural component from 10%-15%.
Last month, SB 152 was released in the California State Senate.
In September 2018, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) initiated a project to develop Active Transportation plans for each of its 12 districts, ultimately covering the entire State of California. As part of this effort, Caltrans is developing an overarching statewide data framework and methodology for collecting, storing, and using active transportation data. District 4 in the Bay Area is one of the first areas beginning this process.
Because some Metropolitan Planning Organizations have not yet released their recommendations for the ATP Cycle 4 MPO component, we have extended the deadline to apply for our Cycle 5 ATP technical assistance in order to accomodate jurisdictions that are still waiting to find out if their projects will be funded. So, if your community needs safe walking and biking infrastructure, but you need help applying for the state’s Active Transportation Program, we can help!
California’s legislative cycle is in full swing, and the Safe Routes Partnership continues to advocate for our priorities in Sacramento. In partnership with our co-sponsors CalWalks, CalBike and the American Heart Association, we have been meeting frequently with legislators and agency staff about SB 127 (Wiener), which will guarantee the implementation of Complete Streets improvements along sections of the State Highway System that fall within a half-mile radius of key community destinations such as schools and parks.
The Safe Routes Partnership and UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) are accepting applications for the next round of the Safe Routes to School Launch Program in 2019!
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