Meeting Notes: Peer Learning Exchange: This meeting is an interactive peer-learning exchange that will focus on two topics:
What can a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) do to promote active transportation?
What can be done at the county level to promote Safe Routes to School?
May 4, 2011 1pm – 5:00pm at Metro Headquarters – Union Station, Gateway Plaza Conference Room (3rd floor)
Attendees:
First / Last / Organization/AgencySean / Yeung / Caltrans
Lindsey / Cox / County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency
Shelly / Saitowitz / County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency
Alexandra / Oster / Los Angeles County - Metro
Alice / Tolar / Los Angeles County - Metro
Tham / Nguyen / Los Angeles County - Metro
Tony / Jusay / Los Angeles County - Metro
Rufina / Juarez / Los Angeles County - Metro
Alexis / Lantz / Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
Jean / Armbruster / Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Gayle / Haberman / Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Jessica / Lim / Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Carolyn / Mamaradlo / Orange County Transportation Authority
Gail / Carlson / Riverside County Department of Public Health
Jessica / Meaney / Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Manuel / Zavala / Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Stephan / Vance / San Diego Association of Governments
Chris / Kluth / San Diego Association of Governments
Bridget / Enderle / San Diego Association of Governments
Alan / Thompson / Southern California Association of Governments
Margaret / Lin / Southern California Association of Governments
Marco / Anderson / Southern California Association of Governments
What can a MPO do to promote Active Transportation?
Dialogue with San Diego’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), on their efforts to catalyze active transportation. Specifically:
- How does SANDAG leverage the funding they dispense to cities to encourage active transportation?
- How does SANDAG use modeling to promote active transportation, health and safety?
- Data – what kind of data is SANDAG collecting?
- Lessons learned RTP and SCS process re: Active Transportation
SANDAG staff: Stephan Vance, Chris Kluth and Bridget Enderle
Background on San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG):
The San Diego Association of Governments (abbreviated SANDAG) is an association of local San Diego County governments. It is the metropolitan planning organization for the County, with policy makers consisting of mayors, council members, and a County Supervisors, and also has capital planning and fare setting powers for the county's transit systems, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District, some of which was assumed by the Metropolitan Transit Development Board. SANDAG is governed by a Board of Directors composed of mayors, council members, and county supervisors from each of the region's 19 local governments.
SANDAG, along with the Southern California Association of Governments, compromises the metropolitan planning agencies in Southern California (covering Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura.
The 18 cities and county government are SANDAG serving as the forum for regional decision-making. SANDAG builds consensus, makes strategic plans, obtains and allocates resources, plans, engineers, and builds public transportation, and provides information on a broad range of topics pertinent to the region's quality of life.
SANDAG and SCAG are very different, while SCAG is a planning agency, SANDAG also builds projects – they handle implementation and direct control over allocation of funds.
SANDAG also has a public health stakeholder’s group that advises its RTP process, SCAG is being encouraged to create one, as May 2011 there isn’t one.
In SANDAG’s recently released RTP, Envision 2050, proposes budgeting $450 million during the next 10 years for active transportation projects and nearly double that in the following decade. It totals $2.5B for the full plan to support active transportation out of the overall RTP budget of $110.7.
Also something to note, several years ago, SANDAG settled a proposed lawsuit when they agreed to shift their regional plan of $510 million in transportation investments from five freeway segments in outlying undeveloped areas to four transportation improvements in developed areas in the City of San Diego and in the City of Chula Vista. This and CPPW funds helps develop resources and support for active transportation and Safe Routes to School.
Transet, county sales tax that supports transportation, first passed back in 1987. 1/3-highway 1/3 transit 1/3 local roads and $1M for bike was established as funding allocationsince changed to a percentage.
Also resources SANDAG uses are funds from the Transportation Development Act (TDA). Has the Smart Growth Incentive Program. In 2004 SANDAG adopted the Regional Comprehensive Plan – viewed as somewhat similarly to SCAG’s Compass program.
Group discussion on the importance of land use, for SANDAG the growth incentive program has been a helpful tool- and how transportation-funding program should point people to the smart growth investments.
“These smart growth are places people want to live. Real estate prices tell us that.”
Technical assistance guide – what should these places look like?
Giving the tools to do this and then allocate the money to implement – and ensuring the implementation is done correctly.
Periodic growth forecasting that has to be done, and Regional Housing Allocation (RHNA)
7 place types – the type of transportation that serves, and the intensity of development (residential density and employment density)
“RHNA – 8x worse than a rootcanal – post growth forecast/SB 375 – like a tooth cleaning. “
Not just a smart growth place but has to be zone and qualified
Smart growth is a factor in driving the investment – not the only factor – but it is there.
Complete Streets requirement – if you’re going to spend this money, then it needs to be implemented and built in line with the complete streets policy.
Highways can sever bike/ped routes – i.e. freeway ramps.
San Diego County – started obesity initiative in 2006. CPPW $16M – San Diego County – largest obesity grant in CPPPW nation wide. CPPW funds through SANDAG giving grants to local jurisdictions.
Bike to Work day – became Bike to Work MONTH
“you need every tool in the toolbox and active transportation is one those tools.”
