The American Discovery Trail Society announces its second annual trail challenge! In honor of the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day, June 1, the Challenge is an invite to anyone and everyone living near the 6800-mile American Discovery Trail. (See related article)
The goal of the Challenge is meant to be a personal one, a trail challenge that hikers, bicyclists, runners, baby stroller pushers, skaters, and wheel-chair users set for themselves. It could be…adding miles to their personal best so far. It could be…enlisting friends who don’t often exercise. It could be… the first time for a family hike. It could be… a distance hike-bike-or run relay with a group of friends. It could be…a first, really-long-distance hike, whether it’s 20, 50 or 500 miles.
Think…Outdoors…Healthy Exercise…Fresh Air…Inspiration…America’s Beautiful Landscapes…Participating in a national event with thousands of National Trail Day partners.
If you participate in the ADT Challenge, the American Discovery Trail Society will report back to the American Hiking Society on the level of participation in the ADT Challenge. National Trails Day (NTD) is an annual event that has been sponsored by the American Hiking Society (AHS) for the past 31 years. Your experience will be added to this years’ overall NTD national participation. In 2022, over 125,000 people participated in National Trails Day.
About ADT
The American Discovery Trail (ADT) is the nation’s first coast-to-coast, non-motorized recreation trail. The ADT was conceived in 1989 and initially led by the American Hiking Society. In 1996 the ADT Society (ADTS) was created and has been the prime advocate for the completing a continuous trail across the United States. The ADTS considers it the east-west “backbone” of our country’s national trails system, connecting to the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, East Coast Greenway Trail and 50 other national scenic, historic and recreational trails. In the Midwest, two options are possible: either thru Iowa and Nebraska, and northern Illinois and Indiana, or through Missouri and Kansas and southern Illinois and Indiana.
19-year-old Trevionne Levar Williamson of Sacramento and a juvenile were arrested for thefts of mail carriers in Belmont and Palo Alto, CA. Booking photo by Palo Alto PD
Up to $150,000 rewards offered; may be tied to mail carrier thefts in Antioch, Contra Costa County
By Allen D. Payton
Palo Alto Police Lt. Con Maloney issued the following information on May 14, 2024, announcing the arrests of two suspects for the robberies of two mail carriers:
Police arrested two suspects this weekend after they committed robberies of United States Postal Service mail carriers in Belmont and Palo Alto, and then led officers on a vehicle pursuit in a stolen car before crashing into a tree and fleeing on foot. Police recovered two airsoft pistols and the stolen property.
The incident began around 2:12 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024, when our 24-hour dispatch center put out an alert on the police radio about a strong-arm robbery of a mail carrier that had occurred around 1:30 p.m. in Belmont. The Belmont Police Department described the two suspects and the vehicle they were driving (a black 2013 Infiniti G37 two-door, bearing a stolen license plate that belonged on a Ford).
At about 2:18 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from a witness reporting they had just seen two males loitering in the 800 block of Ilima Court. When the males spotted the witness, they quickly walked away and entered a black Infiniti sedan parked on Laguna Avenue. The witness continued to watch them and saw them exit the Infiniti and walk back towards Ilima Court. The witness’ description of the males and their car closely matched the alert from Belmont. Officers began responding to the area to investigate.
A few minutes later, other witnesses called police to report that a mail carrier had just been robbed at gunpoint in the 800 block of Ilima Court by two suspects matching the earlier description.
Responding officers located the suspect vehicle driving northbound on El Camino Real from Matadero Avenue. When officers attempted to make a stop, the suspect vehicle fled at a high rate of speed, leading police on a vehicle pursuit that turned westbound onto Hansen Way. The suspect vehicle lost control and crashed into a tree in a private parking lot in the 3100 block of Hansen Way, and both suspects inside then fled on foot. Officers chased the suspects, arresting them both without incident nearby a short time later.
