April 28 Meeting Minutes

TRANSPORTATION ACTION TEAM
Meeting Minutes

Date: April 28, 2011
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Keller House, 1760 Clayton Road, Concord, CA 94520
Facilitator: Mary Lou Laubscher
Co: Facilitator Bruce Lyon

Members Present: Dave Pitman, Mary Lou Laubscher, Wes Laubscher, Bruce Lyon, Lindsay Emi, Urban Habitat of Alameda County, Susan Lawson, and Sally Smith, Mike Van Hofuegen, Executive Director of the Michael Chavez Center, Eric Anya

Introductions:
We were asked to introduce our selves and tell what current form of transportation that we currently use and what future form of transportation that we aspire to use.

Members present, Current transportation, Future Transportation
*Wes Laubscher, Drives a car ,Bike & walk
*Lindsay, Bicycle and bus, Live close to work and walk
*Susan, Car, para transit
*Sally, Car, para transit
*Dave Pitman, Drives, para transit
*Bruce, Commuter personal type public transportation with personal vehicle

*Mike Hofwegen, Driver, Bike & Walk
*Eric Anya, Bike & Walk, Bike & walk

* Mary Lou, Drive, Door to Door Para transit

PRESENTATION: by Lindsay, from Urban Habitat of Alameda County
Lindsay talked about the Metropolitan Transportation Planning project called One Bay Area it is designed One Bay Area Plan to incorporate land use, decrease green house gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled.

The One Bay Area Plan will add 200 billion Dollars 25 year transportation plan to maintain and operate the nine-county region transportation network.

Goals of the One Bay Area Plan

* Reduce air pollution, improve health, reduce Green House Gas emissions.
* Provide Equitable access for transportation
* Provide Open space and Agricultural Preservation:
* 100% of proposed housing to be located within the region.
* Plan to be Updated every three to four years.
* Ami Worth from City council from Orinda our MTC representative for MTC (MTC is 9 county region)
* SB375 Senate Bill Green House Grass (GHG)reduction.
Priority Development Areas "PDA" estimates 40% growth in Contra Costa County 42%. In Concord 19,000 households to be added by 2035
Future housing growth will match jobs with housing near existing transit,
Future housing growth is expected along, Clayton Road and Monument Blvd.

Some concerns from members present is that the high cost of new housing is expected to displace the existing low income residents and there are health concerns and cancer risks associated with locating housing in close proximity to emitter sources like freeways.

Lindsay reported that:

Transportation cost is high for low income, the second highest cost in family
budgets.
Living near Public transit will reduce the cost by half.

FUTURE EVENTS:

July 2011 MTC develops a few different RTP (Regional Transportation package) of projects for review.

Sept. Oct 2011 Discussion of the pros cons of the alternatives.

COMMUNITY REPORTS:
Dave, Bruce and Mary Lou gave reports on the meetings they attended:

4-8 CCTA hearing with non-governmental agencies
4-12 Concord City Council Meeting. Monument Corridor Shared Use Trail: City hired an engineering company of Nolte Associates in Walnut Creek to design both projects, have statement of work; Trail slated to be finished in 2012.  Monument Blvd Pedestrian Improvments: Extension of contract for inspection approved; City Council will final the approval of the construction project.
4-20 CCTA forum Regional transportation plan
4-21 TANSPAC Hearing on Regional Transportation Plan
4-25 Senior Mobility Action Council
4-27 CCTA advisory committee measure J transportation for livable communities, pedestrian Bicycle and trail facilities, MTC safe routes to school.

BART mobile seating lab, is coming to the Keller house so residents can try out new types of seats and give their opinions.

No TAT meeting in May

May 18 MTC forum meeting at Cambridge Elementary. Everyone try to attend.

ADJORNMENT: 9:00

Next Meeting

June 23, 7 p.m. at Keller House

El proyecto del Monument Boulevard

Concord City News
Verano 2011

El proyecto del Monument Boulevard mejora el acceso peatonal y agrega carriles para bicicletas

Un proyecto de varios años para mejorar el acceso peatonal en la zona del Monument Boulevard de la ciudad está completo. Las mejoras en la Infraestructura Peatonal del Monument Corridor permitirán un acceso más fácil al BART, centros comerciales y zonas residenciales a lo largo de Monument Boulevard desde Carey Drive hasta Meadow Lane/Oak Grove Road, y en Meadow Lane desde el Monument Boulevard hasta Sunshine Drive.

El proyecto incluye la construcción de mejoras ADA (Acta de Americanos con Discapacidades), tales como rampas y señales auditivas de conteo para peatones, ampliación de las aceras existentes, construcción de cruces de peatones de hormigón de color en varias intersecciones así como la instalación de luces en las vías ya nivel de los peatones en porciones del Monument Boulevard. Asimismo, se han instalado carriles para las bicicletas en Meadow Lane, y un nuevo semáforo que se ha ubicado en la intersección de Robin Lane y Meadow Lane.

