Category: Education/Webinars

Categories
California Policy Education/Webinars Public Transit Transportation Funding

California’s Proposition 22 — What it Means for Public Transit

Summary provided by “Yes on 22: Save Local Services”

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The Local Taxpayer, Public Safety, and Transportation Protection Act of 2010 would protect public transportation funding in the following ways:

  • Strengthens the status of the Public Transportation Account (PTA) as a trust fund.
  • Prohibits the practice of loaning or transferring PTA funds to the General Fund, and prohibits borrowing or using the money in the PTAfor any purposes other than “transportation planning” and “mass transportation,” as defined.
  • Defines mass transportation as surface transportation, operated by bus, rail, ferry, etc; generally for which a fare is charged; and provided by any transit district, joint powers authority, or other agencies that already receive funds for these purposes. School buses are not included under this definition.
  • Requires that the sales tax on diesel fuel, the only remaining core revenue source historically flowing into the PTA, shall be deposited quarterly into the PTA. It also requires that PTA revenue be continuously appropriated. This revenue sources has produced an average of $350 million per year since 2007-08. As part of the “gas tax swap” package, the Legislature raised the rate of sales tax on diesel starting in 2011-12. The Department of Finance estimates this source should generate $431 million in 2011-12.
  • Requires half these core PTA revenues to be spent on the State Transit Assistance (STA) Program – which can fund either transit operations or transit capital projects, and requires the other half of these core revenues to be spent on the historic state, regional and local transit purposes funded in the budget, such as the intercity rail program, or transit capital projects in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and Interregional Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP).
  • Strengthens the status of local transportation funds as trust funds. Prohibits the legislature from reducing, diverting, transferring, appropriating, or using the one-quarter cent county sales tax that is deposited into local transportation funds for any purposes other than the historic public transit and streets & roads purposes. This local revenue source, which was created by the Transportation Development Act (TDA) of 1971, generates about $1.4 billion annually.
  • Prohibits the legislature from interfering in any way with locally imposed taxes, including half-cent sales taxes dedicated to transit and transportation purposes. This means the state can’t use the proceeds, reallocate them to some other agency, restrict how a local government uses the proceeds, or borrow them.
  • If approved by the voters, this ballot measure would protect nearly $1.8 billion per year in PTA and TDA funding for public transportation (and not counting local ballot measure sources of transit funding).
Categories
California Policy Education/Webinars Research SB 375

Policy in Motion Open House: Tuesday, August 10th

Miss the event?

Read highlights at Policy “Makers and Shakers” Celebrate at Policy in Motion Open House

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Fellow Policy Makers & Shakers,

Please join me in celebrating the start of my new business – Policy in Motion, new name – Lauren ‘Iolani Michele, and new live/work unit in Sacramento’s vibrant mixed-use hub.  In an affirmation of Policy in Motion’s sustainability as a business and in its vision for community development through effective transportation and climate policy, the August 10th Open House evening will highlight:

  • Wines from my homeland of Sonoma County
  • Transportation Research Board Poster on “California’s SB 375 Implementation”
  • Raw-vegan appetizers prepared by raw chef Margaret Gomes with local ingredients
  • Tours of Policy in Motion’s upstairs office and Lauren Michele’s urban garden patio
  • “Wall of Policy Reform” featuring guests’ ideas for sustainable community development
  • Good company with other policy visionaries!

For those of you who have not yet placed an RSVP: please do so by this Thursday, August 5th – you can stop by anytime between 5:30pm and 9pm to enjoy good company with familiar faces and new friends working to advance sustainable community planning whether through local, regional, state or federal policy.

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Lauren ‘Iolani Michele

Principal / Owner

Policy in Motion | WBE/DBE

530.848.4342 | lauren.michele@policyinmotion.com | policyinmotion.com

*Please note that my last name and email address have changed*

Categories
Education/Webinars

US Green Building Council to Host LEED-ND Panel: August 12, 2010

AIA Central Valley Chapter Gallery
1400 S Street
Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95814
View Map
LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND), the much-anticipated and latest rating system under the LEED umbrella, has just been launched. LEED-ND integrates the principles of Smart Growth, New Urbanism, and Green Building into the first national rating system created specifically for neighborhood design. This program will introduce the new rating system and discuss its differences from the other LEED rating systems, particularly LEED for New Construction. The process for project submission will be discussed, as well as the future impacts of LEED-ND in neighborhood design.

