Special Awards Issue Transactions 27 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 Transportation 2006 Awards: Excellence in Motion TRANSPORTATION NEWS Welcome to this special issue of Transactions, FOR THE NINE-COUNTY in which we showcase SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA the winners of MTC’s 27th Transportation Awards Program.On the surface,it might appear as though we’re giving out fewer awards this cycle — 10 as opposed to the 14 we handed out in 2004. But if we were to add up all the people, businesses and organiza- tions actually involved in the projects highlighted on these pages, the count of honorees would likely number in the hundreds. Indeed, in many cases, it John F. Foran Legislative was the nominees’ ability to motivate and mobilize others, and rally com- Award: Congresswoman munity, governmental and corporate Nancy Pelosi support, that drove them to the top of NOAH BERGER A major force Activist Gillian Gillett poses with her daughter Lucy in their “traffic-calmed” San Jose Avenue/Guerrero Street neighbor- the entry pile. hood in San Francisco. Banners declare “We live here! Please slow down,” while native plants take root in the median. in the House This year,the venue for the awards ceremony has changed, to San Fran- of Represen- Grand Award: San Francisco Street Renaissance cisco’s recently restored Ferry Building tatives, Con- CITIZEN ACTIVISTS TAKE BACK THEIR STREETS IN HAYES VALLEY AND THE MISSION DISTRICT — a majestic setting befitting these gresswoman titans of excellence and volunteerism, Nancy Pelosi This year’s Grand Award is equally shared by two neighborhood efforts to reclaim who have devoted so much of their time, energy and know-how to improving (D-San Fran- their streets from the blight and danger of heavy through traffic. Both projects involve the Bay Area’s transportation network. cisco) likewise Each winning organization or individ- has been an thoroughfares in San Francisco, and both owe their success to countless volunteer ual receives MTC’s handsome and instrumental figure in Bay Area trans- hours on the part of community residents, and the professional expertise of the city’s unique ball-bearing award, a small portation projects.Recipient of this year’s token of our thanks and appreciation. We hope the winners’ stories inspire John F. Foran Legislative Award, Pelosi, Department of Parking and Traffic as well as the Department of Public Works. others to look for creative ways of who is the House Democratic leader,has smoothing commutes, improving air worked across jurisdictional and party San Jose/Guerrero Coalition Coalition to Save Our Streets, con- of Supervisors in October 2004 quality, calming busy streets and the lines locally and in Washington to dedi- To Save Our Streets vincing the group to expand its tar- unanimously passed legislation like, so that when we return in two cate funding for essential upgrades to Several years ago, San Francisco get area to include Guerrero Street. to calm vehicle traffic on Guer- years,our application in-box will again brim with bright ideas. resident Gillian Gillett found that Gillian researched the history rero Street and San Jose Avenue. the region’s infrastructure. — Brenda Kahn Pelosi’s contributions to the trans- taking her young daughter out for of her neighborhood and learned The city narrowed traffic lanes on portation network can be found in the walks in her Guerrero Street neigh- that both San Jose Avenue and both streets from six lanes to four, seismic strengthening of the Golden borhood (Mission District) was Guerrero Street were expanded created bicycle lanes, established Calendar Gate Bridge and the Bay dangerous, with speeding drivers from four to six lanes in the 1950s. four-foot-wide buffer zones on Unless indicated otherwise, Bridge, as well as in treating the six-lane arterial as an Many houses on these streets were both sides of the center medians, all meetings take place at: Metropolitan Transportation Commission visionary projects to extension of Interstate 280. literally moved onto their own installed a new traffic signal, Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter provide for future needs “There were no traffic controls backyards, and the sidewalks were transformed rush-hour tow-away Lawrence D. Dahms Auditorium 101 Eighth Street, Oakland such as a new Transbay on the six-block stretch between severely narrowed to incorporate lanes into parking, reduced the (Across from the Lake Merritt BART station) Terminal in downtown San Francisco. Cesar Chavez and 29th Street,”she extra traffic lanes. speed limit from 