Both suspects sustained minor injuries as a result of the collision. Personnel from the Palo Alto Fire Department treated and released them at the scene. Neither suspect, nor any officers, were injured during the arrests.
The suspect vehicle sustained major damage from the collision and had to be towed from the scene. It turns out the Infiniti itself had been reported stolen from Alameda on May 1, while the license plate on its rear had been reported stolen from Hayward on May 11.
Inside the vehicle, officers located two sets of stolen postal keys that were later confirmed to be the ones stolen from the two mail carrier victims (one from Belmont, one from Palo Alto). Officers also located two realistic-looking replica handguns; one inside the vehicle, and the other on the ground outside the vehicle.
The Palo Alto robbery investigation revealed that the victim, a mail carrier in his sixties, had been approached by both suspects. One suspect pointed a gun at his head while demanding his postal keys. Both suspects grabbed the victim and forcibly took the keys from him. The victim was not physically injured.
The robbery in Belmont occurred around 1:30 p.m. on May 11 in the 700 block of Old County Road. In that case, the mail carrier was a woman in her forties who received minor physical injuries but declined medical treatment at the scene. No weapon was used.
Police booked 19-year-old Trevionne Levar Williams of Sacramento into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse (due to the age of the Palo Alto victim) and committing a felony while out on bail for another felony (all of which are felonies), and also for misdemeanor resisting arrest (for running from the police after the collision). Williams is currently out on bail in Sacramento County for multiple firearms-related violations. Police arrested the second suspect for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, and vehicle theft (all of which are felonies), and also for misdemeanor evading police (for leading them on the pursuit); as he is a 17-year-old male, police transported him to the Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall. In accordance with our standard release of information procedures, no additional information on that suspect is available since he is under the age of 18. The juvenile was driving the stolen vehicle at the time of the collision.
Palo Alto detectives are working in close collaboration with detectives from the Belmont Police Department, as well as investigators from the United States Postal Inspection Service. Palo Alto detectives are also actively investigating to see if these suspects may also be responsible for a strong-arm robbery of a mail carrier that occurred in Palo Alto in December 2023. For details on that incident, see the news release we distributed at the time. That case is unsolved and remains open.
Robberies of mail carriers for postal keys, which are used to access locked Postal Service mailboxes, are becoming increasingly more common (though this is only the second such case in recent memory here in Palo Alto). Thieves then use the keys to assist them in committing mail theft, which in turn facilitates identity theft, fraud and other crimes.
Unauthorized possession of a postal key is a federal crime, a conviction which can land someone in prison for up to ten years. The United States Postal Inspection Service encourages anyone who knows the location of any stolen postal keys or who has information about any robberies of mail carriers to contact their 24-hour hotline at (877) 876-2455. They offer a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any suspects.
According to Postal Inspector Matthew Norfleet of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Oakland Team, Palo Alto Police and postal inspectors are investigating another robbery of postal keys from a mail carrier in that city. We are asking residents to report any financial crimes related to theft of U.S. Mail as it may be related to the robbery and assault of postal workers. A reward up to $150,000 is available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who robbed or assaulted a postal worker.
According to localcrimenews.com, the six-foot, one-inch tall, 290-lb. Williams was also arrested in Sacramento on May 4, 2024, for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle and for the manufacture, import and/or sale of a large-capacity magazine of bullets.
Strong-Arm Robbery of Mail Carrier
Then, on Friday, May 17, 2024, Palo Alto Police Lt. David Lee issued the following about the second incident:
Police are investigating a strong-arm robbery of a United States Postal Service mail carrier that occurred yesterday in the Midtown neighborhood. The two suspects are unknown and at large.
On Thursday, May 16, 2024, at about 11:57 a.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from a Postal Service supervisor stating that one of their mail carriers had been robbed of his postal keys about ten minutes earlier in the parking lot of the Southwood Apartments at 2850 Middlefield Road.