SB 375 ensured that we were going to be able to do more than we did in the past.
“Whatever you do, make sure you do more regarding active transportation”
Meeting every month of bike/ped working group. Representative from all the cities,
Invited: port, county and bike/ped advocates come all the time.
Conducted regional survey:
Tremendous support for a class 1 network – 228 miles of class one
Sprinter corridor and Coastal Rail Trail –
San Diego river trail – mission Valley – incredibly dense
Bike Boulevards – a big part
8miles plannedcyclotrack
Demand Based Criteria:
Based on smart growth opportunity areas
High land use intensities
Facility gaps
Network gaps where there is bike demand
Bike crashes
Estimated bike demand?
SANDAG conducted post processing on determining where the demand is and resources (CSUSD replicating the Jennifer Dill study)
Data collection, evaluation, and modeling – we just programmed $700K over two year for monitoring – Christine at SANDAG knows more detail on that.
Every dollar you invest in active transportation – see a $3 return on health investment
Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds use that for active transportation
Coastal Conservancy – contributing funding to SANDAG
“we don’t build our freeways that way” the need for regional trailways
TE, TDM, Transnet - $17M this year to spend on active transportation
$6.6M for regional projects
Being more comprehensive and look at ways to prioritize bike/ped access
Good complete streets polices
If our regional agency doesn’t believe in regionalism – who does?
What can be done at the county level to promote Safe Routes to School?
Interactive discussion on (Gayle Haberman LAC DPH to facilitate):
- San Diego County’s SRTS efforts countywide
Bridget Enderle, SANDAG and Lindsey Cox and Shelley Saitowitz, County of San Diego’s Health and Human Services
2. Riverside County’s SRTS efforts countywide
Gail Carlson, SRTS coordinator, Riverside County Public Health Dept.
SANDAG:
1. Countywide TDM program:
- Icommute
- Incentivize school pool
- Walk/Ride/Roll Promotion
- Education and Encouragement
- Bike Buddies/Walking School bus
2. Planning
- Mini Grants – SRTS capacity building, education and encouragement
3. Regional Safe Routes to School Strategy
- SRTS Coalition – to serve as forum to share resources
- Identifying technical needs
- Developing regional capacity
- Comprehensive SRTS plans – existing conditions, needs – and more in order to identifying ways to leverage more funds. Example Chula Vista – 6 school areas identifying needs
Bridget: TDM – icommute. Currently expanding school pool – expanded that to really support walking school buses and bike buddies.
Launched a walk/ride and roll campaign.
Safety Trainings – bike rodeos and
This should just be things you do - to pull together the pieces –
What gets counted gets funded
Broadening the vision of what you’re responsible for – moving from just planning for journey to work
Technical training and support
Committed in the rtp – that we’re drafting the strategy….
Get board approved criteria – protects the project list
The rich get richer – funding awarded to cities who already get it, who have been developing smart plans – and competing for funding well. What about those jurisdictions not yet at the table?
San Diego County – Healthy Works
How did SD pick/select? – Competitive grant application, SES – evidence of need
Community Engagement – key to success of funding and program
Non-profit takes the lead
SANDAG and CHHS joint federal application
Health Impact Assessment tool for region
Public health as part of RTP and EJ analysis
Riverside County and City:
Cycle 1 Federal funds – non-infrastructure in 13 schools
Collision data to prioritize and support of Mayor Ron Loveridge
Educational subcontract to Riverside Police Department, traffic engineer, ped counts and car counts, created progress reports, founds coalition meetings to be key (coalitions meets every 2 months, leveraging resources, reaching more schools)
Riverside County Department of Public Health Injury Prevention Services received Safe Routes to School Cycle 1 funds to provide pedestrian and bicycle education and encouragement activities at schools in the city of Riverside. The program selected elementary schools with the highest injury and fatality rates among children ages 5-15. Many of these schools are considered low-income, with 75 percent of the student population eligible for free and reduced meals.
Since 2008, Riverside County Injury Prevention Services partnered with city and county public works departments to secure more than $2.5 million in infrastructure and non-infrastructure Safe Routes To School funding. The program leveraged thousands of dollars in donations, staff time, and contributions from private and public sector organizations, volunteers and community organizations. Leveraging resources enables the SRTS program to promote services beyond its initial scope of work.
9/08/11 Update and further detail per email from Gail Carslon’s: “From Non Infrastructure Cycle 1 grant, we were able to leverage over $220,000 of infrastructure improvements for our schools through Safe Routes To School Workshops. There is more contributed in engineering and law enforcement staff time as well, so probably closer to $300,000 leveraged from our NI project activities.”
Funding:
How do you sustain the program?
Building awareness, policy – RCP
Next RTP – dedicated funding source?
Part of work program – long term vision
Fit Friday/Riverside County DPH – developing sustainability, community ownership, DPH partners with school districts and works with City Planning and Transportation
SCAG =- compass blue print, phase 2 grantees “that grant getting capacity”
Funding just prepare grants
SCAG/PSAP workshops – technical assistance
How were you received?
Riverside – community happy to see them
Coalition Task force –opening it up to all interested stakeholders
SANDAG’s white paper – activity based model, safe routes to school part of that, ongoing eval/monitoring.