35 to 25 miles per TUESDAY She also has played a critical role in said. “There was a four-foot median In 2003, Gillian and Coalition hour and scaled back multiple- securing federal funding for the BART on Guerrero, and it was very danger- members circulated a petition turn lanes. NOVEMBER 14, 2006 3:30 pm extension to the San Francisco Inter- ous if you were stuck in the middle. among neighbors and collected Following on this success, Minority Citizens Advisory Committee national Airport by forging consensus Cars sped by at 50 to 60 miles per 300 signatures, submitting them the Coalition raised money from WEDNESDAY among key congressional and Adminis- hour. You could wait as long as 10 to the San Francisco Depart- local residents and busi- NOVEMBER 15, 2006 tration decision-makers. minutes to cross the street. There mentof Parking and Traffic nesses to “green” Guerrero 10 am Pelosi has represented San Francis- was tremendous pollution and and their district supervi- and in November 2005, Bay Area Toll Authority* co’s Eighth District since 1987. She is 10:05 am noise, and there were regular col- sors.They requested wid- more than 125 people Service Authority for Freeways being recognized with the Foran Award lisions between cars and houses.” er medians,bike lanes, the came out to plant drought- and Expressways* for her dedication to the region, and In 2003, Gillian discovered and reduction of multiple-turn tolerant shrubs in medians 10:10 am Metropolitan Transportation Commission* for being a leader who is a catalyst for joined an existing neighborhood lanes and a “no right turns on red along three blocks. the entire Bay Area congressional del- FRIDAY organization, the San Jose Avenue lights” policy near schools. “People are delighted to have egation, encouraging them to work Next, the Coalition worked with their neighborhood back,” said NOVEMBER 17, 2006 collaboratively on behalf of the region. 10 am the San Francisco Department of Gillian. “It changes the way you Association of Bay Area Governments/ “With transportation improvements Bay Area Air Quality Management District/ Public Health to produce street look at the street. It doesn’t have capable of providing more than just Metropolitan Transportation Commission banners featuring pictures of chil- to be the way it’s been for 50 years.” Joint Policy Committee* mobility, we can build an America where dren and the slogan“We live here! In 2004 the Coalition won a 1 pm all families have access to opportunities, Minority Citizens Advisory Committee/ Please slow down” in English and $90,000 grant — $75,000 from Partnership Board Environmental Justice and where no community is left isolated,” Subcommittee Spanish — and raised $5,700 for MTC’s Transportation for Liv- Pelosi said. — Catalina Alvarado MetroCenter, Claremont Conference Room the project. More than 100 neigh- able Communities Program and MONDAY bors and schoolchildren held a $15,000 from the San Francisco NOVEMBER 20, 2006 demonstration at Cesar Chavez Transportation Authority — to 1:30 pm and Guerrero streets to protest create a Neighborhood Plan. And Partnership Technical Advisory Committee traffic speeds and unsafe pedes- the community and sponsors have MONDAY trian conditions. Gillian and her contributed $65,000 to green the NOVEMBER 27, 2006 husband also created a Web site medians along another 10 blocks 2 pm TransLink® Management Group as a community resource. of Guerrero. — Marjorie Blackwell AC Transit
NOAH BERGER 1600 Franklin Street, Oakland Less room for cars translates to As a result of the Coalition’s See inside for the story on the Grand more room for bicyclists. efforts, the San Francisco Board Award co-winner, Octavia Boulevard. Continued on back page
MTC METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION • BATA BAY AREA TOLL AUTHORITY • SAFE SERVICE AUTHORITY FOR FREEWAYS AND EXPRESSWAYS SPECIAL AWARDS GRAND
Greta Ericson Distinguished Service Award: Grand Award: San Francisco Master Craftsman Rodger “Tim” Reilly Hangs Up His Tools Street Renaissance Co-Winner: Octavia Boulevard/ Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association As traffic exits Highway 101 in San Francisco and flows across Market Street onto the new Octavia Boulevard, motorists suddenly real- ize they are passing through a genuine neighborhood — a cheerful mix of colorful buildings bordering a human-scale, four-lane street lined with poplar and elm trees and old-fashioned lampposts. Such a friendly welcome to this part of San Francisco was not always so. For decades, historic Hayes Valley was marred by a double- deck freeway that left