The investigation revealed that the victim, a man in his sixties, had been delivering mail when two men approached him and demanded his postal keys. The victim complied and turned over the keys. The men then demanded his wallet and cell phone, and when the victim refused, a fistfight ensued between all three. The suspects knocked the victim to the ground, and then fled on foot towards the parking garage. A short time later, the victim saw a black vehicle drive out of the garage at a high rate of speed to head southbound on Middlefield Road. The victim called his supervisor to report the incident.
The victim described the suspects as Hispanic males in their twenties, both about 5 feet 8 inches tall with average builds and no facial hair. The victim said they were both wearing black hooded sweatshirts with the hoods up. He said that when the suspects approached him, both had one hand reaching into their waistbands. He never saw either of them with a weapon. The victim described the vehicle he saw driving away as an older model Nissan Altima four-door sedan, with paint that looked old.
The victim sustained minor injuries to his face, rib cage, and knee. He declined medical attention at the scene.
Detectives are working with investigators from the United States Postal Inspection Service to conduct follow-up investigation. Palo Alto detectives are also investigating to see if these suspects may also be responsible for a strong-arm robbery of a mail carrier that occurred in Palo Alto in December 2023. For details on that incident, see the news release we distributed at the time. That case is unsolved and remains open. Detectives do not know if there is any connection between yesterday’s case and the arrests made of two individuals over the weekend for mail carrier robberies.
Robberies of mail carriers for postal keys, which are used to access locked Postal Service mailboxes, are becoming increasingly more common. Thieves then use the keys to assist them in committing mail theft, which in turn facilitates identity theft, fraud, and other crimes. Please report any financial crimes connected to the U.S. Mail to postal inspectors, even if the loss was minimal or covered by another institution.
Unauthorized possession of a postal key is a federal crime, a conviction which can land someone in prison for up to ten years. The United States Postal Inspection Service encourages anyone who knows the location of any stolen postal keys or who has information about any robberies of mail carriers to contact their 24-hour hotline at (877) 876-2455. They offer a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any suspects.
In light of these robberies, police are asking that the public keep a watchful eye out, remain alert for suspicious behavior around mail carriers, Postal Service vehicles, and common mailboxes, and promptly report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. This could include vehicles and/or individuals appearing to follow mail carriers.
Inspector Unsure if Connected to Robberies in Antioch, Contra Costa
Norfleet was asked if the juvenile suspect is from and if either are suspects in robberies of mail carriers in Antioch or Contra Costa County. He responded, “I am not aware of a specific connection to Contra Costa County in the Belmont or Palo Alto robberies. We are still looking at possible connections between these suspects and any of our open robbery investigations in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. We have seen several Bay Area robberies committed by suspects using cars stolen from the Sacramento area, so we know they are at least passing through Contra Costa, and it’s not unreasonable to suspect the same individuals may be responsible for robberies in Antioch (or Contra Costa). We continue to look for leads on mail thefts throughout Contra Costa County, particularly if they relate to robberies of postal workers.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.
“A Vision for Water-Based Transportation and Emergency Response on the San Francisco Bay”
By Allen D. Payton
The Bay Area’s Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) board adopted the 2050 Service Vision and Expansion Policy during its meeting on Thursday, May 9 and the plan includes a future, possible station for Antioch, as well as one each in Pittsburg, Martinez and Hercules. Also included is an additional route for the existing terminal in Richmond, which currently offers WETA’s only ferry service in Contra Costa County.
The plan includes two tiers, with the four additional Contra Costa terminals in Tier 2 which will be added based on demand and current, technological barriers to service. The Vision includes one route between the San Francisco Ferry Building to the Hercules terminal and a separate route to and from the Antioch, Pittsburg and Martinez terminals.
The Vision explains that first, “WETA will enhance existing route frequency to continue growing markets for all-day service.” Then, “WETA will expand by implementing the Tier 1 projects from the map including regional priority projects such as those included in regional plans – including Mission Bay and Treasure Island to the San Francisco Ferry Building, Berkeley to San Francisco, and Oakland to Redwood City.”
