Press Releases

For Immediate Release

MTC Awards $235,000 for "Livable Community" Plans

Eight Bay Area projects selected for special planning grants

CONTACTS:

Karen Frick
510.464.7704

Joe Curley
510.817.5847

OAKLAND, Calif., July 12, 2000 . . . The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has approved $235,000 in special grants to support planning efforts for eight community-oriented transportation projects in the Bay Area. 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 all cases, the MTC funds will supplement project sponsor funding for the individual planning efforts. [A list of the eight projects awarded planning grants is attached.]

The $235,000 in funding announced today represents the first cycle of $475,000 in TLC planning grants to be awarded in the 2000-01 fiscal year (July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001). The successful projects were selected from among a pool of applications totaling $800,000 in requests. "We are very pleased that the TLC program continues to spur interest and innovation in local-level efforts to blend transportation and land-use planning," said MTC Executive Director Lawrence D. Dahms. Project sponsors may submit applications for the remaining $240,000 in fiscal year 2000-01 TLC planning grant funds through October 5, 2000.

In April, MTC awarded $18 million in TLC capital grants — funds that directly support project construction — to 19 community development/
neighborhood revitalization projects in the Bay Area. Since the TLC program's inception in 1997, over $28 million in planning and capital grants have been awarded to 65 projects in locations around the region. 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 July 12, 2000

Project: Park Street Community-Based Visioning Strategy (City of Alameda)

Sponsors: City of Alameda; Park Street Business Association

Scope: To create a more pedestrian-friendly environment on the historic Park Street transit corridor in downtown Alameda through streetscaping and related improvements.

Amount: $45,000 (MTC contribution); $15,000 local match

Contact: Sue Russell, City of Alameda, 510/749-5834


Project: Downtown El Sobrante/San Pablo Dam Road Revitalization

Sponsors: Contra Costa County; 94803 Task Force; El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce

Scope: To develop initial designs, cost estimates and construction schedules for community-identified alternatives to improve traffic circulation and enhance pedestrian, bicycle and bus access to downtown El Sobrante.

Amount: $50,000 (MTC contribution); $50,000 local match

Contact: John Greitzer, Community Development Department, Contra Costa County, 925/335-1201
Dennis M. Barry, Community Development Director, Contra Costa County, 925/335-1201


Project: San Francisco Japantown Community Plan

Sponsors: Japantown Planning, Preservation & Development Task Force; San Francisco Redevelopment Agency

Scope: Preparation of plan to guide neighborhood physical improvements while preserving distinctive character of a well-established community in San Francisco.

Amount: $15,000 (MTC contribution); $95,000 local match

Contact: Judith Nihei, Japantown Planning, Preservation & Development Task Force, 415/346-1239


Project: Mission Creek Bikeway (San Francisco)

Sponsors: The Madrina Group; City and County of San Francisco; Rails to Trails

Scope: Implementation plan for a bike path/greenbelt linking the new Mission Bay development to the Mission district in San Francisco.

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

Contact: Judy West, The Madrina Group, 415/522-7558
Peter Tannen, City of San Francisco, 415/554-2396


Project: North Central Neighborhood Livable Streets Plan (City of San Mateo)

Sponsors: City of San Mateo; Human Investment Project Housing; Home Association of North Central San Mateo

Scope: To establish streetscape and roadway designs that encourage pedestrian, bicycle and transit connections in this neighborhood near San Mateo's new Transit Center.

Amount: $25,000 (MTC contribution); $25,000 local match

Contact: Robert Muehlbauer, Neighborhood Improvement and Housing Manager, City of San Mateo, 650/522-7220
Evelyn Baker, Associate Planner, City of San Mateo, 650/522-7209


Project: River Oaks Streetscape/Promenade Plan (Santa Clara County)

Sponsors: Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority; City of San Jose; City of Santa Clara

Scope: To design a pedestrian/bicycle promenade, with streetscape improvements, between Lick Mill Boulevard and the River Oaks VTA station, connecting to the Guadalupe River Trail.

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

Contact: James R. Lightbody, Manager of Planning and Programming, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, 408/321-5872


Project: Penngrove Community Plan (Sonoma County)

Sponsors: County of Sonoma; Penngrove Area Plan Advisory Committee

Scope: To develop a plan to address increased local traffic caused by congestion on nearby roadways, while preserving historic rural character of the town of Penngrove in unincorporated Sonoma County.

Amount: $30,000 (MTC contribution); $5,000 local match

Contact: Stephen B. Urbanek, Senior Civil Engineer, Sonoma County Public Works Department, 707/565-3884


Project: Central Sonoma Valley Trail

Sponsors: County of Sonoma; Central Sonoma Valley Trail Task Force

Scope: To develop a preferred alignment, identify required right of way acquisitions/easements and estimate project costs for a proposed pedestrian and bicycle pathway parallel to State Route 12.

Amount: $29,700 (MTC contribution); $5,300 local match

Contact: Steven Schmitz, Senior Transit Planner, Sonoma County Public Works Department, 707/585-7516

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