10 Things TransForm Will Do in 2012

Read what TransForm will do with your support in 2012:

10) Demand that our leaders protect state public transportation funding. We’ll host the first ever California-wide transportation summit and lobby day in May, with hundreds of people and organizations united in pushing state legislators to protect funds for walking, biking, and public transportation. We’ll also work to find new funding sources for transit.

9) Pass laws that make it safer, easier, and more affordable to get around without a car. This year, the Governor vetoed a bill that would have expanded tax benefits for Californians who commute on public transportation, as well as a bill that would have developed a long-term plan for public transportation statewide. In 2012, we’ll build a broad coalition in support of smart legislation like this – and lobby harder than ever.

8) Push Senator Boxer to pass the best possible federal transportation bill. Whether the new federal transportation bill continues its highways-focused past or not remains to be seen. Thankfully, California’s own Senator Boxer leads the committee writing the bill, and has been leading the charge to strongly support public transportation, walking, and biking within it. We’ll keep the pressure on Boxer so she keeps up this leadership as the bill is debated in Washington.

7) Win major transportation and land use reforms in the Bay Area. Thanks to SB 375, each region in California was assigned transportation-related emission reduction targets for 2020 and 2035. Regions must now work to meet those targets by integrating transportation, land use and housing planning into one “Sustainable Communities Strategy.” We’re working to be sure that when the Bay Area adopts its Strategy in 2012, it dramatically improves how transportation funds are spent and where development happens so the region turns the tide on sprawl and makes transportation about moving people more than cars.

6) Save BART. Alameda County is in the midst of developing an $8 billion transportation plan. We’ll aggressively advocate for the plan to focus on what matters most: 1) fixing BART’s leaky subway tunnels, crumbling concrete foundations, and burnt-out wiring as the neglected system ages; 2) restoring bus service; 3) investing in local streets and roads, and 4) expanding bicycle infrastructure. These should be the priorities versus a pricey BART extension.

5) Win more transportation choices, not highway lanes. The Bay Area is deciding how to roll out a network of express lanes where solo drivers can pay to enter carpool lanes. Right now, the $6.4 billion project would add highway lanes but has no commitment to expanding public transportation or vanpooling, nor does it address impacts on low-income people or the climate. We’ll push for a better plan.

4) Start a public transportation revolution. Bus Rapid Transit is revolutionizing bus service around the world by mimicking rail with features like dedicated lanes, state-of-the-art buses, and traffic signal priority. We think it can be a game changer in improving public transportation, which is why we’ve worked so hard to bring Bus Rapid Transit to key areas in the Bay Area for a decade now. We’ll work to get great plans passed and fully funded in Oakland and San Jose this year.

3) Save Caltrain. We need a permanent solution to Caltrain’s lack of a dedicated funding source so we’re not back where we were earlier this year, desperately fighting to keep all trains running and stations open. Our San Jose office is working with the Friends of Caltrain campaign to forge a lasting solution so this critical part of the region’s public transportation stays strong.

2) Shape future growth near major public transportation hubs. As part of the award-winning Great Communities Collaborative, we’re engaging people – especially low-income people and people of color – in 25 local land use planning processes near existing or future transit hubs across the Bay Area. The typical results when residents get involved in planning? Strong affordable housing policies, green space, and better bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure!

1) Develop innovative solutions for some of the biggest hurdles to creating more walkable, bikable, transit-oriented places. We’ll continue to develop programs like GreenTRIP, which certifies residential and mixed-use developments that keep the number of new parking spaces as low as possible and offer incentives for new tenants to drive less and own fewer vehicles.

We can do so much in 2012 with your help. Donate now!