sad, shadowed buildings, empty lots and crime in its wake — and sliced the neighborhood in half. Today, the five-block-long Octavia Boule- vard is a triumph of urban transportation NOAH BERGER NOAH BERGER For 22 years, master craftsman Tim Reilly lovingly restored parts on San Francisco’s aging fleet planning that works both as a high-speed Octavia Boulevard replaced a double-deck free- of historic cable cars, and helped build 11 replica cars. thoroughfare and a quiet pedestrian street. way, and through clever design serves as both a thoroughfare and quiet neighborhood street. Every time a San Francisco cable car bell to become molds, which are then used to Completed in September 2005, Octavia rings, it is a tribute to the handiwork of cast actual cable car parts. Boulevard also marks another victory in San the most damaged portion of the freeway, master craftsman Rodger Reilly (who goes “Every cable car in San Francisco today Francisco’s historic and ongoing “freeway from the Fell and Oak streets ramps north. by his middle name, “Tim”). For over 22 probably has a part that I had something to revolt.” The success of the roadway is That same year, the Board of Super- years, Reilly plied his trade in Muni’s cable do with,” the 66-year old Reilly said. “It’s due to 16 years of hard work, relent- visors made it city policy not to rebuild car carpentry shop in the city’s eclectic rewarding to know that, while the system less determination and imagination any new above-ground ramps for Dogpatch neighborhood. is over 125 years old, it hasn’t changed that on the part of neighborhood resi- the freeway north of Fell Street. The world’s first cable-powered street much mechanically, and it still runs well.” dents, urban planners, elected officials, With a good part of the ugly free- railway was built in San Francisco in 1873. Reilly, who lives in Alameda, joined and San Francisco Department of Public way vanished from overhead, Hayes Valley In the decades that followed, many cities in Muni’s shop in 1983 during the systemwide Works planners and engineers — as well as residents could see the light, and little by little the United States and elsewhere also built rehabilitation that included replacing all to an unplanned natural catastrophe. their neighborhood cable railways to replace horse-powered the cable channels and tracks, rebuild- The “boulevard battle” began in 1989 when began to rejuvenate. streetcars, and then replaced those ing the cable car barn, and repairing the Loma Prieta earthquake knocked out a Caltrans, however, had systems with electric streetcars. Fit- the aging fleet of 40 cable cars. portion of the double-deck Central Freeway determined that the rest tingly, San Francisco is now the last Since the rehabilitation, the shop’s that extended from Highway 101 across Market of the freeway was worth saving, and in 1996 city in the world to operate cable cars. veteran staff has built 11 more cars. and north across Hayes Valley, with ramps at began tearing down the remaining double- Since no other place has them — and “Each brand-new car — which is made Gough, Franklin, Fell and Oak streets. In 1992, deck roadway, in anticipation of rebuilding the only things on a cable car that can be of wood, glass, brass and steel — takes three years after the earthquake, Caltrans razed a safer single deck. At the same time, a city store-bought are screws, bolts and nuts — about 18 months and costs approximately the cars in today’s fleet are all hand-built $1 million to build,” explained Harris. and maintained in Muni’s carpentry shop. And the work has become more difficult MERIT A Bob Harris, the shop supervisor, described since Reilly retired at the end of 2005; in the process: “It takes a skilled crew of four fact Bob Harris and Muni are still trying to Caltrans Wins Demolition “Super Bowl” carpenters and a pattern maker over a year replace him. “What I’m going to miss about “It is a 10,000-piece puzzle,” said to turn out a single car.” The pattern maker Tim is having him as a resource,”Harris said. West Approach Project Manager crafts models for every piece of cable car “He was the only pattern maker here for 20 Ken Terpstra,“and requires a unique hardware out of wood, metal or plastic. years. I still call him up and ask him how combination of design, structural, These patterns are then sent to a foundry to do things.” — Karin Betts construction and traffic engineers to put it all together.” The greatest challenge of the Miriam Gholikely Award: entire project occurred on Labor TRANS Ernest Bradford — Passionate Advocate for Senior Drivers L Day weekend 2006, when Caltrans , CA Y community organizations. closed the eastbound Bay Bridge Now 71, Bradford became interested in for 77 hours in order to demolish JOHN HUSEB transportation and joined the Solano County A careful balance is maintained between creation and 1,000 feet of the upper deck bridge Paratransit Coordinating Council (PCC) in destruction as the new approach takes shape just a few feet approach and remove 10,000 cubic from homes and offices in downtown San Francisco. 