There are a few ways you can take action to support a more #Sustainable710!

1) Attend the Metro Board Meeting on 9/26 and provide Public Comment in person

• What: Metro Board of Directors Meeting: Meeting agenda (Item #9)
• When: Thursday, September 26 (10am) 
• Where: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 3rd Floor, Metro Board Room
• How: Sign in via the computers in the entryway upon arrival, and request to speak on Item #9 on the agenda. Each speaker receives 1 minute of time.
• Board Report - includes City submitted project lists and project descriptions.  
• Please note it is unclear when Item 9 will be heard, but the Board Room does offer free wifi and there's a cafeteria across the hall! 

2) Email Metro Board Member Kathryn Barger 
Due to the provincial nature of Los Angeles County transportation politics, Metro Board Members are largely deferential to colleagues who represent areas where sub-regional projects will take place. In this particular case, Board Member and LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger is the primary representative for the SGV cities, and thus is in the proverbial driving seat with regards to project selection. You can reach her and her transportation staff at the below addresses. A sample email can also be found below. 

• kbarger@lacbos.org
• DPerry@bos.lacounty.gov

Template Email (please personalize)

Dear Supervisor Barger and staff,

As a constituent concerned about [the health of my neighborhood; the safety of our streets for people of all ages; reducing the number one source of greenhouse gas emissions in California -- vehicle emissions; etc), I urge you to support more sustainable mobility projects for the San Gabriel Valley. 

The reallocation of another $500 million in SR-710 North funding is a historic opportunity to move our region towards a more healthy, sustainable future. For the past six decades we have focused almost all our transportation spending and investment on moving more vehicles faster, to the detriment of public health, public safety, and our environment. 

Given this historic opportunity to fund multi-benefit projects, I ask you to please provide San Gabriel Valley cities eligible for SR-710 funding additional time to submit sustainable mobility projects for consideration, and direct Metro staff to select a more balanced portfolio of mobility projects. San Gabriel Valley residents deserve a chance to benefit from multi-modal improvements similar to the ones recommended for LA City and LA County.

Sincerely,

NAME

EXAMPLES OF UNFUNDED, MULTI-MODAL PROJECTS FOR SGV CITIES

• Alhambra
  • Metro Gold Line Shuttle - $750,000
  • Bike Plan Implementation Project [Citywide] - $650,000
• San Gabriel
  • Transit Service to Light Rail - $500,000 
  • Local Circulator Bus Service - $1,000,000 
  • First-mile/last mile improvements - $2,000,000
  • Valley Boulevard Corridor Bus Rapid Transit [BRT]-  $59,100,000
  • Multimodal Transit Center and Parking Structure - $24,000,000
  • Citywide Bicycle Facilities - $35,000,000
• South Pasadena
  • Regional Traffic Corridor Improvements (supporting bicycle and pedestrian safety components) - $10,000,000 
  • Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program - $5,000,000
• Pasadena
  
  • Pasadena Avenue/St. Johns Avenue Complete Streets - $15,000,000
    
  • Allen Avenue Complete Streets - $1,500,000 
    
  • Hill Avenue Complete Streets - $1,500,000
    
  • Avenue 64 Complete Streets - $2,000,000
    
  • Rapid Bus Improvements - $10,000,000
    
  • Student Transit Passes - $200,000
    
  • Electric Transit Vehicles - $28,000,000
    
  • Bicycle Transportation Action Plan Projects - $5,000,000
    
  • The Arroyo Link - Multi-Use Path - $2,000,000
    
  • Mobility Hubs - $10,000,000
    

3) Encourage Board Member Barger to Support a More #Sustainable710 on Social Media 
​You can reach her via the below platforms. Please include #Sustainable710

• Twitter - @kathrynbarger
• Facebook - Supervisor Kathryn Barger (@supervisorbarger)
• Instagram - Supervisor Kathryn Barger

In Spring 2017 the Metro Board of Directors unanimously voted to shelve its support for tunnel option for the 710-N corridor project. The landmark vote was the latest chapter in over 40 years of struggle over the proposed freeway extension through the communities of El Sereno, Alhambra, South Pasadena, and Pasadena. The motion by Directors Fasana, Barger, Solis, Garcetti, and Najarian encouraged Metro, Caltrans, and the corridor cities to:

 “pursue policies and actions that would promote smart and functional land use, reduce automobile dependency, encourage multi-modal trips, improve traffic operations, and maximize the use of the latest available technologies to enhance performance of the existing transportation system to minimize impacts of the regional traffic on the communities along the SR-710 corridor.” 

