Sessions at the 2009 Annual Summit

Click on the links below to read the full descriptions for and who will present each session.

Session 1: 11:00a.m. - 12:00p.m.

  1. The Combined Cost Burden of Housing and Transportation in the Bay Area
  2. Case Studies of Carsharing and Parking Innovations
  3. Case Studies in Building Equity Through Community Engagement
  4. Stopping Service Cuts and Fare Hikes Where They Start: Sacramento
  5. Rewriting the Rules to Make Walkable Communities the Norm with Form-Based Codes
  6. What Congestion Pricing Could Mean for San Francisco… and How to Make it Fair for All

Session 2: 1:10p.m. - 2:10p.m.

  1. Innovation and Inspiration: New Models for Increasing Walking, Bicycling, and Transit Usage
  2. Implementing California's New Smart Growth Law (SB 375) in the Bay Area
  3. Safe Routes to Schools: Creating Healthy Communities One Step at a Time
  4. Planning Tools for Healthier Communities
  5. Transforming the Next Federal Transportation Bill: Advancing Equity, Environmental Justice, and Community Health
  6. Transit Makeover: Green Jobs, Green Stimulus

Session 3: 2:30p.m. - 3:30p.m. (Non-Traditional Sessions)

  1. Making the Pitch: How to Be a Stronger Spokesperson for Your Cause
  2. Transit and Walking Tour: Exploring the Future East Bay Greenway
  3. Bike Tour: Overcoming Barriers to Bicycling in Oakland
  4. Walking Tour: Exploring Oakland's Improving Landscape for Pedestrians
  5. Networking and Afternoon Refreshments from 2:30p.m. - 4:00p.m.

Post Summit: 4:00p.m. - 5:00p.m.

  1. Sierra Club Member Gathering: Discuss Bay Area Transportation Issues Post-Summit

Session 1: 11:00a.m. - 12:00p.m.

1. The Combined Cost Burden of Housing and Transportation in the Bay Area

Households in the Bay Area spend a shocking percent of the median household income on housing and transportation. TransForm, in collaboration with the Center for Neighborhood Technology, is releasing a new report on the combined housing and transportation cost burden in the Bay Area. Presenters will discuss the report's methodology, how it relates to climate change, and how it can be used to advocate for more housing and transportation choices.

Presenters: Scott Bernstein, Center for Neighborhood Technology; Stuart Cohen, TransForm; Elisa Barbour, Policy Researcher

2. Case Studies of Carsharing and Parking Innovations

Parking is a chronic headache for many residents and businesses in major cities. But policy makers and developers are increasingly realizing that simply building more parking is not the solution. This session will explore case studies from City CarShare's just-released report, "Managing Residential Parking in Urban Developments with Carsharing and Unbundling."

Presenters: Anita Daley, City CarShare; Jessica ter Schure, Nelson Nygaard

3. Case Studies in Building Equity Through Community Engagement

When planning truly involves the people impacted by new development, amazing things happen. New development designates space for parks, childcare, libraries, and health facilities. It supports economically and ethnically diverse places that nurture active, affordable lifestyles. Learn how the Great Communities Collaborative has been working in cities throughout the Bay Area to ensure community needs are included in cities' planning processes for areas near transit.

Presenters include: Chris Schildt, TransForm

4. Stopping Service Cuts and Fare Hikes Where They Start: Sacramento

This year, the state budget eliminated critical funding for public transportation, resulting in fare hikes and service cuts across California. Find out what the impacts are in the Bay Area and learn about what TransForm and others are doing to create long-term sustainable funding sources for public transportation.

Presenter: Nick Caston, TransForm

5. Rewriting the Rules to Make Walkable Communities the Norm with Form-Based Codes

One of the big hurdles to creating more walkable communities is single-use zoning regulations. Form-based coding is a new alternative to conventional zoning that creates incentives for more sustainable development. Learn all about form-based codes and where it's already succeeding in Northern California.

Presenters: Dan Parolek, Opticos Design, Inc.; Karen Parolek, Opticos Design, Inc.

6. What Congestion Pricing Could Mean for San Francisco… and How to Make it Fair for All

Congestion pricing charges motorists more to use a roadway, bridge or tunnel during the busiest times of day. San Francisco has completed a study on congestion pricing as a way to reduce local traffic congestion. Panelists will describe the congestion pricing recommendations, and issues of health, equity and environmental impacts.

Presenters include: Bob Allen, Urban Habitat; Zabe Bent, San Francisco County Transportation Authority; Rajiv Bhatia and Megan Wier, San Francisco Department of Public Health

Session 2: 1:10p.m. - 2:10p.m.