2001 after retiring from consecutive careers yards of concrete. in the military and public service. He chaired For Caltrans to replace a one-mile stretch of “There was a huge amount of planning,” the PCC in 2002–2003, and at the same time freeway is not a big deal. But when the free- said Construction Manager Dennis Turchon. joined EDAC. With both groups, he has way is located in the middle of densely pop- “We had to sell the concept (of the Labor Day focused on the issue of seniors and driving. ulated San Francisco, connects to the San weekend closure) to the governor, the Leg-
NOAH BERGER Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, has three on/ Ernest Bradford, a member of MTC’s Elderly “Most people want a fair shake, and they islature, the CHP, the city and county of San and Disabled Advisory Committee, spearheaded deserve the chance to fight for that fair off ramps and carries 260,000-plus vehicles a Francisco, and many other decision-makers. the first regionwide Summit on Older Drivers. shake,” explained Bradford, who experi- day, the project takes on another dimension. We had to know if BART could run 24 hours, Ernest Bradford is a quiet leader and advo- enced discrimination and narrow limi- The Bay Bridge West Approach seismic if ferry service could be expanded and whether cate who in recent years has concentrated tations firsthand as an African-American retrofit is part of the overall Bay Bridge Seis- the contractor could do the job in one week- on bringing the plight of older drivers to growing up in Texas in the 1940s and ’50s. mic Safety Project and one of the most complex end.This was the Super Bowl of demolitions.” the attention of MTC and other Bay Area Bradford’s fair shake began when he joined and daunting projects in Caltrans’ history. “It was a tremendous PR risk if we transportation bodies. “Older drivers the Marine Corps and “escaped” the The entire one-mile stretch, bounded by didn’t succeed,” added Caltrans Public have equal rights to the road, so long south in 1953. Twenty-one years, two Fifth Street and the bridge anchorage Information Officer Bart Ney. “There as they can still drive safely,” Bradford wars and numerous military awards on Beale Street, is in the process of being was no plan to follow. So we devel- stressed. “Just because senior citizens later, he retired from the Corps and completely torn down and replaced. The oped one. First, we showed the media don’t always come to public meetings to worked first for the Veterans Adminis- work must be done with minimal disrup- what we were going to do, which made raise heck, their needs and rights shouldn’t tration, and then for Contra Costa County tion of heavy traffic and within inches or feet their jaws drop. Second, we went door-to- be overlooked.” in veteran services, and finally as a gover- of apartment buildings and offices. door with flyers for the quarter-million people As a member of MTC’s Elderly and Dis- nor’s appointee to the State Department of The six-year project, scheduled from 2003 who live and work in the South of Market abled Advisory Committee (EDAC), Bradford Alcohol and Drug Programs. to 2009, consists of a series of elaborately neighborhood. We also visited virtually every urged MTC to hold the first regionwide Sum- This summer Bradford retired from his planned demolition and construction proj- Bay Area city to let them know the artery mit on Older Drivers. The daylong forum seats on both the PCC and EDAC in order ects. Called “retrofit by replacement,” the wouldn’t be available over Labor Day held last January drew nearly 100 partici- to spend more time with his wife Jackie, work entails building a temporary structure, weekend. We had to get the message out pants and featured a skit authored by and to continue restoring several antique rerouting vehicles to it, demolishing the old every way possible.” Bradford illustrating the challenge of con- cars he owns.“But,” he warned with a sparkle structure, and beginning work on the new At 4:23 a.m. the Tuesday after Labor Day, vincing a family member that it may be time in his eyes, “that doesn’t mean that I’m one. When the new structure is built, vehi- the first cars came through. “We were 37 to stop driving. A video of the summit will not watching the agendas and still writing cles are rerouted again, and the temporary minutes early, and we had won the Super soon be distributed to Bay Area senior and letters to the governor!” — Karin Betts structure ultimately demolished. Bowl,” Turchon said. — Marjorie Blackwell AWARD SPECIAL AWARDS
