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SGV Connect

SGV Connect is Streetsblog Los Angeles' podcast that explores the people, places, projects and events that make up the changing face of transportation in the San Gabriel Valley. SGV Connect is hosted by Damien Newton and Kris Fortin. This feed also hosts SGV Connect's predecessor podcast, #DamienTalks.
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Now displaying: Page 7
Mar 21, 2017

This week, #DamienTalks with Monica Curiel of Bike SGV about the upcoming bicyclists and pedestrian counts happening throughout the San Gabriel Valley on April 1. Bike SGV is looking for volunteers to help with the counts, and if you want to volunteer, you can get more information by visiting Bike SGV website.

In Part II, Brian Velez is back, and he interviews three past (and future?) volunteers.

Irma Bustamante is one volunteer who collects data who then turns it over to Anthony William-Contrado who enters the data into a system. Both volunteers believe that their communities deserve more than what is given when it comes to safe street design.

“I see it not so much as giving my time. This is something I’m passionate about. I grew up in El Monte, and there’s too many cars,” replied Irma.

Next up, Brian talks to Danielle Zamora in North Whittier. Danielle also believes that bike counts are an important part of improving communities, “We want to make streets in general safer for everyone so people have access to active transportation and can be healthier.”

Just a reminder, all the information you need to sign up and help can be found here, at the Bike SGV Website.

#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 Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”

Mar 7, 2017

You know we’ve got a great episode of #DamienTalks when a woman who is eight months pregnant and running a half-marathon is the fourth interview in the podcast.

Today, #DamienTalks looks back at last Sunday’s mammoth open streets event, the 626 in the San Gabriel Valley. #DamienTalks with Joe Linton, the first staff person for open streets super-group CicLAvia, and Brian Velez of BikeSGV. Later, we podcast five interviews Velez conducted with people enjoying the 626 in the sun and rain last Sunday.

To call the 626 a success would be an understatement. Even with the rain, the event attracted roughly 100,000 participants. They biked, jogged, walked, or rolled the seventeen miles of car-free streets along a route that was roughly parallel to the Gold Line Foothill Extension that opened last year.

For more coverage of the event, visit this open thread from Streetsblog yesterday, or check out these stories on ABC7 and in the SGV Tribune and South Pasadena Review.

#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 Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”

Feb 23, 2017

Listeners are going to see some major changes in the podcast in the coming weeks and months. We’re happy to announce the first of those changes today.

Today, #DamienTalks with Brian Velez. You may know Brian as a staff member at BikeSGV. Brian is going to be joining this podcast as a correspondent, helping to round out our podcast with a series of “person-on-the-street” interviews to either supplement or anchor stories that we’ve been working on.

Of course, #DamienTalks is a lousy name for a podcast that has a lot more people talking than just Damien. A change in the name and logo will be coming in the near future as well.

But for today, welcome to the team Brian! Damien and Brian talk about Brian’s history, some of the things they plan to work on together, and of course, with March 5 looming just around the corner, they talk about the 626.

#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 Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”

Feb 2, 2017

Today#DamienTalks with Habib Balian, the executive director of the Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority. Last week, the Construction Authority's Board of Directors approved a construction schedule that was characterized as both a milestone for the project and a delay from the original time schedule pending your news source.

But regardless of you point of view on the schedule, there is no denying that the extension of the Gold Line all the way to Montclair in the San Bernadino Valley is going to happen. It might take eight years, but groundbreaking is going to begin this October and over 90% of the funding for the project is already in place thanks to Measure M in Los Angeles County and Measure I in San Bernadino County.

Before we finish our talk, I give Balian a chance to respond to our most recent podcast with Wes Reutimann, the executive director of Bike SGV. Reutimann pointe out that demand for bike lockers is much higher than the lockers supplied at the recently completed Gold Line Foothill extensions. Balian offered verbal support for building more bike facilities and encouraged activists to continue the conversation on bike parking and access throughout the next several months.

#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 Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”

Jan 20, 2017

We made it! It's inauguration day and the world hasn't ended. But even as the we face an uncertain future at the national level, there's still a lot of work to do locally. And in the San Gabriel Valley, 2017 promises to be another exciting year with "Gold Line Extension" being on the tip of everyone's tongue.

And while everyone is encouraged by the succesful launch of the Foothill Extension last year and the passage of Measure R; there's no need to let good be the enemy of "better." Today's guest, Wes Reutimann has some ideas that could make the next Gold Line extension the best Gold Line extension. Spoiler : It's less parking for cars and more parking for bicycles.

For it's part, the Foothill Extension Construction Authority has already built more bike parking than required by Metro for its last extension. A statement from the authority states:

"The Construction Authority put in significantly more bike parking (racks and lockers) than was required by the Metro criteria in 2010 when we began the project. In fact, we have reviewed their updated criteria for the next segment (which came out last year) and we put in more parking than is required by the new criteria as well.