The motion also directed staff to redirect almost $1 BILLION in Measure R and other funding originally set-aside for the freeway to local mobility projects within the project corridor, to be split up and redirected as follows:

• $105 million for “Transportation Systems Management / Transportation Demand  Management (TSM/TDM)” projects
• $900+ million in remaining funding for to-be-determined local transportation improvements

This directive set off a process we wrote about in Fall 2017 in which project area communities were asked to submit local project ideas of two primary types:

1. Projects to increase automobile traffic throughput (e.g. signal optimization, turn lanes, wider streets)
2. Projects to reduce driving or replace car trips (e.g. increased/improved transit service, new pedestrian/bicycle facilities, alternative travel incentives)

 
Project Area Vehicle Traffic 
Ostensibly all this funding for local mobility improvements would be geared at mitigating regional traffic. However, per Metro's own detailed analysis, only 13.7% of peak PM traffic in the project area is regional (i.e. moves between the I-10 and I-210/I-134 freeways). Over 86% of auto trips along major arterials such as Atlantic, Rosemead, and Garfield in the corridor are thus local in nature (Source: DEIR Transportation Technical Report, Table 4-9, page 4-18). Many of these trips are also less than 3 miles long, distances which can be covered by transit and active modes with relative ease, conditions permitting. According to the Southern California Association of Governments, approximately 20% of work trips, and 40% of non-work trips, in southern California are under 3 miles.

Round 1 Funding (December 2018)
At its December 6, 2018 meeting, the Metro Board approved over $500+ million in funding for projects that will increase automobile dependency, discourage multi-modal trips, and further entrench auto-centric land-use. With the exception of the $100 million allocated for stub redesign in the City of Alhambra, the selected projects focused on moving vehicles faster, an approach that will result in more vehicle miles traveled (VMT), more localized air pollution, more greenhouse gas emissions, and more preventable traffic collisions and deaths. See StreetsblogLA coverage of that decision here. At the time, Metro staff and board members stated Round 2 funds would be focused on multi-modal projects. ​

Many of us lead busy lives, and it's tough to keep up with all the decision-making being made in our names. The team at ActiveSGV is thus committed to making SGV residents aware of opportunities to support a more sustainable San Gabriel Valley.

One of the most impactful and time-efficient ways you can make your voice heard is by calling your state legislators. These calls generally take 2 minutes or less, as legislative staff only want to tally community support/opposition to bills, and confirm your residency within the district. 

To be adopted, bills must be approved by both houses of the legislature, and then be signed by the Governor. 

If you've never called your State Senator or Assembly Member before, we have included a sample script below, as well as a brief summary of each bill ActiveSGV has taken a formal stance on.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us for more info!

[AWAITING GOVERNOR'S SIGNATURE]
​Call the Governor's office at 916-445-2841 to help carry these bills over the line! 

• SUPPORT - SB 400 - E-bike Eligibility - Would make e-bikes eligible for state zero-emission vehicle rebates. As of 8/26/19, SB 400 has unanimously passed the Senate and passed the Assembly floor. Awaiting Governor's signature. Bill info here. ​​

[ADOPTED BILLS]

• PASSED! - SB 307 - Protect Desert Wildlife from Cadiz Water Project - Would protect sensitive wildlife habitat in the high desert from an unsustainable water project. Strongly supported by our environmental partners including the Nature for All Coalition. SB 307 passed both the Senate and Assembly, and was signed by the Governor on 7/31/19! Bill info here.​

[PUNTED to 2020]
Sometimes legislative authors elect to put their bills on a two-year track, to buy themselves more time to garner support.

• SUPPORT - SB 347 - Soda Warning Labels - Would require science-based labeling underlining the link between sugary-sweetened beverages and diabetes, obesity, and other chronic illnesses. Strongly supported by our public health partners including American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association. As of 8/26/19, SB 347 passed the Senate and is now on a two-year track, due to significant soda industry opposition. Bill info here.