That will be followed by WETA exploring “development of Tier 2 projects from the map to further expand the reach of the ferry system as market demand matures and technologies evolve to overcome current barriers to operating service.”
In the plan, “WETA will provide at minimum three types of service on the ferry network: Local service consisting of short distance trips connecting dense urban hubs; Regional service consisting of medium and long-distance trips connecting activity centers; and Special Event service to major venues with existing terminals.”
In addition, “WETA will electrify the ferry system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
According to their website, “Water transit is a vital part of life in the San Francisco Bay Area. WETA has been developing a shared vision of the San Francisco Bay Area ferry system in 2050, including the level of service and extent of WETA ferry operations and emergency response.
This ‘Service Vision’ informs how WETA operates in the future and what changes will need to be made to get there. The vision will serve as the foundation of WETA’s Business Plan, which will present the specific strategies and actions required to achieve the 2050 Service Vision. Strategies and goals are divided across six Focus Areas.
This service visioning effort is a unique opportunity to re-imagine water transit and address emerging priorities concerning the environment, equity, economic development, emergency response and quality of life throughout the Bay Area.”
According to the staff report for the agenda item #11, the plan was “developed to define a long-term service vision based on input from agency stakeholders, the public, and other parties with an interest in the future of the agency. The goal of this project is to create clear direction for the agency and its staff concerning future expansion efforts, prioritize the use of limited funds, identify resource needs, and help build a broad coalition to advocate for future investment in the regional ferry network. The WETA Board received a presentation on a draft Policy at its last meeting in April 2024. Following that meeting, staff incorporated comments from Directors into the final 2050 Service Vision and Expansion Policy—including more detailed information about emergency response and first/last mile connections.
During an initial stakeholder and public outreach effort in 2021, staff identified six focus areas
for consideration in the Business Plan. These include:
1. Regional Ferry Network
2. Emergency Response
3. Environmental Stewardship
4. Community Connections
5. Organizational Capacity
6. Financial Capacity
At Business Plan Workshop #1 held in August 2022, the Board identified a set of network expansion concepts for consideration in defining a 2050 Service Vision. Staff undertook a technical evaluation of these concepts and conducted broad stakeholder and public engagement to create a proposal to develop a draft 2050 Service Vision that was presented to the Board during Workshop #2 in April 2023.
Upon receiving direction from the Board to look more broadly at opportunities to expand the ferry network, staff worked with its consultant team to incorporate this feedback into an updated draft 2050 Service Vision and set of feasibility criteria for future expansion projects.
The draft service vision and feasibility criteria were refined upon review with key project stakeholders, the Community and Business Advisory Groups, and the WETA Business Plan Subcommittee. A consistent source of feedback during the outreach process was support for a WETA pilot program to test the feasibility of new technologies and emerging markets. The product of this process is the final 2050 Service Vision and Expansion Policy.”
The Vision also includes Terminal Rehabilitation & Replacement, improvements to Terminal Access, encouraging Transit-Supportive Land Uses in close proximity to eachcandidate ferry terminal, and Emergency Response. “WETA serves as the coordinator of water-based emergency response activities in the Bay Area in the event of a major disaster or disruptive event. In this capacity, WETA will work closely with the California Office of Emergency Services and/or the United States Coast Guard and will be directed to perform activities coordinated on a regional and state-wide basis. These include deploying WETA’s fleet resources to evacuate dangerous areas, to move first responders, and to deliver needed supplies. WETA will coordinate with other regional maritime partners to add to this fleet response, and terminal facilities must have sufficient capacity and facilities to accommodate these partner vessels. All new expansion terminals must be designed and built to Essential Facilities Standards. Emergency service to individual terminals will be guided based on state and regional direction.”
