Welcome back to #DamienTalksSGV. This week, we're looking at a best practice from outside the SGV, a new pedestrian wayfinding signage campaign in Glendale. The campaign combines a traditional campaign with a call to action as Glendale develops a new pedestrian safety campaign.
Outreach for the campaign includes the signs, a social media campaign and outreach through traditional venues. Interestingly, the signs include information not just on how to be involved in the plan, but an invitation to join the conversation online by posting with the hastag #GlendaleWalks.
If you want talk with Amber Hawkes, who is overseeing the campaign on behalf of the City of Glendale, you can email her : ahawkes@heredesignla.com.
When #DamienTalks returns in July, we'll be returning to the "two interview" format with regular discussions with staff and volunteers with BikeSGV. We're also booking conversations with Metro Board Members and executives with Foothill Transit and the Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority to discuss the upcoming vote on extending and increasing Metro's transit sales tax. What will it mean to the San Gabriel Valley and its communities? We'll have a lot of different viewpoints in the lead up to the election.
#DamienTalks is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the new Gold Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of Downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit foothilltransit.org. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”
Welcome back to #DamienTalks SGV. This week, #DamienTalks with Blair Miller, an organizer with the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition. Pasadena was scheduled to vote on an ordinance that would have reduced, and in some cases eliminated, parking requirements for new development near Transit Oriented Development on Monday, July 18. However, late opposition arrived, and the hearing was postponed until early September.
Miller explains how the proposal came out of the community plan update, how it's evolved, what it's goals are and why opposition sprung up at the 11th hour. Miller and the Complete Streets Coalition believe the region is moving away from car-dominated travel towards a more balanced system and want to be certain Pasadena has the planning in place to support this change.
In 2015, Jerry Brown signed legislation that reduced parking requirements near transit oriented development for lower income and market rate housing. Since then, communities around California have been expanding on that legislation to loosen parking requirements for other types of development.
#DamienTalks is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the new Gold Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of Downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit foothilltransit.org. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”
Today, #DamienTalks with Sam Tepperman-Gelfant, a senior staff attorney with Public Advocates about Governor Jerry Brown’s legislative language to streamline the environmental process for certain types of housing development.
Public Advocates was one of the leaders in circulating a letter criticizing Brown’s language, charging that the governor’s stated goal won’t be met by his proposal. Instead, he charges that the language would do more decrease lower income communities from impacting development in their community than it will to dramatically expand the state’s affordable housing stock.
Two weeks ago, #DamienTalks featured Jason Islas, the editor of Santa Monica Next, explaining how he and many other advocates for increasing our state’s housing stock feel the legislation is much needed. However, many of the groups opposing the measure are affordable housing advocates from cities and communities from around the state.
Tepperman-Gelfant expects the legislation to be publicly debated next month. Get up-to-date on the progressive argument on both sides of the debate by listening to my interview with Tepperman-Gelfant below. If you missed it, the interview with Islas can be found here.
We’re always looking for sponsors, show ideas, and feedback. You can contact me at damien@streetsblog.org, at twitter @damientypes, online at Streetsblog California or on Facebook at StreetsblogCA.