The Construction Authority received a federal grant to study ways to improve bike, pedestrian and bus access to each of our stations and then was able to use about $1 million to augment the plans for each station to implement the recommendations. That allowed us to put in the additional bike spaces.

As you know, we turned the line over to Metro in September 2015. We have heard that bike parking is not full; but that may be old information."

At the request of Bike SGV, Metro put together some data on bike parking at existing Gold Line Foothill stations. That data can be found on Streetsblog Los Angeles. 

#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 Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”

 

Dec 22, 2016

This is it! The last #DamienTalks of 2016. As is traditional for unoriginal talk hosts, we're hosting an "end of the year" podcast where four local experts weigh in on what was the biggest story of 2016 and what will be the biggest story of 2017.

Our guests include the closest thing a bi-weekly podcast has to regulars, David Diaz and Wes Reutimann with Bike SGV, South Pasadena Mayor Mike Cacciotti and Transit Coalition executive director Bart Reed. As a bonus, Bart and I spend the first minute and a half of his interview talking about how my kids enjoy riding on trains.

Currently, all the Streetsblogs are doing their end of the year fundraising drives. If you want to continue to support this podcast, Streetsblog L.A. and the work we do, please click here and get started on your donation.

#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 Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”

Dec 14, 2016

This week, #DamienTalks with Joe Linton, the editor of Streetsblog Los Angeles. Joe has overseen our efforts to expand our coverage outside of the boundries of the City of Los Angeles into the San Gabriel Valley in 2016. As a result, he has a lot to say when asked if he has any opinions on what the biggest story was of 2016, and what the biggest story will be in the next calendar year.

This is our second to last podcast of the year, but if you are taking an early trip to visit loved ones during the holidays, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support of this podcast and Streetsblog.

Currently, all the Streetsblogs are doing their end of the year fundraising drives. If you want to continue to support this podcast, Streetsblog L.A. and the work we do, please click here and get started on your donation.

#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.”

 

Dec 8, 2016

This week, #DamienTalks with David Diaz with DayOne and the San Gabriel Valley Bicycle Coalition about the Mulhall Bike Park that is under construction in El Monte. The Bike Park is literally designed to do exactly what it says: be a space for people who ride bicycle to practice their skills in a closed, safe setting.

This project is truly community driven, being led by community organizations, being next to a community center, and being in a community park. In fact, it's even being community built. The second of two Mulholland Bike Park Build Days is this Sunday. (Facebook Event) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you don't know where the park is, you can find it on most mapping program and apps at 10900 Mulhall Street in El Monte.

A quick programming note...we'll be wrapping up our 2017 schedule with a pair of "look ahead, look back" podcasts over the next couple of weeks. Currently, all the Streetsblogs are doing their end of the year fundraising drives. If you want to continue to support this podcast, Streetsblog L.A. and the work we do, please click here and get started on your donation.

#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.”

 

Nov 16, 2016

Where do we go from here?

That question has been on the minds of a lot of people since the election results came rolling in last Tuesday night. Now that a little time has passed, #DamienTalks checks in with CalBike, the largest transportation reform organization in the state and second largesT bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group in the country. Joining myself is Jeanie Ward-Waller.

Ward-Waller and I try to dig through the election results across California to see if there were any statewide trends that we could trace, and to touch on what is, and isn't, going on in the state legislature's Special Session on Transportation. Spoiler: not much is gong on in the state legislature's Special Session on Transportation.

But things get a little more interesting when we talk about what CalBike, and by extension pretty much every bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group, can and should do to be more inclusive. CalBike is ahead of the game when compared to many of its peer organizations, but as we discuss, it's far from perfect and still has some work to do.

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.

Oct 31, 2016

Today, #DamienTalks with a bunch of people who claim that they have witnessed paranormal activity in the Foothill Transit executive offices.

That's right, we're reporting that the major sponsor of this podcast is haunted.

Happy Halloween!

And thanks to Felicia Friesema for all her work on this podcast as well as our interviewees for being such good sports : Sabrina Muhne, Roland Cordero, Roberto Estrella, Ruben Cevantes, Miguel Rodriguez, Chris Pieper and London Lee.

#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.”

Oct 28, 2016

I know it seems as though this election has been going on forever, but the end is in site. A week from Tuesday, America will vote on a new president, California will vote on a new Senator and Los Angeles County will decide the fate of Measure M.

But today, #DamienTalks with South Pasadena Mayor Diana Mahmud about the proposal. South Pasadena, its newspapers and many of its loudest activists either opposed or stayed neutral on Metro sales tax proposals in 2008 and 2012. But this time, the newspapers and City Council are unanimous in their support for Measure M.