El proyecto fue financiado con una subvención de $1.2 millones de dólares del Programa de Transporte Terrestre, otra subvención de $300,000 dólares del Acta de Recuperación y Reinversión y los fondos de la Agencia de Redesarrollo.

Las mejoras se hicieron en respuesta a las principales preocupaciones relacionadas con la infraestructura planteada antes y durante el proceso de promoción del Plan de Transporte de la Comunidad del Monument Corridor, que se llevó a cabo en el 2005. La mayoría de las actividades de promoción se llevaron a cabo por el Monument Community Partnership (MCP), una colaboración sin fines de lucro compuesta de residentes y organizaciones de servicio social cuya misión es mejorar la salud y la seguridad de los residentes de Monument.

El promedio de participación de la comunidad fue elevado durante el proceso de promoción, el cual incluyó reuniones con los miembros comunitarios, dos reunions de la comunidad, encuestas y entrevistas con miembros comunitarios. La agencia de transporte local (County Connection) y otros miembros claves en la comunidad, tales como organizaciones de servicio social y la Coalición de Transporte y Uso del Terreno participaron en el proceso. MCP ha participado activamente en la identificación de las barreras del transporte en el curso de muchas reuniones de vecinos.

A través del proceso, la comunidad expresó la necesidad de aceras o banquetas más amplias y seguras, vías para bicicletas, y mejoras en la seguridad del Monument Boulevard y Meadow Lane/Oak Grove Road. El Monument Corridor tiene un número elevado de peatones, ciclistas, y madres con sus carriolas o coches para bebés que usan las aceras para sus paseos. El número de viviendas en el Monument Corridor sin acceso a un vehículo es del 18 por ciento, lo que es tres veces el promedio en todo el condado.

Aunque las principales líneas de autobuses sirven a Monument Boulevard y Meadow Lane, la asequibilidad, la frecuencia del servicio y la falta de transferencias convenientes se encuentran entre los principales obstáculos que impiden a muchos residentes del Monument Corridor el utilizar el servicio. Para los que no tienen vehículos, las principales alternativas al uso del autobús son el caminar y andar en bicicleta, que ahora se puede hacer de forma más segura gracias a la reaJización de este proyecto.

La intersección de Meadow Lane y Robin Lane tiene ahora un nuevo semdforo, así una banqueta adecuada para ayudar a los residentes con discapacidad, un carril para bicicletas y aceras más anchas

Monument Boulevard Project

Concord City News
Summer 2011

Monument Boulevard project improves pedestrian access, adds bike lanes

A multi-year project to improve pedestrian access in the city's Monument Boulevard area is substantially complete. The Monument Corridor Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvements will allow easier access to BART, commercial centers and residential areas along Monument Boulevard from Carey Drive to Meadow Lane/Oak Grove Road, and on Meadow Lane from Monument Boulevard to Sunshine Drive.

The project includes constructing ADA improvements, such as curb ramps and pedestrian count-down signal heads, widening existing sidewalks, constructing colored concrete crosswalks at various intersections and installing roadway and pedestrian-level lights on portions of Monument Boulevard. In addition, bike lanes have been installed on Meadow Lane, and a traffic signal now stands at the intersection of Robin Lane and Meadow Lane.

The project was funded with a $1.2 million Surface Transportation Program grant, a $300,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant, and Redevelopment Agency funds.

The improvements were made in response to top infrastructure-related concerns raised before and during the Monument Corridor's Community Based Transportation Plan outreach process, which was conducted in 2005. Most outreach activities were conducted by the Monument Community Partnership (MCP), a non-profit collaboration of residents and social service organizations whose mission is to improve the health and safety of Monument residents.

Community participation rates were high during the outreach process, which included stakeholder meetings, two community meetings, surveys, and stakeholder interviews. The local transit agency (County Connection) and other stakeholders, such as social service organizations and the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, participated in the process. MCP was actively involved in identifying transportation barriers in the course of many neighborhood meetings.

Through the process, the community expressed a need for wider and safer sidewalks, bike routes, and safety improvements at Monument Boulevard and Meadow Lane/Oak Grove Road. The Monument Corridor has a high number of pedestrians, bicycle riders, and baby strollers using the sidewalk for travel. The number of households in the Monument Corridor without access to a vehicle is 18 percent, which is three times the county-wide average.

Although major bus lines serve Monument Boulevard and Meadow Lane, affordability, frequency of service, and lack of convenient transfers are among the major obstacles that prevent many Monument Corridor residents from using the service. For those without vehicles, the main alternatives to using the bus are walking and bicycling, which can now be done more safely thanks to the completion of this project.

The intersection of Meadow Lane and Robin Lane now has a new traffic light, as well as curb cuts to assist disabled residents, a bike lane and wider sidewalks