supporters collected 18,000 signatures and put David Tannehill Special Employee Award: their own initiative on the ballot. It, too, won. Jaimie Levin and AC Transit Taking the Hy-Road In 1999, both sides put measures before the voters. This time, the boulevard won, and the freeway supporters conceded. Three years later, in 2002, Caltrans demolished the remaining part of the Central Freeway, and the freeway fight was finally over. According to Paul Olsen, president of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association, “We wanted to give people back a part of San Fran- cisco and find a better way of moving traffic.” The concept for Octavia Boulevard was the work of two University of California,Berke- ley, planning professors, Allan Jacobs and Elizabeth Macdonald. Their design, modeled after the boulevards of Paris and other Euro- pean cities, is intended to meet the needs of crosstown drivers as well as local traffic. The boulevard connects Highway 101 with
NOAH BERGER the city and allows through traffic to flow with NOAH BERGER A new park, named for neighborhood activist Jaimie Levin shows off one of the Van Hool state-of-the-art, zero-emission, fuel-cell buses at Patricia Walkup, provides a welcome oasis of little interference. Four central lanes of fast- AC Transit’s hydrogen energy station in Oakland. open space. moving traffic — two in each direction — are Jaimie Levin is a man on a mission. As AC by his enthusiasm and his ability to work divided by a planted median. On either side task force proposed a street-level boulevard Transit’s enthusiastic director of Alternative with partners,” said AC Transit General of the central roadway — and separated from to replace the five blocks of freeway north Fuels Policy and Marketing, he is leading Manager Rick Fernandez. “He lives and it by additional landscaped medians — are of Market. Hayes Valley residents recog- the nation’s foremost hydrogen fuel-cell breathes fuel cells.” more intimately scaled narrow streets for local nized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to demonstration project. It is a remarkable The AC Transit HyRoad Project began in traffic that buffer residents from the through regain their neighborhood and supported the private-public partnership that has raised 1999 when Levin experienced a prototype traffic. Several vacant lots along Octavia that boulevard concept. more than $21 million in grants and contri- hydrogen fuel-cell bus on loan to the AC once were part of the freeway right-of-way In 1997, residents on the west side of San butions to build one of the most technologi- District. “I saw the future,” he said,“and that are planned by the city as sites for some 900 Francisco put an initiative on the city ballot to cally advanced demonstrations of its type led to the start of a very aggressive fundrais- rebuild the Central Freeway. They argued that units of transit-oriented housing. in the world. AC Transit has spearheaded ing program.” Levin also facilitated creation a boulevard would cause At the end of Octavia, where westbound the production of five state-of-the art fuel- of an extensive partnership that brought massive traffic backups through traffic turns left onto Fell Street, a new cell buses, with three now operating — together 28 public agencies and private at Market Street and effec- block-long park extends between Fell and quietly and with zero emissions — on organizations.He especially applauds tively cut off access to Hayes streets. Named in honor of the late the streets of East Bay cities. Another Van Hool Bus, UTC Power and ISE the Haight, Sunset and Richmond districts.The Patricia Walkup, founder of the Hayes Valley is in service with SunLine Transit in Corporation for coming together to measure narrowly won, but freeway propo- Neighborhood Association, this grassy park Thousand Palms, Calif., and another design and produce the fuel-cell buses, nents underestimated the determination of is a gathering place for locals and a welcome will soon be operating in Hartford, Conn. and Chevron Corporation for building AC’s Hayes Valley residents. In 1998, the boulevard oasis of open space. — Marjorie Blackwell AC Transit and its partners also have