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Greenbelt Newswire
In this edition Volunteer of the Month: Kristen Johnson Greenbelt Alliance’s August volunteer of the month is Kristen Johnson. She is pursuing an M.S. in environmental policy and planning at the University of Michigan. Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Kristen became interested in how cities can grow while still preserving the open spaces on which people, plants, and wildlife depend.
Event: Celebrate 50 Years of Greenbelt Alliance Let’s celebrate! Tickets are on sale now for Greenbelt Alliance’s 50th anniversary party September 10. Together, we’ll toast a half-century of accomplishments and look ahead to our vision for the Bay Area’s open spaces and vibrant places. Our culinary friends at Betelnut Restaurant, Café Rouge, and CoolEatz Catering will serve up fresh and local fare, to pair with vintages from a whole host of leading Bay Area wineries: Alderbrook Winery, Benziger Family Winery, Cakebread Cellars, Charles Creek Vineyard, De Loach Vineyards, Franciscan, Frog’s Leap Vineyard, Katherine Kennedy Winery, Laurel Glen Vineyard, Ravenswood Winery, Schramsberg Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars, and Steelhead Wines. Don’t miss out! Buy your tickets now!
Urban Outing: Tour North San Jose Aug. 16 The City of San Jose has major plans for the transformation of North First Street, currently home to sprawling office parks. Greenbelt Alliance and partners are hosting a tour along this light-rail corridor to hear from local leaders and explore this area’s potential. North San Jose could become a whole new neighborhood, with up to 32,000 new homes and 83,000 new jobs, as well as parks, bike lanes, plazas, and widened sidewalks, all close to light rail. Join elected officials, residents, and other advocates to discuss the future of San Jose. A free pass for the light-rail ride will be provided.
Action Alert: Protect Public Transportation in the State Budget As gas prices rise and Californians flock to buses, trains, and ferries, it's more important than ever to ensure that public transportation gets the funding it deserves. Transportation is the biggest producer of greenhouse gases in California, and funding public transportation is critical to help people get out of their cars. But the governor’s proposed budget would redirect $1.4 billion in dedicated funds away from public transportation to bail out the General Fund. This means big losses of up to 12% of Bay Area transit providers' annual operating budgets.Tell the governor to protect funding for public transportation at gov.ca.gov/interact and call legislative leaders to reject the governor's attempt to raid state transit funds.
Action Alert: Tell Concord to Plan Smart at Former Base To see the former Concord Naval Weapons Station transformed into a place with homes clustered around BART, surrounded by protected open space, Greenbelt Alliance needs your support! Read the draft Environmental Impact Report (found at www.concordreuseproject.org), and send comments to the City of Concord by Aug. 8. This is a chance to raise any questions about the report and the seven proposed alternatives. To learn more, visit our Concord campaign page.
Success: Crowd Supports Vision for Downtown Santa Rosa On July 10, more than 60 Santa Rosa residents turned out at a Planning Commission study session to tell city leaders to uphold the community’s vision for the Downtown Station Area Plan. Thanks to all those who responded to Greenbelt Alliance’s call! Though the ink is still wet on the plan, Santa Rosa has already been considering projects that would violate the community’s vision of a walkable, transit-friendly downtown with parks, homes, and shops. This strong showing by local residents will be a powerful reminder to the City to heed the plan.
Feature: San Francisco Ranked #1 in Walkability Walkscore.com has released its ranking of how easy it is to walk to a variety of destinations in 2,508 neighborhoods in the largest 40 U.S. cities. San Francisco topped the list of cities with amenities within a quarter of a mile, followed by New York, Boston and Chicago. San Jose clocked in at number 17, behind San Diego and Louisville, Kentucky, and just ahead of Las Vegas and Fresno. Visit www.walkscore.com to get the walk score for your neighborhood. While you’re there, sign the petition telling Congress to support walking, biking, and transit in the 2009 transportation bill.
If you’ve renounced owning a car, car sharing is a smart choice for those days when you need a vehicle. Greenbelt Alliance members get a lucky break: By joining City CarShare, members will receive $30 in free driving credits. City CarShare, with more than 270 cars, reduces driving and parking problems. Sign up at www.citycarshare.org and use the promo code "greenbelt."
Greenbelt Alliance in the News "Without renewing the Orderly Growth Initiative, this general plan will be the first step toward sprawling, Los Angeles-style development. Who wants that?"
City ices Coombsville housing site, Napa Register, July 12
Sat Aug 9 Marvelous Marshland, Napa
Become a Member or Renew Your Membership Support Greenbelt Alliance's work to protect the Bay Area's open space and make its cities
better places to live. Join or renew now, or join the Greenbelt Guardian monthly donor club.
Thank you for reading! To subscribe to the Greenbelt Alliance Newswire email list, enter your name and email address at www.greenbelt.org. To unsubscribe, simply send an unsubscribe request to unsubscribe@greenbelt.org. |
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