Regional Climate Initiative

First-in-the-Nation Regional Grants Program Will Fight Climate Change by Funding Innovative Strategies to Reduce Driving

After more than two years of advocacy by TransForm and our coalition partners, the Bay Area's 2009 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) included a number of our top recommendations, including: the creation of a regional program to fund innovative ways to reduce emissions from transportation. 

In December 2009, MTC allocated $80 million to this program for the next three years.  A portion of these funds will support Safe Routes to Schools programs in all nine counties, SFgo transit priority pilot project, education and outreach, and evalution of all programs. Also included in MTC's Transportation Climate Action Campaign is an innovative grant program.

MTC awarded initial funds for the Innovative Climate Grants program in October 2010. Grants will support:

  • New Safe Routes to Schools innovations including mobile bike repair in Alameda County, route mapping in Solano County, social marketing for the program in Marin County, and new curriculum and incentives across multiple counties.
  • A bike-sharing pilot project between San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties.
  • A shore power initiative to reduce emissions from boats serving the Port of Oakland.
  • Parking management in Berkeley commercial districts that combines pricing, GreenTRIP certification, enforcement and incentives.
  • Transportation demand management programs including dynamic ridesharing in Marin, Sonoma, and Contra Costa counties, an employer group to manage parking cash-out and Muni shuttles in San Francisco, and TDM strategies along Grand Boulevard and in Santa Rosa.
  • Clean electric vehicles for car-sharing and taxis and infrastructure to support electric vehicles.

Investing in these types of efforts is imperative so we can quickly understand what is effective at reducing vehicle travel and therefore fighting climate change.  By 2012 we will be looking to take successful approaches to scale in order to achieve significant greenhouse gas reductions as called for by California's new law, SB 375.

This program funds demonstraions that curb global warming and improve our quality of life at the same time.

Resources

Learn more about the projects funded and MTC's process.

Read more about TransForm's work to shape the Bay Area's Regional Transportation Plan.

For more information, contact Manolo Gonzalez-Estay.

You can make TransForm an even stronger advocate in 2011 by donating now.