1. Innovation and Inspiration: New Models for Increasing Walking, Bicycling, and Transit Usage

Exciting new models are being developed in the Bay Area to inspire people to drive less. This session will look at two of TransForm's innovative programs: TravelChoice (a social martketing approach) and the just-launched Cool Neighbors (which tackles parking and traffic demand management). We'll also discuss a recent study by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission on what incentives work.

Presenters: Ann Cheng, TransForm; John Knox White, TransForm; Valerie Knepper, Metropolitan Transportation Commission

2. Implementing California's New Smart Growth Law (SB 375) in the Bay Area

California's landmark smart growth bill, SB375, is the first in the nation to mandate an integrated regional approach to land use and transportation planning to reduce emissions from transportation. SB 375 presents a unique opportunity to achieve world-class public transportation and walkable communities. This session will discuss the bill and wow we can ensure the Bay Area maximizes this opportunity with a plan that is ambitious, equitable, and sustainable.

Presenters include: Stephanie Reyes, Greenbelt Alliance

3. Safe Routes to Schools: Creating Healthy Communities One Step at a Time

Safe Routes to Schools programs are a proven way of reducing traffic around schools, improving air quality, saving families money, and increasing physical activity in kids. Learn about the most effective components of Safe Routes to Schools Program, and how widespread programs could help revolutionize how the Bay Area gets around and fight climate change.

Presenters include: Nora Cody, TransForm; Karla Perez-Cordero, TransForm; Susan Silber, TransForm

4. Planning Tools for Healthier Communities

Learn about a variety of planning tools and implementation strategies that can be used to create healthy communities.

Presenters include: Robert Ogilvie, Public Health Law & Policy

5. Transforming the Next Federal Transportation Bill: Advancing Equity, Environmental Justice, and Community Health

Panelists will discuss the implications of federal policy on local communities and describe transportation issues facing low-income communities, communities of color, rural communities and communities near and en-route of the goods movement infrastructure. They will describe the economic, educational, health and environmental justice challenges and identify policy solutions on the federal and regional level.

Presenters include: Dwayne Marsh, PolicyLink

6. Transit Makeover: Green Jobs, Green Stimulus

Learn about public transit's role in the growing movement for green-collar jobs. Panelists will present on an exciting initiative in Silicon Valley to make transit a more desirable career and more desirable mode of transportation by improving training, quality of service and job opportunities in public transit.

Presenters: Ian Kim, Ella Baker Center; Michael Hursh, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority; Louise Auerhahn, Working Partnerships USA

Session 3: 2:30p.m. - 3:30p.m. (Non-Traditional Sessions)

1. Making the Pitch: How to Be a Stronger Spokesperson for Your Cause

In this fast-moving, intereactive training session, participants will hone their presentation skills with tips and practice in being more clear, concise, and compelling.

Presenter: Elizabeth Stampe, Greenbelt Alliance

2. Transit and Walking Tour: Exploring the Future East Bay Greenway

On BART, participants will visit the future site of the East Bay Greenway, a proposed twelve-mile bicycle and pedestrian path linking five BART stations through some of the most-densely populated neighborhoods of Alameda County. *Participants must pay for own fare on transit.

Presenters: Katherine Melcher, Andrew Hyder, and Kali Futnani, all from Urban Ecology

3. Bike Tour: Overcoming Barriers to Bicycling in Oakland

Participants will take a bike tour to see recent bicycle facility improvements made by the City of Oakland. Cyclists will follow the Franklin/Webster/Broadway bikeway. *Participants must bring own bike and helmet.

Presenter: Walk Oakland Bike Oakland

4. Walking Tour: Exploring Oakland's Improving Landscape for Pedestrians

Participants will take a walking tour to explore recent pedestrian improvements made by the City of Oakland such as the "pedestrian scramble" intersection in Oakland's Chinatown.

Presenter: Walk Oakland Bike Oakland

5. Networking and Afternoon Refreshments from 2:30p.m.-4:00p.m.

Stuart Cohen, TransForm's executive director, will host a networking session, with several TransForm staff and board members gathering attendees around a specific topic - or no topic at all! Topics include: land use, increasing walking/biking safety, transportation funding (regional, state, and federal), reducing driving, and parking policy/reducing congestion. Feel free to join after participating in another Session 3 activity.

Presenter: Stuart Cohen, TransForm

Post Summit: 4:00p.m. - 5:00p.m.

1. Sierra Club Member Gathering: Discuss Bay Area Transportation Issues Post-Summit

Members of the Sierra Club are invited to gather and discuss what they learned at the Summit and the Sierra Club's transportation and land use efforts.

Presenter: Sierra Club