I'll be honest with you, the conversation took a turn I didn't expect. Mahmud talked openly about the privilege South Pasadena has with being one of Southern California's first cities to have a rail station. She then pivoted to the need for the city to "pay it forward" by supporting a tax to help other cities in Los Angeles County experience the benefits of having a rail station at the center of town.

Maybe I've been covering the ugly fight over development in Santa Monica for too long, but to hear someone argue that it was their duty to help everyone achieve the privilege that they have was refreshing.

#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.”

Oct 12, 2016

This week, #DamienTalks with Doran Barnes, the executive director of Foothill Transit and the Chair of the Board of Directors for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

Our conversation touches on a wide-range of subjects including integrating Foothill Transit with the new Gold Line Extension, Measure M and Foothill Transit's ground-breaking electric bus program.

We also talk about both APTA and Barnes' agenda as chair of this national advocacy organization for transit providers. Barnes lists three things he would like APTA to accomplish in the next year, one of which is assuring that the infrastructure needs of the country remain a priority for the incoming administration in the White House once it takes office.

If you want to hear the other two, you're going to have to listen in.

#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.”

 

Oct 11, 2016

Today, #DamienTalks with Olga Arroyo and Jean Marie Hance with Community and Construction Relations for the Regional Connector Project in Downtown Los Angeles. With the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) going in the ground next week, it seemed the perfect time to connect with the Regional Connector.

The conversation is wide ranging and goes on for over twenty minutes, a rarity for this podcast. We cover a lot of ground, including:

  • Where are we in the construction timeframe?
  • The naming project for the Tunnel Boring Machine (to be announced next week)
  • Outreach projects such as Go Little Tokyo
  • The station naming contest

Despite my best efforts, they would not tell me the names of the stations or the TBM. Even more disappointingly, no matter how many twitter accounts I create and spam them, I will not be able to get a station named after me.

But there is other exciting new. The TBM will be lowered into the ground next week at a special ceremony at the station at 1st and Central. Because it is an active construction zone, attendance is limited. You can get more details for the event in the podcast and can RSVP (if there's space) by emailing regionalconnector@metro.net.

 

 

Sep 30, 2016

Today, #DamienTalks with Steve Jones, the Mayor Pro Tem of Garden Grove.

#DamienTalksWhile Garden Grove is not one of the most famous cities in California, it is home to 180,000 residents and is something of a bell weather for the efforts to create a healthier Orange County. Garden Grove is working on a Bike Master Plan, with a greater buffet of clean transportation options for residents, workers and visitors.

I'm going to be honest. The entire interview is great of course; but there are two really fantastic and unique answers towards the end of the interview. At about the ten and a half minute mark, I ask a question about Open Streets. The follow-up is a question about what kind of city his kids will live in when they grow up.

The answers to these questions are unique and interesting. If you sort of half-listen to these podcasts, make sure to tune completely in at the end. Jones is running unopposed for Mayor of Garden Grove this fall. It seems as though the city will be in god hands.

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.

 

Sep 26, 2016

This week, #DamienTalks with Wesley Reutimann about the new plans for the postponed 626. Spoiler, prepare yourself for an open streets party in the SGV next March.

It's no surprise to anyone that listens to this podcast, or reads this website, that we were super excited for The 626. The mammoth Open Streets party that spanned the entire Gold Line Foothill Extension that opened this spring would have been a unique event, spanning many municipalities and nearly-doubling the route of the "Heart of L.A." CicLAvia.

Yeah, the 626 was going to be AMAZING. And then it was postponed because of the fires that were going happening the week of June 26.

But the 626 is back on the calendar! March 5, 2017! It's going to be awesome. See you there!

Find out how the 626 is returning and what to expect in this gigantic and unique Open Streets party.

#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.”

 

Sep 19, 2016

Welcome back to #DamienTalks. Today, #DamienTalks with Chanell Fletcher, the associate director with Climate Plan. With the Californiawith the legislature passing and the governor signing new legislation this year, we discuss what's next for the movement to impact man-made global warming.

We try to cover both bases: what should be done from a policy perspective and what impact will existing laws have on people's day to day lives. Last we discuss what you and me can do to improve the environment and fight climate change in our own lives.

Good news! Smart transportation choices are a big part of the solution, both in terms of policy and in terms of what we, as individuals, can do.

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.

 

Sep 8, 2016

Today, #DamienTalks with Marisa Creter, the Assistant Executive Director of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments. Our discussion mostly covers the excitement Creter, the Cog and other government officials and advocates have for the over 200-mile greenway plan.

Both BikeSGV and Creter refer to the plan as a "bike super highway" that criss-crosses the entire SGV with separated bike trails connecting residents to schools, businesses and the growing transit system.

BikeSGV has a google map of the proposal on their Greenway webpage. Creter notes that a large section of the Greenway Network, the Emerald Necklace, is already constructed and there are several smaller projects underway. There is also funding for the network in Measure R, should voters pass the initiative at the polls this November.