In addition to Thursday’s meeting, WETA held a public Board of Directors workshop on the 2050 Service Vision in April. The service vision evaluation memo and presentation slides are available, here:
Guns, ammunition and drugs confiscated from suspects in Sausalito retail theft on Monday, March 18, 2024. Photo: Marin County Sheriff’s Office
Both have history of arrests; a convicted felon, 38-year-old Jesse Martinez already out of custody
By Marin County Sheriff’s Office
On Monday, March 18 2024, at 6:34 PM, Southern Marin Deputies were dispatched to the Target Store located in the Gateway Shopping Center at 190 Donahue Street in Sausalito, on a report from security personnel that a woman was acting suspicious and possibly attempting to steal merchandise. The woman was associated with a male in a silver Nissan parked out front. While deputies were responding, the suspicious male and female moved over to the Ross Dress for Less across the parking lot. The female again went inside alone, and the male stayed outside in the car.
Upon arrival a Deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the male in the Nissan. The driver refused to stop and quickly drove away behind the Ross Dress for Less building. He was unable to leave the parking lot due to additional responding deputies and was quickly detained. Surveillance video from nearby stores showed the male suspect threw two firearms out of the car and into the nearby bushes while he was fleeing from responding units.
Both firearms were recovered; a revolver was loaded with four rounds. A “Glock style” un-serialized pistol had seven rounds in the magazine. The male was arrested for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and ammunition, possession of methamphetamine, and fleeing from deputies.
The female inside the store was contacted and arrested for multiple “No Bail” warrants from Placer and San Mateo Counties and being in possession of fentanyl.
According to the Marin Co. Sheriff’s Office, Martinez bonded out of custody early Tuesday morning, March 19, 2024.
According to localcrimenews.com, the 5-foot, 8-inch, 185 lb. Martinez has a history of arrests over the past two years by Concord PD, Placerville CHP, El Dorado County and Contra Costa County Sheriffs’ Departments for crimes including drug possession, vehicle theft, receiving or concealing stolen property, addict in possession of a firearm and ammunition and carjacking.
According to the Marin Co. Sheriff’s Office, Lu is being held in the Marin County Jail.
According to localcrimenews.com, she has a history of arrests since 2017 by Sacramento County, El Dorado County, Placer County and San Mateo County Sherffs’ Departments, and Roseville, Colma, San Francisco and South San Francisco PD’s for crimes including intoxicated in public, disorderly conduct, shoplifting, resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer, drug possession, addict in possession of or who purchased tear gas or a tear gas weapon, looting, vehicle theft, grand theft of lost property, retaining possession of personal ID with intent to defraud and possession of burglar’s tools.
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office is appreciative of the watchful eyes of citizens, and civilian security personnel who call us when something doesn’t seem right.
After Election Day, it takes time for County Elections Officials to count all the votes and make sure that all the votes have been counted. Counties have 28 days to complete the official canvass of an election. There are many steps that must be completed to ensure the integrity of the election, and in its essence, the purpose of the canvass accomplishes the following critical tasks:
Ensure every eligible ballot is counted
Ensure voters only voted once
Ensure proper procedures were followed on Election Day
Ensure the vote tabulation system is properly counting ballots
Processing Vote by Mail ballots takes time. Each signature is verified prior to preparing the ballot for counting. Vote by Mail ballots postmarked on or before Election Day and received up to seven days after Election Day must go through this process as well.
During the canvass, voting records are updated based on whether a registered voter voted by mail or in person. During this process, the number of voters is reconciled to the number of ballots cast for each voting location. This is a critical step in ensuring that all ballots are accounted for from each voting location. The statewide voter registration database linking up all 58 counties helps staff ensure voters only voted once.
During the canvass, counties are required to conduct audits of the ballot counting system, by performing the One Percent Manual Tally. This involves randomly selecting at least one percent of the precincts of ballots cast in person, as well as Vote by Mail ballots, and performing a manual hand count of each set of ballots, then comparing them to the machine count results.