Dan Fenoccio, Vice-President, and Martin Lewis, Senior Engineer, of Cunningham Engineering Corporation will explain the primary concepts of Smart Growth, New Urbanism, and the LEED-ND rating system. They will describe projects that are currently seeking LEED-ND certification, and analyze future trends and design implications for LEED-ND.

Jeff Caudill, Consultant for Green Building Services’ Green Communities Group, will provide first-hand experience and “lessons learned” with LEED-ND through a variety of project types. Green Building Services (GBS) has contributed to the certification of 5 LEED-ND Pilot projects thus far. This portion of the presentation will provide a description of their experience in working with a range of LEED-ND projects, including a single block mixed-use project in Portland, OR; a multiple block mixed- and multi-use project in a small town in Washington; an affordable single-family infill project in Portland, OR; and a 15-acre multi-use project in Washington, DC. From this varied experience, Green Building Services has accumulated a deep understanding of the application of the LEED-ND Pilot rating system, its challenges, and benefits. Additionally, the presentation will discuss how LEED-ND compares to other established LEED rating systems and some of the modifications made between the pilot and final rating systems.

Darin Dinsmore, an urban planner and landscape architect, will explain how to use EcoDistricts to implement smart growth, how to create a city, county or statewide program, and describe new techniques in project design and financial tools to facilitate implementation.
GBCI Credential Maintenance Program

Approved for
2 Continuing Education Hours
for LEED Professional Credential Maintenance

Activity Type:
Professional Development
Continuing Education
Category:
Project Surrounding and Public Outreach or Project Site Factors

Learning Objectives

  • Explain the primary concepts of Smart Growth and New Urbanism
  • List unique characteristics of the LEED-ND rating system
  • Understand the Prerequisite Review Process for Smart Location & Linkage
  • Identify stages of the LEED-ND certification process
  • Define terms used to describe LEED-ND projects
  • Analyze future trends and design implications for LEED-ND
  • Describe the current and future role of LEED-ND in the design and construction process and how best to integrate LEED-ND into project decision-making
  • Compare the various aspects of the LEED-ND rating system and certification process with other LEED rating systems (e.g. LEED-NC, LEED-EB, etc.)
  • Understand how modifications made to the Pilot Rating System in the Final Rating System may affect the process of LEED-ND certification
  • Understand how EcoDistricts can be used to implement smart growth
  • Learn how to create a city, county or statewide program
  • Learn new techniques in project design and financial tools to facilitate implementation

Agenda

5:00 – 5:30    Registration and networking, announcements
5:30 – 7:00    Panelist presentations
7:00 – 7:15    Q&A

About the Speakers

Dan Fenoccio, P.E, Vice President, Cunningham Engineering Corporation
Dan Fenocchio serves as Vice President of Cunningham Engineering Corporation, a civil engineering, landscape architecture, and project planning firm with offices in Davis and Sacramento. Dan has directed numerous teams in the planning, design and development of a diverse range of project types, from large suburban residential to in-fill mixed-use projects on constrained sites. He has been instrumental in the company’s business planning efforts and has played a key role in the firm’s strategic positioning to support the green movement and sustainable site design techniques. With a well rounded understanding of the design and construction process, he has successfully integrated low impact development techniques into a number of LEED-certified projects. The Colonia San Martin project in Sacramento, for which Dan served as the civil engineering project manager, was named the “2009 Outstanding Stormwater Quality Project” by the California Stormwater Quality Association. Dan also serves on the Transit Oriented Development Advisory Council for the Urban Land Institute. Dan received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from UC Davis, and is a licensed civil engineer in California.

Martin Lewis, P.E., Senior Engineer, Cunningham Engineering
A senior engineer with Cunningham Engineering, Martin has over 15 years consulting experience in civil engineering. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Science from Oxford University and is a licensed civil engineer in New Mexico and California. His expertise lies in planning and design for urban storm drainage and municipal infrastructure. He has extensive experience in hydrologic/hydraulic modeling, and design of regional and site-scale drainage systems (including integration of Low Impact Development techniques). Martin played a key role in the University of California’s master planning for the West Village Mixed-Use Community in Davis, and continues to be instrumental in the design of that project’s first phase. West Village will be a 220-acre Zero Net Energy community on university-owned land and is implementing a variety of sustainable design components.