main hydrogen energy station in Oakland. built two hydrogen energy stations, located “It will take five to 10 years to become in Richmond and Oakland. A third, solar- commercially viable,” he said, “but it’s time A WARDS powered unit is being planned for AC to get started. The immediate returns to the Transit’s Emeryville operating division. communities we serve are significant qual- Peter Tannen: Right Person at the Right Time In partnership with Hyundai-Kia Motor ity of life enhancements to our densely When Peter Tannen was hired in Company, AC Transit’s mail delivery staff populated service area. The only emission 1992 as San Francisco’s first Bicycle and transit road supervisors also operate a from the buses is pure steam, and the only Program manager, the city had about fleet of zero-emission fuel cell cars (six noise is from the tires on the road and the two miles of unconnected bike lanes as of October 2006, and 12 by July 2007). gentle sound of electric motors.” and no overall bicycle plan or net- “Jaimie Levin made this project happen — Marjorie Blackwell work. By the time he retired in early 2006, San Francisco could boast 43 miles of bike lanes, a 200-mile Doris W. Kahn Accessible Transportation Award: bike route network, some 3,000 Heart of the Valley, Services for Seniors, Inc. bike route signs and 1,500 bike With the help of Heart of the Valley, Ser- racks for over 3,000 bicycles. The vices for Seniors, Inc., this year’s winner NOAH BERGER number of city commute bicyclists Peter Tannen stands near one of San Francisco’s many of the Doris Kahn Award for Accessible had more than doubled, while the bicycle lanes that he helped create as the city’s first Bicycle Transportation, hundreds of seniors in west- Program manager. number of injury and fatality bicycle ern Santa Clara County are able to live collisions in the city decreased about 30 per- direction for bicyclists. So he secured a grant independent lives in their homes as long cent. “I would say the improvement is quan- to replace them. In order to locate and mark as possible. Celebrating its 19th year of tum,” said Bond Yee, executive director of the all these grates on a map, he also began his service, Heart of the Valley (HOV) relies on city’s Department of Parking and Traffic. own campaign to bicycle every street in San over 120 volunteers who provide escorted
Francisco. “It took a couple of years to do it,” NOAH BERGER According to the 2000 U.S. Census, San transportation and other services to more Joan Moeller (left) is one of 120 Heart of the Francisco has the highest percentage of com- he said, “but I saw parts of the city I had never than 700 seniors. Valley volunteers who use their own cars to give muters who bike to work in cities between seen before.” With transportation as the greatest need, rides to seniors. With her is client Georgie Dugre. 500,000 and 1 million residents, including Peter credits the Board of Supervisors, HOV volunteers drive seniors to and from and systems analyst, has been an HOV vol- such bicycle-friendly cities as Seattle and the city’s Department of Parking and Traffic, medical, business and other appointments, unteer for eight years.“I like to help people, Portland, Ore. the San Francisco Bicycle Advisory Committee shopping trips, errands, and social events. and Heart of the Valley is a great organiza- If ever there were a right person at the and Bicycle Coalition, and Bicycle Program But their services don’t stop there. HOV tion,” he said. “It’s very rewarding.” right time for a job, it’s Peter Tannen, a staff (which now number seven) with volunteers also write down instruc- Heart of the Valley’s philosophy is transportation planner and lifetime moving the city’s bicycle program to tions from doctors, push grocery carts, to promote self-reliance in seniors cyclist who pedaled across the United where it is today. “Everyone has been carry and load packages, talk with and to foster a positive, proactive States, has biked to work since the 1970s, very supportive,” he said. salespeople, and make sure their clients attitude — while warding off social regularly rides 60 miles on weekends and Although he’s retired, Peter has get to scheduled appointments on time isolation and postponing the day when does not own a car. not given up bicycle advocacy. “I would like and locate needed services. According to seniors have to move to an assisted living When he began the job, the city had a to see more bicyclists in San Francisco and one HOV client, Rose Cornbleet, “The serv- facility. HOV volunteers offer new con- very small budget and no staff for the bicy- more bike lanes,” he said. “While there is ice has helped me tremendously. You’re nections with the community that bring cle program. “I realized I couldn’t do much greater awareness of bicyclists in the city,I right with somebody, and they stay with spirit and meaning to everyday life, and a with the small amount of money,” he said. hope to see more acceptance of bicycling as you the whole time. I feel very fortunate sense of well-being that benefits mental “So I spent time applying for grants to fund a transportation mode because it’s much more to have Heart of the Valley.” and physical health.