Dear Friends and Colleagues, Join us in reading June's issue of The Collaboration. The Transportation and Land Use Collaborative is happy to report continued progress on our work in the City of South Gate and share information on important regional issues. This month's e-newsletter includes coverage on California's growing and diverse population, state budget cuts threatening transportation, traffic congestion pricing, public health and planning, and international cities aiming to build bicycle friendly environments. Sincerely,
 South Gate residents participate in a Community Congress. TLUC on the MoveThe Transportation and Land Use Collaborative is gearing up for the second phase of the City of South Gate General Plan Update. In June of 2007, TLUC was awarded the Los Angeles APA Section Public Outreach Award for outstanding civic engagement efforts in the City of South Gate. TLUC is preparing for a Community Townhall meeting in late August, to discuss the General Plan Update and various improvements taking shape in the City. NewsThe Budget Crunch: A Better Transportation System for Southern California at Risk As California's current budget crisis lumbers on, it would appear that once again transportation funding is on the chopping block. The legislature, faced with a deficit, is grasping about the state budget for funds to alleviate the deficit and one of the threatened sources is transit funding. On July 19th, a press conference was held at the Metro building Downtown, uniting representatives from seven Southern Californian counties as well as several municipal and commercial bodies. The message was clear: Californians voted for the $20 billion-dollar Proposition 1B in order to fund transit projects; any diversion of transit funding constitutes a betrayal of the voters. "The bottom line is that the governor's budget will decimate our state's commitment to transportation funding, taking $1.3 billion away from our efforts to improve our mobility while cleaning our air." -MTA Chairwoman Pam O'Connor. Latino New Urbanism, Accommodating the Growth Patterns of California's Growing majority California's projected population growth is a well-known fact. However, a new report released by the California Department of Finances estimates that by 2050 California will be home to nearly 60 million people. By mid-century Latinos will make up a majority of the state's population. The burgeoning Latino majority will have to be integrated effectively into transportation and land-use strategies, as well as into the political decisions that affect California communities, something that TLUC has championed with our vision for Latino New Urbanism. Much of the State's growth will be seen here in Southern California. Los Angeles County's population alone is estimated to reach 13 million. Riverside County is slated to see the fastest growth, becoming California's second most populous county, with Latinos constituting a majority of the population. These new projections raise legitimate questions about our ability to meet growing demands on infrastructure, land use, and transportation, while ensuring a sustainable future for the State's diverse population. Some experts project that the state will have to pay a hefty price tag to accommodate such growth. One thing is clear, State lawmakers, planners and citizens will need to build consensus on how best accommodate such growth. TLUC believes that this can be achieved through diverse engagement and strategies that incorporate smart growth, transit oriented development, public health and sustainability. "The figures show that the bulk of the population growth will take place among Latinos, which should be a wake-up call for Californians. The future of the state is Latino growth."-Professor Dowell Myers, director of Population Dynamics Research Group Is Congestion Pricing the Answer to LA's Traffic Woes? Many US cities have introduced congestion pricing programs in and effort to deal with traffic congestion and channel much needed federal transportation dollars. The U. S. Department of Transportation is gearing up to award a total of $1.1 billion in federal money intended to fight traffic in major urban areas. New York City, along with Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle, are all competing for their share of funding, estimated at $400 million in grant funds. The City of Los Angeles did not make the short list. Early this month, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed the adoption of a London-style congestion pricing program that has received attention from around the country. Bloomberg's controversial plan-which includes an 8 dollar tax to single occupancy drivers who enter Manhattan from the hours of 6am to 6pm–is a semifinalist for the Department of Transportation's contest. Here in the Southland, the process has stirred up renewed debate concerning congestion management. Experts have proposed the idea of "HOT "lanes (High-Occupancy/Toll) in LA County, proposing connections to the Los Angeles International Airport, LAX. The debate has certainly drawn attention to the issue of automobile traffic, but fails to recognize the importance of a full systems approach. The Southern California region needs multiple transportation choices that also include surface transportation, bus, rail, bicycling and pedestrian linkages. Currently the California Legislature is deciding on the future spending of the $20 billion Infrastructure Bond passed last November, dictating which transportation efforts we should expect here in Southern California. The average traveler in Los Angeles experienced 97 hours of traffic delay per year according to a recent study by the Texas Transportation Institute. Congestion leads to $78 billion in lost productivity, 4.5 billion hours of delay and 6.8 billion gallons of wasted fuel on a national level. -CNN Reorganization at the California Department of Health In a groundbreaking move, the California Department of Health has been split into two separate entities: the Department of Health and the Department of Public Health. This move marks a decision by the state to more effectively address issues related to public health and awareness. TLUC welcomes this change, as improving the link between public health and planning is one of our chief concerns. A 2006 study reported that the physical placement of amenities like parks, schools, et. had a major impact on the levels of physical activity experienced by young people, leading Dr. Lawrence Frank to say, "the overarching message is that the built environment is an enabler or a disabler of active transportation- of walking." – Journal of Physical Activity & Science News Online Cycling Our Way Towards a Cleaner World From a sustainability point of view, cycling is a boon. It promotes health, helps to reduce impacts on the environment, and creates a social transportation experience unparalleled by the automobile. In our rush to expand transportation infrastructure- making room for bus, rail, cars and trains-the bicycle often gets swept by the side of road. The winds, though, may be changing, as many environmentally-forward cities such as Paris, Stockholm and Vienna are implementing innovative programs to encourage cycling. These programs allow subscribers to pay a small fee to rent and return a bicycle at any metro station. Hopefully we can expect to see similar programs in Southern California's not so distant future. "If everyone who lives within 5 miles of their workplace left their car at home just one day a week and cycled to work, nearly 5 million tons of global warming pollution would be saved every year — like taking about a million cars off the road." – Environmental Defense Fund In the News:
Calendar of EventsJuly 25, 2007: MY ULI Night - Annual Summer Networking Event: A great opportunity to meet other ULI members as well as find out about membership opportunities. Full info here. July 25, 2007: LA APA, Transportation 101: Please join LA–APA to discuss and learn about Bicycle Planning, Mass Transit and Pedestrian Linkages in an Urban Environment at Metro. Full info here. August 24-26, 2007 Thunderhead Advocacy Training: The Thunderhead Alliance and the LA Bicycle Coalition are coming together to provide advocacy training. The Thunderhead Training is based on tried-and-true campaign strategies modified for bicycle and pedestrian advocacy in the 21st century. Full info here. Register Now! 2007 California Chapter APA Annual Conference "Transforming the Urban Fabric" in San Jose, September 30- October 3, 2007 More information » Save the Date! Rail~Volution 2007 Conference: Building Livable Communities with Transit. More information » APA Student Fellowship Award the Fellowship Program is open to third and fourth year undergraduate students, first and second year master's degree students and first and second year law students. Two fellowships with a stipend of $4,000.00 each are awarded per academic year. More information »
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