Jeff Caudill, AICP, LEED AP, Consultant, Green Building Services’ Green Communities Group
Jeff Caudill serves as a consultant in the Green Communities group at GBS and holds a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University. Jeff combines his experience at GBS with three previous years as a land use planner to identify innovative green building techniques at a variety of levels, including the planning, design, and construction phases of projects in the Pacific Northwest, California, and elsewhere. In these projects, Jeff provides green building expertise for a variety of design decisions and assists in certification efforts associated with the LEED-ND and LEED-NC programs. Jeff has contributed to four LEED-ND projects and a wide range of LEED-NC projects, including projects utilizing the LEED-NC Application Guide for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects (AGMBC). In addition to LEED certification, Jeff applies his experience and knowledge of land use planning and policy development to assist governmental agencies and other public institutions in the development and implementation of green building policy and strategies. On these projects, Jeff applies a critical eye to identify appropriate and effective green building solutions at the state and local level. In 2007, Jeff’s work was recognized for excellence in land use planning (Washington Chapter of the America Planning Association) and historic preservation (Washington State Historic Preservation Office). Jeff also facilitates project eco-charrettes, completes Green Communities Site Assessments, and conducts LEED certification reviews for the USGBC. Jeff is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Darin Dinsmore, Principal, Darin Dinsmore & Associates
Darin Dinsmore is an innovative and award-winning urban planner and landscape architect with over 20 years of experience in helping communities to increase their livability and prosperity, reduce their ecological footprint and improve human and ecological health. Darin is also a development partner on a 250 acre Build It Green certified mixed use project. Darin’s expertise includes:

  • Drafting regional green building goals, policies and actions for Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA)
  • Writing EcoDistrict approaches for high performance neighborhoods
  • Master Plan of Railyard in Truckee, CA (LEED-ND, APA Award for Comprehensive Planning)
  • Creating Form & Performance Based Code for 5 Tahoe area counties and City of Truckee
  • Creating Regional Community Enhancement Program based on LEED-ND
  • Coordinating Built Environment Task Force and created demo projects
  • Working with Nevada City, CA, for a downtown EcoDistrict
  • Developing 30 green building types for mixed use infill projects with a construction cost ratios

Previously he served as the Director of Town Planning for The Sierra Business Council and implemented the Planning for Prosperity Program throughout the Sierra, by partnering and working with counties and communities to implement sustainable development in the region. Darin recently formed Sustainable Community Strategies (SCS) to help communities and regions address climate change as well as new state and federal policies. They also created the Tahoe Community Enhancement Program (CEP) based on LEED ND principles calibrated to local issues and opportunities. There are currently 3 LEED projects working through the CEP process. Darin also teaches through the UC Davis Extension Green Building and Sustainable Design Certificate Program on “Sustainability by Design: Retrofitting our Cities, Communities and Neighborhood”.

Public Transportation

Visit www.sacrt.com for directions.

Categories
Education/Webinars US DOT

US DOT Increases Efforts to Attract Women Transportation Professionals

DOT 145-10
Monday, July 26, 2010
Contact:  Olivia Alair
Tel: 202-366- 4570

U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces Expanded Internship Program to Get More Women Working in Transportation

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced the expansion of an internship program designed to encourage young women to pursue careers in transportation.  Secretary LaHood made the announcement at a Women’s Small Business Day hosted by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

“Women are an essential part of today’s labor force, yet women are underrepresented in the transportation industry,” said Secretary LaHood.  “We’re saying to all the college women out there – no matter where you’re enrolled, there’s a DOT Small Business Transportation Resource Center close by to help you plug into your dream job, whether it’s an airport, an engineering or aerospace firm, a railroad, a transit agency or perhaps one of our DOT offices.”

The internship program will expand from one to ten regions of the country, enabling young women from colleges and universities across the country to participate.  It will be administered through the Department’s 11 Small Business Transportation Resource Centers.  These Centers, spread throughout the nation, provide resources, technical assistance and outreach to all 50 states and U.S. territories.  Each Center will be responsible for placing qualified female college students in transportation related internships in their regions.

The expanded program, based on a successful pilot with Spelman College that Secretary LaHood announced in 2009, is part of a broader effort by the Department of Transportation to create a pipeline of younger women coming into the transportation workforce.

“We are excited about expanding a great program that will introduce young women to transportation careers nationwide,” said Office of Small and Disadvantage Business Utilization Director Brandon Neal. “It is our goal to assist as many women as possible and continue to be the training ground for future small business owners.”