“Canvassing votes involves more than just scanning ballots and tallying results,” said Kristin B. Connelly, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters. “There are many steps to ensure that ballots are counted properly, the equipment is counting correctly, and the integrity of the election is intact.”
As with all activities related to an election, the canvass is open to the public for observation. Please contact your county elections office for more details on how to observe election activities. Information on this topic as well as direct links to local elections offices can be found on our website, BayAreaVotes.org, or our Facebook page, Bay Area Votes.
Every four years, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) must certify that each metropolitan planning organization (MPO) serving a transportation management area (TMA) — a designation by DOT of an urbanized area with a population over 200,000 as defined by the Bureau of the Census or smaller urbanized areas on request by the Governor and MPO — is carrying out the metropolitan planning process in adherence with federal statutes and regulations. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) conduct a review of the metropolitan planning process within each TMA and jointly issue this certification on behalf of the DOT Secretary, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5303(k).
The FHWA and the FTA are hosting a public meeting as part of MTC’s certification review. This public meeting is an opportunity for Bay Area residents to directly address FHWA and FTA officials concerning your views on the transportation planning process in the San Francisco–Oakland metropolitan area. Participants can attend in person or via Zoom or submit written comments.
The meeting is scheduled for:
Tuesday, February 27, 2024, from 4:30–5:30 p.m. Bay Area Metro Center, Yerba Buena Conference Room, First Floor 375 Beale Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 Participate on Zoom Webinar ID: 863 1915 0671 iPhone One-Tap:
+13462487799,,86319150671# US (Houston) +12532158782,,86319150671# US (Tacoma)
Join by Telephone (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) 833 548 0282 US Toll Free 877 853 5247 US Toll Free
Detailed instructions on participating via Zoom are available at: mtc.ca.gov/how-provide-public-comment-board-meeting-zoom Members of the public participating by Zoom wishing to speak should use the “raise hand” feature or dial *9. When called upon, unmute yourself or dial *6. In order to get the full Zoom experience, please make sure your application is up to date.
This public meeting is part of a review that will assess compliance with federal regulations pertaining to the transportation planning process conducted by MTC, the California Department of Transportation, transit operators and local jurisdictions in the San Francisco–Oakland metropolitan area.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, written comments may be submitted via email to Cert.Review@dot.gov. Written comments also can be mailed to:
Federal Highway Administration, California Division 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 4-100 Sacramento, CA 95814-4708 or Federal Transit Administration, Region IX 90 Seventh Street, Suite 15-300 San Francisco, CA 94103-6701
¿Necesita que alguno de nuestros documentos sea traducido? ¿Necesita nuestras comunicaciones escritas en letra grande o en Braille? ¿Necesita un intérprete del lenguaje de señas o un intérprete que hable su idiomapara poder participar?
¡Nosotros podemos ayudar! Comuníquese al (415) 778-6757. Necesitamos aviso con tres días de anticipación para proporcionar asistencia razonable. Para personas con discapacidad auditiva o TDD, llame al 711, California Relay Service, o al (800) 735-2929 (TTY) o al (800) 735-2922 (voz) y pida que lo comuniquen al (415) 778-6700.
Do you need one of our documents translated? Do you need written materials in large type or in Braille? Do you need a sign language interpreter or an interpreter who speaks your language in order to participate?
We can help! Please call us at (415) 778-6757. We require three days’ notice in order to provide reasonable accommodation. For TDD or hearing impaired, call 711, California Relay Service, or (800) 735-2929 (TTY) or (800) 735-2922 (voice) and ask to be relayed to (415) 778-6700.
“Candidate’s stances on how to make it easier for people to get around the Bay Area and what needs fixing is essential information for voters,” said Carter Lavin, the project lead at the Transbay Coalition. “Transportation policies impact everyone and every elected official, no matter the office, has the power to make it easier, greener, safer, more affordable, just and accessible for people to get around– or they can make it harder. Voters deserve to know where the candidates vying for their vote stand.”
