Press Releases

For Immediate Release

MTC Awards $94,000 for "Livable Community" Plans

Five Bay Area Projects Selected for Special Planning Grants

CONTACT:

Joe Curley
510.817.5847

Karen Frick
510/464-7704

OAKLAND, Calif., January 12, 2000. . . The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has approved $94,000 in special grants to support community-oriented transportation projects in five Bay Area communities – Sunol, San Francisco, Rio Vista, Sebastopol and the unincorporated Burbank area of Santa Clara County, near San Jose. The planning grants are being awarded as part of MTC's Transportation for Livable Communities (TLC) program, which aims to support plans and projects that strengthen the link between transportation, community goals and land use. Pedestrian- and transit-friendly developments and streetscape improvements are hallmarks of the program.

The plans receiving funding will be developed by community groups and local jurisdictions, and will involve public outreach and participation as part of the planning process. In each case, the MTC funds will supplement project sponsor funding for the individual planning efforts. [A list of the five projects awarded planning grants is attached.]

The $94,000 in funding announced today represents the second cycle of $375,000 in TLC planning grants to be awarded in the 1999-2000 fiscal year (July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000). The successful projects were selected from among a pool of applications totaling $432,000 in requests. "We are very pleased that the TLC program is helping to spur interest and innovation in local-level efforts to blend transportation and land-use planning," said MTC Deputy Executive Director Steve Heminger.

MTC will award $18 million in TLC capital grants – funds that directly support project construction – in April 2000. Applications for the next round of TLC planning grants will be accepted in April and October of this year. In all, MTC has designated more than $50 million to fund the Transportation for Livable Communities program through the year 2004.

Informational materials explaining the Transportation for Livable Communities programand the project application process are available through the MTC-ABAG Libraryby e-mail (<library@mtc.ca.gov>), fax (510/817-5932) or telephone (510/817-5836). Information about the program may also be obtained from MTC's Web site, at <www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/smart_growth/>.

MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

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Attachment

MTC Transportation for Livable Communities Program
Planning Grants Approved January 12, 2000


Project: Downtown Sunol Community Plan

Sponsor: County of Alameda Public Works Agency, Niles Canyon Corridor Stakeholders

Scope: To provide streetscape improvements and encourage pedestrian-oriented development in downtown Sunol area.

Amount: $10,000 (MTC contribution); $20,000 local match

Contact: Donald J. Labelle (510/670-5480) or Dan Bradfield (510/670-5708), County of Alameda Public Works Agency



Project: Taylor Street Cable Car Corridor Plan (San Francisco)

Sponsors: BRIDGE Housing Corporation, San Francisco Housing Authority

Scope: To develop a pedestrian-oriented streetscape plan for the terminus of the Powell Street cable car line at Taylor and Bay streets in the North Beach area of San Francisco. Project is a complement to the planned revitalization of a large affordable housing development in the area.

Amount: $45,000 (MTC contribution); $55,000 local match

Contact: Jeffrey J. Loustau, BRIDGE Housing Corporation, 415/989-1111



Project: Downtown Rio Vista Waterfront Plan

Sponsors: City of Rio Vista

Scope: To develop a conceptual design for a waterfront promenade/ boardwalk along the Sacramento River between State Route 12 and Main Street in downtown Rio Vista.

Amount: $15,000 (MTC contribution); $5,000 local match

Contact: Mr. Thomas E. Bland, Community Development Director, City of Rio Vista, 707/823-6167



Project: Downtown Sebastopol Community Plan

Sponsors: City of Sebastopol

Scope: To develop a traffic circulation plan for downtown Sebastopol that can accommodate through-traffic on State Route 116 while preserving the historic small-town, pedestrian-friendly character of the city.

Amount: $20,000 (MTC contribution); $5,000 local match

Contact: Kenyon Webster, Director of Planning, City of Sebastopol, 707/823-6167



Project: Burbank Streetscape Planning Project (Santa Clara County)

Sponsor: County of Santa Clara Roads and Airports Department, Burbank Community Association

Scope: To produce a detailed streetscaping plan (incorporating landscaping and lighting improvements) for Bascom Avenue, in the unincorporated Burbank area of Santa Clara County, near San Jose.

Amount: $4,425 (MTC contribution); $575 local match

Contact: Michael J. Murdter, Director, County of Santa Clara Roads and Airports Department, 408/573-2408 or Daniel Chavez, Chairperson, Burbank Community Association, 408/236-3769

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