In May 2010, Secretary LaHood also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Women’s Transportation Seminar International to engage women at the juncture when they’re beginning to think seriously about their futures and inspire them to pursue careers in transportation by completing undergraduate and graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and math.  The aim is to attract and retain a new generation of women in transportation professions.

The Women’s Small Business Day at the Department of Transportation enabled small business specialists from all of the department’s operating administrations to meet with the small business owners in attendance.

The program is one of several internships and fellowship programs offered through the U.S. Department of Transportation for both high school and college age girls.  The expanded effort supports President Obama’s mission and the work of the White House Council on Women and Girls.

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Categories
California Policy Education/Webinars Modeling/Tools SB 375

“SB 375 Implementation and CEQA” — Policy in Motion / Fehr & Peers Presentation on Wed July 28th in Sacramento

Miss the presentation?  Want to see it again?

View Ron Milam and Lauren Michele’s materials linked here!

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Conceding they can’t find enough votes for the measure, yesterday Senate Democrats abandoned efforts to put together comprehensive climate change legislation that would seek to limit greenhouse gas emissions.  Here in the State of California’s maze of political and financial issues, the death of a federal climate bill certainly does not help our efforts to engage the public and promote change.  However, we should remember that it was the LACK of federal direction on climate change reform over the past decade that led California and 37 other states to develop Climate Action Plans (see Journalists Mourn the Death of the Federal Climate Bill)

The lack of federal direction provides an excellent opportunity for the State of California to make creative and long-lasting changes in its land use/transportation and environmental processes that thread through the State’s transportation revenue system.

You’re invited to “SB 375 IMPLEMENTATION AND CEQA” – an overview of policy and technical challenges in California.  Join us Wednesday, July 28th for this opportunity to ask questions and participate in a discussion with Lauren Michele – federal and California policy expert with Policy in Motion, and Ron Milam – Principal in Charge of Technical Development with Fehr & Peers.

  • What:     “SB 375 IMPLEMENTATION AND CEQA: Policy and Technical Challenges”
  • Who:       Ron Milam from Fehr & Peers and Lauren Michele from Policy in Motion
  • When:     Wednesday, July 28th from 12pm-1pm
  • Where:    Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
  • RSVP:      Tuesday, July 27 to lauren.michele@policyinmotion.com to reserve FREE LUNCH!

Please join us for an overview on how federal agency and legislative efforts tie into California’s SB 375 implementation via incentive structures, transportation/land use planning processes, and technical data collection methods and modeling tools.

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More background on this topic can be found on the California Trans&Climate Policy page and in Lauren Michele’s analysis of the implications of California’s existing regulatory frameworks as presented throughout Chapter 3 of the report: “Rethinking California’s Planning Frameworks to Support Senate Bill 375: A White Paper on Local, Regional, State and Federal Climate Change Policy Reform“

Categories
Education/Webinars Federal Policy NewsFlash Transportation Funding US DOT US HUD

White House to Host Live Chat with Sustainable Communities Partnership on Thursday July 15

On Thursday, July 15th the White House Office of Urban Affairs will host a live chat with the leadership of the Sustainable Communities Partnership, anunprecedented agreement between HUD, Transportation, and EPA to coordinate federal housing, transportation, and environmental investments. A part of President Obama’s broader urban and metropolitan agenda, the partnership, aims to break down traditional silos and craft federal programs and policies that take a more collaborative and holistic approach to better respond to the needs of communities.

Last month, the Partnership released a joint notice of funding availability (NOFA) – $35 million in TIGER II Planning grants and $40 million in Sustainable Community Challenge grants – for local planning activities that integrate transportation, housing, and economic development. And, HUD also announced $100 million in funding for Sustainable Communities Regional Planning grant program that will support regional planning efforts that integrate housing, land use, economic development, and transportation.

We invite you to join us for a live discussion on Sustainable Communities – the progress they’ve made, the funding programs available, and what the future of the partnership looks like – at www.whitehouse.gov/live on July 15th at 2:00pm EST or you can submit questions in advance to Planetizen.

What: Sustainable Communities Live Chat

Who: Shelley Poticha, Director of the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, HUD

Beth Osborne, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Policy, Department of Transportation

Tim Torma, Deputy Director of the Office of Sustainable Communities, EPA

Moderated by Derek Douglas, Special Assistant to the President on Urban Policy, White House

When: 2:00PM EST, Thursday, July 15, 2010

How: Watch and participate at www.whitehouse.gov/live

Send questions in advance to Planetizen.