“With seniors, the num- projects and build up staff.” He also super- convenient and economical than driving.” In 2005, HOV volunteers logged a total ber one concern is health, and the number vised development of the city’s first When he’s not bicycling around the city of 33,000 miles for their clients, donating two concern is transportation,” said Heart bicycle plan. or up to the top of Twin Peaks, Peter spends not only their time, but also their cars and of the Valley Executive Director Glenda As he routinely bicycled around San time planning his next vacation — a bicycle gas. While HOV accepts donations, it does Cresap. “The escort transportation we pro- Francisco, Peter noticed that many catch basin trip through the Canadian Rockies. not charge for its services. Stan Zecha, a vide is crucial to the seniors in our program.” drain grates were oriented in the wrong — Marjorie Blackwell retired Lockheed Martin budget analyst — Marjorie Blackwell MERIT AWARDS Calendar Continued from front page Ways to Work Family Loan Program: Gunn High School’s GO-FAST Program: Helping Families Transition From Welfare to Work Taking on Teen Car Culture THURSDAY DECEMBER 7, 2006 10:30 am Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee FRIDAY DECEMBER 8, 2006 9:30 am Planning Committee* 9:45 am Operations Committee* 10 am Legislation Committee* 1 pm Bay Area Partnership Board* Location to be determined MONDAY DECEMBER 11, 2006 2 pm NOAH BERGER NOAH BERGER ® Rosetta Fort’s Toyota Corolla, purchased with a Ways to Work auto loan, has Students at Gunn High School are doing their part — by carpooling, bicycling TransLink Operating Group BART, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland helped her provide for her children, Jazra (left) and Justus (middle). and riding transit — to reduce congestion on local roads. TUESDAY Two years ago, Redwood City “We’ve found that the best way Almost nothing is harder to change and installed bike racks; and gave DECEMBER 12, 2006 resident Rosetta Fort was seven to help families become self-suf- than a teenager’s mind, especially treats and gifts to cyclists through 3:30 pm months pregnant with her second ficient is to get them into an auto- on how “cool” it is to drive your a Pedaling for Prizes program. GO- Minority Citizens Advisory Committee child, didn’t own a car and could mobile,” said Carlos Valenzuela, own car to school. Not surprising- FAST also made information about WEDNESDAY not qualify for a loan because of a the program’s director. “Families ly, in some affluent communities, commute alternatives readily avail- DECEMBER 13, 2006 poor credit history. She was con- typically jeopardize their employ- the crush of high school commut- able to parents and students in 9:30 am Bay Area Toll Authority stantly on SamTrans buses, taking ment because of transportation ers is creating negative impacts — back-to-school packets, a monthly Oversight Committee* her 8-year-old daughter to and issues. The costs and complica- congested streets around schools, newsletter and e-mail updates. 9:45 am from school and getting herself tions of transit are often a barrier, compromised safety for pedestri- The effects were immediate.The Administration Committee* 10 am to doctors’ appointments. “It was so parents stay closer to home and ans and cyclists, and clogged park- number of solo student drivers Programming and Allocations Committee* getting really hectic,” she said. sacrifice possible income.” ing lots, not to mention increased dropped precipitously, while car- 12:30 pm Then she saw a church bulletin The program requires that automobile emissions. pooling shot up and traffic began MTC Advisory Council about the Ways to Work Family loan recipients attend a personal Gunn High School in Palo Alto to shrink. In 2003, 85 students re- THURSDAY Loan Program run by the Family financial management class, faced this problem head-on ported they were part of a car- DECEMBER 14, 2006 Service Agency of San Mateo and then helps them to find after a school