Transportation Action Team Meeting Minutes April 2008

M.C.P
Transportation Action Team
www.transportationactionteam.blogspot.com
April 17, 2008
Keller House

Present: Wes Laubscher, Mary Lou Laubscher, Lina Ortiz, Gaby Castañeda, Cindy Castañeda, Harold Blair, Harold Krogen, Virginia Brunk, Mayra Estrada, Luis Jimenez

Check In’s and Announcements: New Blog online at http://www.transportationactionteam.blogspot.com/, visit to read the monthly minutes and for other news and pictures.

Gaby, teens from the Youth Group took a tour of Route 8 from Meadow Homes Park to the Mall. 20+ students enjoyed the ride and couldn’t believe how easy it was to use. They rode to the mall and took a 30 min. break before getting back on.

Wes, Board Director for the Monument Crisis Center, De La Salle boys wrote and illustrated stories and read them to the kids at the center.

Virginia, April 18th from 10-2pm, Pharmacy Day at the Concord Senior Center so bring your bags of med’s and 4 pharmacists will be on duty make sure your medications are not counteracting. Bring both prescription and nonprescription medicines.

Harold, went to a meeting at Monument Futures, met with Molly Clark and the ten community listners:
There will be a Concord Naval Weapons Station planning meeting for the community May 28th at Cambridge Elementary school at 6 p.m. Dinner will be served. Flyer to come. This meeting is important because it will impact our children’s future for jobs and affordable housing. A Community Center for the Monument could be something that comes from the tax money from this reutilization. At the beginning of the meeting they want to play a game by putting five issues on the board, rating them and then placing them in order.

Mary Lou, Applying for MTC Transportation Forum Funding, Senior Action Team meeting 5th of May at 9:30 a.m. at the Police Substation, speaker on “How to Avoid Senior Scams.”, May 6th Mary Lou will be on TV at 7pm CC Channel, May 19th Senior Mobility Action Committee meeting, County Connection will be there.
Monday, April 21, 12-2pm, Mayores En Accion (for the Spanish speaking seniors)
DMV Community Outreach Ombudsman Driver Safety Manager, Julio Lacayo, 510.563.8998

Lina, the Community Gardens Action Team is preparing for the Monument Pride Community Celebration on June 7th from 11-4pm at 1500 Monument Blvd., our booth will have a kids Garden Discovery Area. Children will plant a seed and take them home. We will also showcase various rolling wagons from our group members.

How do we help people use public transportation?Why people do not use public transportation?
Barriers to using Public Transit
Not a habit
Three kids to load onto the bus and have to depend on strangers to help.
Bus stop too far away and can’t wave down the bus.
Teens shuttled by parents and have no experience riding on the bus.
Teens get licenses to early.
Route 8 1 hour is too long to wait.
Idea: A Bus Passport for Teens, Myra our youth member likes the bus, the drivers are nice, kids to kids approach will work better for teaching bus skills.

Metropolitan Transportation Forum on Monument
15 Invitees and they will get paid $65
Possible invitees: Youth Mayra,Transportation Gaby
Board, Harold, Cesar Silva, Monument Futures Board, Safeway biker
Harold friend Carlos works at Suites in PH
Leonora, from Mayores en Accion and travels by bus everyday
Molly, Anne Allen, left on Paratransit for an hour just sitting their and no air conditioner.

Community Reports
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.

Senior Transportation Forum-
Metropolitan Transportation Forum – to discuss needs of underserved areas.
First Five offers room for the meeting. Prepare a list of groups in community who care about transportation.

Next Steps: Marketing the Transportation Action Team, this group is the basic transportation planning group.

Agenda for Next Meeting
Myra our youth member will work with Gaby to redesign the Route 8 flyer so that it is more user friendly.
MTC Forum Planning
Free Contra Costa Van, volunteer or paid driver
Invite City Staff for a frank discussion on walking trails and bike paths
Interface with Monument Redevelopment
Design Survey for paths and trails, do surveys in person about 3-5 questions.

This Meeting Highlights
New faces, new people
Fresh energy
Knowledgable youth willing to talk, Mayra is amazing and had so much to say about teens and transportation!
Great flexibility in meeting procedures
Lots of information
Finished on time

How this meeting could be improved
Lack of prepared agenda sheets and fancy name tags
Lack of refreshments

Next Meeting:
May Forum –
June 19th , 7pm Keller House, invite Julio Lacayo from the DMV