Transportation Action Team Meeting Minutes March 2008

M.C.P
Transportation Action Team
www.transportationactionteam.blogspot.com
March 20, 2008
Keller House

Present: Wes Laubscher, Mary Lou Laubscher, Lina Ortiz, Gaby Castaneda, Harold Blair, Patti Sparks Transportation Services Specialist Aging and Adult Services Contra Costa County

Check In’s
Wes, Board Director for the Monument Crisis Center, 1,300 families a month, ton food a day, families come with other problems and have other programs. Promotes Route 8, they have friendly bus drivers.

Gabby, she is from Amigos de Viajar and she took the Lakeside Group – Mayores En Accion on a Route 8 trip from Lakeside to Sunvalley Mall and back. The ride was great and the shuttle was full and is being used regularly!

Lina, she is the new facilitator for the Community Gardens Action Team and recently posted the Meeting Minutes on their blog which is found at, http://www.communitygardensactionteam.blogspot.com/
Cambridge Elementary had a Community Gardening Day on March 15th and will also have one in April will need volunteers.

Announcements
New Blog online at http://www.transportationactionteam.blogspot.com/, visit to read the monthly minutes and for other news and pictures.
Applying for MTC Transportation Forum Funding
Lina Ortiz is the new Co-Facilitator for the Transportation Action Team
Big Redevelopment Meeting May 21 or 28, 2008, date to be confirmed

Community Reports
Monument redesign
Naval Weapons redesign
Bicycle Safety Quiz

Welcome our Guest Speaker:
Patti Sparks Transportation Specialist
Contra Costa County Aging & Adult Services
A Bureau of the Employment & Human Services Department

Patti Sparks spoke:
Blessed to get a phone call about an open position in Contra Costa County, was still working in Pittsburg with low income seniors. Her office at Columbia Park Manor, Senior Living facility. She was there for six years and developed recreation activities and linked seniors to resources. They were funded for five years by John Muir, Mt. Diablo, Soda Foundation, got a case manager to do outreach to find seniors who had not been helped. Exercise instructor, nutritionist, these seniors were appreciative and they started a senior counsel and gave input about senior programs. We need a van not the Pittsburg bus and got a full time bus driver, 4th year got a grant to develop extensive health program. Walk three times a week certain amount of laps and you had a walking coach and each Senior who met their goal got a ten dollar stipend to buy food. 43 seniors involved. Stretch classes and seniors then taught the classes, she taught a disabled person to teach. They felt so good that they continued program although the funding ended. Transportation program for two and a half years bus driver and dispatcher Gated community lots of trees Took seniors to Walnut Creek hospitals from Pittsburg or Brentwood to Martinez to VA, seniors that were too vulnerable to get to hospital using the regular transportation system. Senior Helpline Services, Elaine Welch, they need volunteers, volunteer driver program. Thru Door – Thru Door – free, seniors, mobile enough to walk crutches okay, walkers okay, not wheelchairs, taking their own car. Volunteer will take them to grocery store and go in with them, flu shot stand in line with them, doctors office wait with them. The volunteers drivers will be trained. Monument Corridor is a targeted area a bid out this summer, Elaine’s group, Caring Hands might bid for it. They need to be working with MCP or Senior Action Team 3,000 Seniors on Monument – 75 english speaking, 25 spanish speaking. Younger generation is the opposite. Train drivers on apartment locations, how to get through gates, where to park. Call first that person is there, waiting, come out front for pick up.

County Connection Paratransit Vans are retiring and will be available this summer. Monument Community Partnership if they had a van would have different age groups use it. They will train 4 drivers through laidlaw, and will also provide $5,000 dollars for two years for maintenance, you have to provide the driver and cover insurance, and gas, you have to paint the bus. Requirement transportation, 50 one way adult trips, disability focus. If you apply we can be reached easily at 925-313-1633 to answer any questions.

How can the vans be used in the heart of the partnership. You can use the bus to advertise your community resources, good at relationship building and will help build trust in the community, for people to use.

First need to find the groups then the program.

How to move faster: Start being proactive, where are we going to get our drivers?
Petition to MCP Board – one week at Cambridge – one week at Meadow Homes.
Use our resources at Cambridge, Meadow Homes, Ygnacio Valley Elementary Schools, use circles of influence.

This group is the basic transportation planning group.

Next Steps in Biking and Walking Trails
Invite City Staff for a frank discussion

Senior Transportation Forum:

Metropolitan Transportation Forum – to discuss needs of underserved areas.
First Five offers room for the meeting
List of groups in community who care about transporation.

Next Steps
Design Route 8 Info Sheet both in English and Spanish
Invite ourselves to Resource Network and the First Five
Route 8 and CC Bus
Local Agencies
First 5 Logos on Bus

Marketing the Transportation Action Team
Attend Mothers Day Celebration, Monument Pride, Health Fair, First 5 Fair
Need Transporation Action Team Flyer

Agenda for Next Meeting
MTC Forum Planning
Free Contra Costa Van, volunteer or paid driver
City Staff on trails and paths
Interface with Monument Redevelopment
Design Survey for paths and trails, do surveys in person about 3-5 questions.

This Meeting Highlights
Speaker was knowledgable about our community
Good discussion due to size of group
Great new projects

How this meeting could be improved
More people

Next Meeting
April 17th, 2008, Keller House 7PM