survey in 2002 pool while 250 students drove 9:30 am Regional Pedestrian Committee County. The single mom quali- a reliable used car. “It’s an showed that more than 60 to school alone. By 2005 the MetroCenter, Claremont Conference Room fied for a low-interest loan educational experience for percent of its students were numbers were reversed — 1 pm Regional Bicycle Working Group and bought a used Toyota right them,” explained Valenzuela. arriving at school in a car. The with 245 students in carpools MetroCenter, Claremont Conference Room before her son was born. Today, Since its inception, the Ways school community came together and only 83 students regularly driv- MONDAY Fort says that owning a car has to Work Family Loan Program to form the Gunn Organization ing to school solo. (A recent law DECEMBER 18, 2006 changed her life dramatically, allow- has helped over 200 families and for Alternative Safe Transpor- that restricts new drivers from trans- 1:30 pm ing her to take care of her children approved loans totaling $700,000. tation, or GO-FAST, under the porting passengers who are under Partnership Technical Advisory Committee and to take a second job because The average loan recipient’s in- direction of the student activities 20 years of age could reduce the 2 pm TransLink® Management Group she has reliable transportation. come increases by 17 percent over director. GO-FAST committed number of Gunn carpoolers.) BART, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland The first of its kind in Califor- the first six months, with a 92 per- itself to taking on “teen car cul- “It’s good for the environment; WEDNESDAY nia, the program provides 4 percent cent reduction in missed work ture” and creating incentives for I mean, that’s kind of the point DECEMBER 20, 2006 interest loans of up to $4,000 to time. And, the average borrower’s walking, biking, carpooling and of carpooling,”said Student Body 1:30 pm struggling families — 84 percent use of public assistance drops using public transit. President Nikki Dodani. “Plus it’s Bay Area Toll Authority* of participants are single mothers by 40 percent within two years. In 2003, GO-FAST raised park- fun — you get to be with your 1:35 pm Service Authority for Freeways — for the purchase of a used car. Of all the loans given since 1998, ing fees and restructured the friends and talk and listen to music and Expressways* The program began in 1998 by 75 percent have already been school’s parking permit policies and sing songs!” 1:40 pm Metropolitan Transportation Commission* offering a broad spectrum of fully repaid. Valenzuela attributes to favor carpoolers; increased “This is a joint venture between services including essential child- the program’s amazing success bus ridership by subsidizing the school and the community,” * Webcast on
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Commissioners PRESORT Jon Rubin, Chair FIRST CLASS San Francisco Mayor’s Appointee U.S. Postage John McLemore, Vice Chair PAID Cities of Santa Clara County Oakland, CA Tom Ammiano Transactions City and County of San Francisco NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Permit No. 854 Irma L. Anderson Cities of Contra Costa County Metropolitan Transportation Commission Tom Azumbrado Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 101 Eighth Street James T. Beall Jr. Oakland, California 94607 Santa Clara County 510.817.5700 TEL. Bob Blanchard 510.817.5769 TDD/TTY Sonoma County and Cities 510.817.5848 FAX Mark DeSaulnier [email protected] E-MAIL Contra Costa County www.mtc.ca.gov WEB Bill Dodd Napa County and Cities Steve Heminger Dorene M. Giacopini Executive Director U.S. Department of Transportation Ann Flemer Scott Haggerty Deputy Executive Director, Operations Alameda County Andrew Fremier Anne W. Halsted Deputy Executive Director, Bay Area Toll Authority San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission Therese W. McMillan Deputy Executive Director, Policy Steve Kinsey Marin County and Cities Randy Rentschler Director, Legislation and Public Affairs Sue Lempert Cities of San Mateo County Brenda Kahn Editor Bijan Sartipi State Business, Transportation Joe Curley and Housing Agency Associate Editor James P. Spering Catalina Alvarado, Karin Betts, Marjorie Blackwell, Laurie Kemmel Solano County and Cities Editorial Staff Adrienne J. Tissier Finger Design Associates, Oakland San Mateo County Design and Production Pamela Torliatt Paris Printing, Point Richmond Association of Bay Area Governments Printing Shelia Young Printed on recycled paper. Cities of Alameda County ©2006 MTC. All rights reserved.