December Minutes

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

Present: Mary Lou Laubscher, Lina Ortiz, Cindy Dahlgren, Bill Miller, Gaby Castaneda, Dave Pitman, Jenna Carlsson

Check In’s
Lina, enjoyed watching her children perform in their Christmas Music Shows in the last two days.
Dave, is doing good, selected chair for the neighborhood association Meadow Homes and won award 4 years ago for his neighborhood association. Various rankings completed and graduated back in 2004.
Cindy, Cal Act Fall Conference in Monterey in combo with the CA Transit Operation good speaks good conference, Robert F Kennedy his speaker and huge environmentalist and spoke about the connection between the environment and transportation. ADA proposed new regulations for American Disability Act and tours of course for functionability and they test everyone who apply. Like those who apply for the link service. American Disability Act eligibility revolves around the functional-ability. Can you pay the fare, can you get on the bus, can you follow a route. Then a 10 day vacation and then networking is really good but back home and working again. small specialized urban transit drivers convention, 131 big buses 63 paratransit.
Gabby, Christmas is so special this year with her 2 month old granddaughter Natalie, started smiling and laughing. Feels so happy and feels her sunshine at home.
Bill, is doing fine, is looking for a job. Enjoying his grandkids and watching their activities.
Mary Lou, glad to be thinking about the holidays and her last two weeks were spent in the hospital.
Jenna, originally from the Bay Area and studied Sociology Americorp Vista volunteer and worked with newly arrived refugees. Berma, Africa, Iraq and had started new programs for these refugees. Minority health and health discrepancies are currently her passions.

Community Reports
11-5 CCTA Meeting Forum Keller House
11-11 County Connection
11-18 Means Based Transit Fare Discount Program Planning Meeting, Service Providers
12-8 Senior Mobility Action Committee, Paul Bransons position eliminated. Worked for the County, Welfare to Work transportation, Laying off 200 People and his programs will go away. Children Transportation program not continued and Rise to Success program also not to continue. Active with CC for Every Generation.
12-8 Dr. Len announces his retirement from MCP

Cindy, Changes Planned for County Connection starting March 2009
• Board met this morning and put together a plan. 6 workshops to cut 20-30% of their service.
• The voice of most said to not cut routes completely, doesn’t matter if they come at least every hour and a half.
• Weekend service (Sat and Sun the same and more Sunday service but at least every hour and half.) Weekday Service
• Approved the Service Plan, changes will happen March 22
• Lay off 40 bus drivers, transit center in WC closing at WC Bart.
• Free midday Senior fares from 10-2pm will be discontinued
• 2 phase fare increase back in 2005, 2006 was the first one, March 22 in 2009 is the second one.
• $2 cash care, $1 Seniors, $4 for Link are the new fares. Repercutions mostly on link with ridership.
• School trippers (buses to schools) will still be there, will not cut buses going to school and transporting students.
• Software on buses has helped them figure out
• www.cccta.org for updates and news flashes, Cindy will 1,800 bus stops over 200 square miles, all the signage will have to be changed and reprinted.
• Lost and Found in the Concord Office, ironically the bus doesn’t go there.
• Transit Discount Cards can only get at Senior Center, will heavily rely on riders to buy passes at community outlets, online or mail.
• Monument Crisis Center has passes for sale. MCP could sell passes if they wanted. Other places in
Concord as well.
• Bart is moving at the Transit Center, ticket people will selling tickets and will combine all tickets for you.
• Customer Service representatives will be challenged. Amigos de Viajar and Bus Ambassadors will be heavily relied on to help passengers will all the new route changes. Bus drives will have to learn new bus routes. Some bus stops will have new numbers on them.
• Some stops will go away – like when routes are straightened out.
• 3 people will do the job of changing everything. No action plan yet but most likely the most used routes first and then do the other ones later.
• Mobility Management Center, waiting for grant to do mobility inventory in CC County. Will hire a consultant to do an inventory in the communities. Like a church, do they have a van. Preschools that have vans and medicare vans, taxi, airport operators, car shares. Where it is, how it operates, who it serves and where it goes. EXAMPLE, Broadway Plaza called and wanted a shopping shuttle from Rossmoor to Broadway Shopping Center. She directed them to someone else so they could share resources. Share resources and how to use those resources the best. They really don’t know what’s out there. Next Step: put it into a database and make it accessible in a website. Then one number to call to get connected. Transportation provider and rider will be connected to resources. Could go into an insurance pool. Non-Profits united.
• In Lamorinda Seniors came up with 3 things they wanted to do. 1, discount taxi rides, 2 volunteer driver program, 3 a van driver program. Within 2 years they accomplished it. 20% off taxi drivers, Senior Helpline Services and put together a budget and applied for a van through Cindy. Got a grant through the City of Lafayette and Moraga, Freedom Money, aggressive fund-raising. Big pool of volunteer. Mary Brunes, heading it, has lots of articles in Lamorinda Newsletter. Meisun Lei, at Lafayette Senior Center.
• 2nd New Freedom Grants, West and East County, to do three outreach meetings and take information from those meeting for the Mobility Management Center. Next step: opening Mobility Management Center. Website will come first.
• Director of Planning, Ann Muzzeni bright and is doing an amazing job of leading these changes.


What went well in 2008: Good advocacy on community needs at Concord Monument Street Scape Hearing, speakers excellent, maps were excellent, good professional speakers that cooperate with us, City staff lets us know when transportation meetings are coming up, Mary Lou’s involvement, Monument Blvd Sidewalk Improvements, Signal at Robin and Meadow. Planning for bicycle rodeo. Cindy’s participation and her early notification of all the changes within the Contra Costa County Connection.
What could be improved in 2008: Better attendance, Lina and Gabby take more of a leadership roles, better attendance, find out what transportation issues people would come out for. phone announcements, notification of meetings by Concord’s Engineering Dept., no group goal because we’ve been in a learning and observing mode.

Next Steps: Looking at and revising strategic plan for 2009, bring goals and objectives. Making the changes in the transportation world connect with real persons and their stories. Brainstorm issues on what residents would coume out for – survey? Distribute info County Connection changes and bring distinguished people to meetings. Secure meeting room space. Invite bicycle guy, EBRP Dist. Speaker.
Agenda for Next Meeting:
This Meeting Highlights: ideas, Cindy’s info of changes within County Connection
How this meeting could be improved: more interested people
Next Meeting: January 15th 2009, 7pm-9pm Keller House


Vision Statement By the year 2015 The Monument Transportation Action Team will have planned and implemented a “local” transportation system that will serve all residents of the Monument area who need it. It will be affordable, sustainable, safe, coordinated, environmentally sound, and get riders where they need to go in a reasonable time