“To my knowledge, this is the only vetting process that really seeks to demystify where candidates stand on the region’s transportation issues, which is critical given how much public funding goes into transportation and the pivotal moment we are in” said Laura Tolkoff, Transportation Policy Director for SPUR, a public policy nonprofit rooted in the Bay Area.
Candidates were asked the following questions included in the survey:
Which forms of transit and active transportation (bicycling, walking, scooters, wheelchair) do you use on a regular basis and for what types of trips– and why?
Would you seek additional funding for Bay Area transit and what form of funding do you think makes sense?
Public transit in the Bay Area is highly fragmented, with 27 transit agencies, each with different fares, schedules, branding, and customer information. Do you believe it should be a priority for the region to create an well-coordinated transit system? And as an elected leader or potential member of a local transit agency board, would you support state legislation that advances a more integrated, high ridership system, even if it diminishes local control?
Transportation is the largest single source of carbon emissions in California, and in the Bay Area, and the largest share of transportation emissions come from single occupancy vehicles. What are your top priorities to achieve substantial reduction in transportation-related GHG emissions?
The Bay Area still has road projects under development that would increase Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution. What decisions would you make about projects that increase VMT and pollution?
Transit priority improvements are proven to make taking the bus faster and more reliable, while also reducing operating costs. Should local governments be able to stop transit priority improvements on local roads?
What do you think are the most important actions that can be taken to make public transit comfortable, accessible, and safe for all communities?
Traffic violence and deaths in California are increasing annually; in 2021, 4,258 people died in vehicle crashes, a 10.7% increase from the prior year. If elected, what will you do to reverse the trend, increase street safety, save lives and reduce injuries in our community? What policies or specific projects would make the greatest impact?
What do you think are the biggest access and mobility needs for disadvantaged populations in your district, and how would you propose to solve them?
In what circumstances do you support removing parking or repurposing vehicle travel lanes to create safer and more efficient bus, biking, and walking options? How do you propose balancing the demands of different interest groups who may disagree on how streets should be designed?
Contra Costa County Candidates Who Responded
So far, only the following candidates have responded to the questionnaire in the following races (the questionnaires in the races those that include Antioch are provided)
No candidates have responded yet in the races for Contra Costa County Supervisor District 5, Assembly District 11, State Senate District 9 nor Congressional District 8.
“Over the next few years, the region faces important decisions about continuing on a path toward convenient, rider-friendly, accessible worldclass public transportation – or taking steps backward. Our elected officials at the local, state and federal levels will make key decisions steering our region on a path toward improvement or into a downward spiral. Voters deserve to know where candidates stand at this pivotal time,” said Adina Levin, Co-Founder and Advocacy Director, Seamless Bay Area.
“With the rise of biking and walking fatalities across the Bay Area, it is more important than ever that voters know where candidates stand in building communities that are joyful, safe, and inclusive” said Justin Hu-Nguyen, Bike East Bay’s Co-Executive Director of Mobility Justice.
“Public transit is a lifeline for so many people in the Bay Area. Allowing transit agencies to go unfunded would hurt economically disadvantaged and transit-dependent people the worst, leaving thousands of transit riders — including workers, seniors, and people with disabilities — without a reliable way of getting around. It connects folks with everything from food, to healthcare, family, friends and fun. We’re excited to release this questionnaire, which lifts the issues that matter to transit riders, with our other partners in the space. In order to make the Bay Area a more pleasant, affordable, and green place to live, our elected representatives need to center public transit and transit riders in the choices they make for us,” said Dylan Fabris, Community & Policy Manager for San Francisco Transit Riders.
Candidates who have not yet responded can email their answers to info@transbaycoalition.org and the coalition could potentially update their website and include them, Lavin later shared.
The Transbay Coalition is a grassroots public transportation advocacy group championing bold near-term solutions to the Bay Area’s regional transportation challenges. Learn more at www.transbaycoalition.org.