Creter is also one of the award winners at this year's Noche de las Luminarias, an awards program presented by BikeSGV. For more information, visit the event webpage.

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.

Thanks for listening. You can download the episode at the #DamienTalks homepage on Libsyn.

#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.”

Sep 6, 2016

It's been awhile since we recorded a #DamienTalks specifically for the California website, but now we're back with a good one. In this week's edition, Damien Talks with Michael Manville, a professor and researcher at UCLA.

Manville has hit a bit of Livable Streets fame with an article he wrote for the Journal of Transportation and Land Use outlining how laws requiring developers to invest in road widening to "mitigate" traffic created by their development. Almost nobody who understands transportation planning believes that these requirements do anything to improve traffic flow, yet these laws persist?

Manville doesn't only debunk the theory behind the laws, but also offers a solution...should policy makers heed his call.

You can read "Automatic street widening: Evidence from a highway dedication law" at the Journal of Transportation and Land Use here, and a summary of the article from Streetsblog USA 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.

Aug 22, 2016

This week, #DamienTalks with Claremont Mayor and Foothill Transit Board Member Sam Pedroza and Bike SGV Education Director Jose Jimenez.

The conversation with Mayor Pedroza is pretty wide ranging, but covers three major areas: teh expansion of Livable Streets in Claremont, the flexibility of Foothill Transit as it seeks to maximize the value of its service and this fall's transportation sales tax ballot measure, Measure M. 

Much of the discussion of Claremont focuses on a complete streets plan for Claremont's portion of the iconic Route 66. Doug Lewis wrote an in-depth story on the plan for Streetsblog earlier this summer. That story can be found, here.

You can give feedback to Mayor Padroza on his Twitter Feed at @CouncilmanSam.

Next, we talk with Jose Jimenez, the education director for Bike SGV. Jimenez provides an update the Bike Education Center in El Monte and some of the classes its offering this fall and winter. For more on the Education Center, visit Bike SGV's website.

#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.”

 

Aug 12, 2016

This week, Damien Talks with Wes Reutimann, the executive director of Bike SGV. The nearly-twenty minute interview covers a wide-range of topics from the Union Street protected bikeways plan, to an update on the 626 to, of course, Pokemon Go.

Union Street in Pasadena runs parallel to the more famous Colorado Avenue in Pasadena. The city decided not to put protected bike lanes on Colorado for fears it would create problems during the world-famous Rose Parade. Now, opposition is rising to the lanes on the still much-used parallel street.

As for the 626, the super open streets event will finally hit the street in 2017, after a postponement caused by the wildfires in June. A date hasn't been announced yet, but there is hope for February. Keep your calendar open.

To listen to the interview, click below. If you have any story ideas for us going forward, please contact me at damien@streetsblog.org or on twitter @damientypes

#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.”

 

Aug 4, 2016

Today #DamienTalks with Metro Board Chair and Duarte City Councilmember John Fasana. Actually, it's more like #DougTalks, as Doug Lewis completes his internship with us by conducting the majority of our interview with the Metro boss.

Earlier this week, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors took the last step in placing Measure M on the ballot this November. If it receives two-thirds support from L.A. County voters, the current half-cent transportation sales tax passed by voters in 2008 will be extended until 2050 and a new half-cent tax will be added.

Fasana, who is known for being something of a transportation wonk, can barely contain his excitement for how Metro will be able to expand transportation options and improving the quantity and quality of Metro's services.

Doug and the Metro Chair also discuss access to parks and other public spaces. Yes, of course there's a discussion of the first-mile last-mile issues the agency is continually trying to figure out; but there is more the agency can do to provide access to our open spaces.

#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.”

Jul 28, 2016

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.”

 

Jul 14, 2016

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.”

 

Jul 5, 2016

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.

 
 
Jun 23, 2016

Today, #DamienTalks with Jason Islas, the editor of Santa Monica Next. This podcast featured Islas a couple of months ago to discuss a proposal by Assemblymember Richard Bloom to make it easier to build more housing. 

 
The spirit of Bloom's proposal lives on in a rider to the California Budget by Governor Jerry Brown. Islas will discuss that rider and why, in his view, the legislation would help ease the affordable housing crisis in California, especially the overheated markets in Los Angeles and the Greater Bay Area.
 
The legislation is controversial, next week we'll have someone in opposition featured on the podcast. We're going to try and cover both sides of this issue, as there are a lot of good people on both sides of the conversation trying to protect communities and increase our state's housing stock.
 
This week's #DamienTalks is also the first interview given by Islas since Santa Monica Next was awarded the "Excellence in Communication" prize from the American Planning Association in Los Angeles. Just in time for our fundraising drive, "Next's excellence" is a credit to the work done by the entire Streetsblog California team. So if you support our efforts, please consider donating today!

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.

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