For more information on the partnership, read their latest blog that summarizes their work and accomplishments.

Categories
Education/Webinars Local Government Publications SB 375

California Institute for Local Government Resources

Funded in part by the California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities, the Institute for Local Government‘s mission is to “promote good government at the local level by promoting well-informed, ethical, inclusive, effective and responsive local government in California through innovative resources, tools and programs.

Recent Publications Include:

    Categories
    Education/Webinars

    Free Webinar on “Climate Change: Mastering the Public Health Role”

    American Public Health Association Invites You to a Webinar,

    “Looking Ahead: Advancing the Public Health Response to Climate Change”

    Public health professionals are facing new challenges as the science linking climate change and human health risks continues to mount.  In fact, many U.S. communities as well as those abroad are already facing health, disease, and preparedness problems that a changing climate brings to the forefront.  Through a diversity of speakers and leading experts, this webinar series explores the impact of climate change on human health, the role public health does and should play in confronting climate change, the challenges of communicating such risks to the public, and much more.

    Join us for the sixth and final webinar in this year’s series.  This session will cover the policy outlook and public health perspective of climate change, the continuing role for the public health community in confronting the challenges of climate change, and what the future may hold.

    June 30, 2010

    1:00 pm-2:00 pm EDT

    Welcome and introductory remarks by APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD

    Moderator: George Luber, PhD

    Associate Director for Global Climate Change, CDC, NCEH

    Part 1:

    Presenter: Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH

    Assistant Secretary for Health

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

    Part 2:

    Presenter: Gina McCarthy

    Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

    Participants must register to participate in this webinar.  Please click here to register.

    Please forward this invitation to other interested colleagues. We look forward to your participation on June 30th.  If you are unable to view the live webcast, the presentations are available on APHA’s Environmental Public Health section of the website.  An application is being submitted to award up to 1.0 Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECH) for certified health education specialists (CHES). SOPHE, including its chapters, is a designated multiple event provider of CECHs by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. **Fees apply for CHES credits

    Categories
    Education/Webinars Federal Policy GHG Reduction

    Webinar: US DOT Report to Congress on GHG Reduction

    “Transportation’s Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions”

    Date:  Wednesday, June 16, 2010

    Time:  1:00 – 2:30 PM

    Registration opening soon at www.climate.dot.gov.

    You are invited to participate in a webinar on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s new report to Congress, “Transportation’s Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions.”  The report analyzes greenhouse gas emission levels and trends from all modes of transportation in the United States.  It then examines the full range of strategies available to reduce transportation GHGs.  These strategies include introducing low-carbon fuels, increasing vehicle fuel economy, improving transportation system efficiency, and reducing carbon-intensive travel activity.  While the report does not provide recommendations, it does analyze five categories of policy options for implementing the strategies: an economy-wide price signal, efficiency standards, market incentives, transportation planning and investment programs, and research and development.  Authors of the report will discuss its key findings, followed by time for questions and discussion.

    Agenda:

    Introductory remarks:

    • Beth Osborne, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy
    • Linda Lawson, Co-Chair of the US. DOT Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting and Director of the Office of Safety, Energy, and Environment in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation

    Key findings:

    • John Davies, Environmental Protection Specialist, Federal Highway Administration
    • Joanne Potter, Principal, Cambridge Systematics
    • Tina Hodges, Program Analyst, Federal Transit Administration
    • A.J. Singletary, Environmental Policy Analyst, Office of the Secretary of Transportation

    Questions and  discussion

    Members of the research team will also be available for questions and discussion, including representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Research & Innovative Technology Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and Cambridge Systematics.

    Link to the report: http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/32000/32700/32779/DOT_Climate_Change_Report_-_April_2010_-_Volume_1_and_2.pdf

    For more information, please contact JoAnna Smith at JoAnna.Smith@dot.gov.

    Please forward to other interested colleagues.

    This webinar is sponsored by the U.S. DOT Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting.  The Center is the focal point within U.S. DOT for information and technical expertise on transportation and climate change, working with its component organizations to coordinate related research, policies, and actions. The Center promotes comprehensive multimodal approaches to reduce GHG emissions and prepare for the effects of climate change on the transportation system, while advancing U.S. DOT’s core goals of safety, mobility, environmental stewardship, and security.