Include non-transit transportation, environment, housing and economy strategy refinements
Will impact Antioch’s BART Station and industrial areas
The Joint Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Planning Committee with the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Administrative Committee on Jan. 12, 2024 approved the revised Plan Bay Area 2050+ Draft Blueprint strategies and Growth Geographies. This action enables staff to further study the strategies’ performance in meeting critical regional goals for an affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and vibrant Bay Area for all. Staff are aiming for adoption of the Plan Bay Area 2050+ Final Blueprint in summer 2024.
Given Plan Bay Area 2050’s solid foundation of 35 strategies, the Draft Blueprint phase for Plan Bay Area 2050+ is focusing on making targeted refinements to select plan strategies. These refinements reflect Plan Bay Area 2050’s implementation progress, the post-pandemic planning context and insights gathered during engagement with the public and partners in summer 2023.
What is the Plan Bay Area 2050+ Blueprint?
The Plan Bay Area 2050+ Blueprint will integrate strategies across the four elements of the plan — the economy, the environment, housing and transportation — to create a more equitable and resilient future for all.
Beginning in summer 2023 and wrapping up in late 2024, staff will develop the Blueprint over two phases: the Draft Blueprint and the Final Blueprint. Given Plan Bay Area 2050’s solid foundation of 35 strategies, the Draft Blueprint phase for Plan Bay Area 2050+ will focus on making targeted refinements to select plan strategies.
What are Growth Geographies?
Priority Development Areas — Places nominated by local governments served by transit and planned for new homes and jobs at densities necessary to support effective transit service.
Priority Production Areas — Industrial areas of importance to the regional economy and local communities that support middle-wage jobs.
Transit-Rich Areas — Places near rail, ferry or frequent bus service that were not already identified as Priority Development Areas.
High-Resource Areas — State-identified places with well-resourced schools and access to jobs and open space.
Staff previously shared proposed Draft Blueprint strategy refinements in October and November 2023, detailing which of Plan Bay Area 2050’s 35 strategies were likely to see major, minor or no changes in Plan Bay Area 2050+. This month, the MTC and ABAG committees approved moving forward with revisions for further study and analysis, including:
Non-transit transportation strategy refinements focused on prioritizing equity considerations, adapting to tighter fiscal constraints, promoting active transportation and safety, and expanding pricing strategies;
Environment strategy refinements focused on further reducing greenhouse gas emissions and proactively adapting to climate change; and
Housing and economy strategy refinements focused on addressing pressing challenges of housing affordability, homelessness and access to opportunity.
At this time the Draft Blueprint only includes a handful of modified transportation strategies, pending the development of a fiscally constrained Transportation Project List, which will integrate recommendations from the ongoing parallel Transit 2050+ effort. The complete suite of revised transportation strategies will be integrated as part of the Final Blueprint in summer 2024.
The Joint ABAG and MTC Committee also approved targeted updates to the Growth Geographies that were adopted as part of Plan Bay Area 2050. Growth Geographies are places that Plan Bay Area prioritizes for future homes, jobs, services and amenities and serve as a component of the plan’s housing and economy elements. Specifically, draft Growth Geographies for Plan Bay Area 2050+ will include five new Priority Development Areas (PDAs) and 16 modified existing PDAs nominated by local Bay Area jurisdictions; reflect up-to-date information on transit service, natural hazards and demographics; and integrate areas subject to MTC’s revised Transit Oriented Communities Policy.
The Draft Blueprint approval comes six months after MTC and ABAG kicked off the limited and focused update to Plan Bay Area 2050. In November 2023, staff shared progress-to-date with policymakers, including findings from the first round of engagement, core planning assumptions, the draft Regional Growth Forecast, a financial needs and revenue analyses and proposed strategy refinements.
The next round of public and partner organization engagement activities, which will inform the development of the Plan Bay Area 2050+ Final Blueprint, is planned to begin in spring 2024. MTC and the ABAG Executive Board are expected to approve Final Blueprint strategies in summer 2024.
