San Antonio Prepares for MPO Certification, Prepares for Pedestrian Workshop.

The San Antonio Just Transportation Alliance is leading an effort to challenge the federal certification of the San Antonio Metropolitan Planning Organization. For more information, see our Media Alert (PDF) and Slide Show Presentation in html (to download the zipped file in PowerPoint of the Slide Show, click here).

In early March 2003, San Antonio JTA hosted a meeting with staff of the San Antonio Metropolitan Planning Organization (http://www.sametroplan.org), the organization that plans for and coordinates all federal transportation funding in the San Antonio area. SAJTA members learned more about the history and function of the MPO and discussed getting involved with the long-term planning process led by the MPO.

SAJTA members and JTA staff have been meeting with other decision makers and the press, as well as researching the Metropolitan Planning Organization's activities, policies, and decisions, in preparation for this week's (March 31st- April 3rd) certification by the Federal Highway and Federal Transit Administrations. Working closely with San Antonio ACORN staff and members, the SAJTA has been working and organizing diligently to ensure that the San Antonio MPO delivers on the promise of the federal Transportation Equity Act by effectively planning for and investing in mobility for all citizens. For more information, contact Jim Isaman at (210) 433-2338 or JimIsaman@excite.com.

SAJTA will also be hosting a Pedestrian Safety Workshop in May in the King William Neighborhood, where the San Antonio Independent Living Services is located. The area was chosen because it is a destination for people with disabilities, including those with mobility impairments, and the group feels that improvements to sidewalks and other amenities are needed. Additionally, the area hosts a monthly "First Friday" with open houses at galleries and shops, but participation in these events has proven challenging for people using wheelchairs. For more information, contact Jim Isaman at jimisaman@excite.com.

San Antonio bus riders and other concerned citizens have come together to form the San Antonio Just Transportation Alliance. Our first statement as an alliance is to request that the VIA Board postpone the scheduled December 17, 2002, vote on the proposed Comprehensive Service Plan. Check out coverage from the San Antonio Current (2 PDF files - Part 1 and Part 2) and the San Antonio Express-News.

East Texas JTA gets federal money, working on next step in getting their Job Access program started

Tom King, local alliance coordinator for East Texas JTA, has been working to help Tyler Transit in its implementation of the Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) earmark it received this year. The JARC grant is intended to expand service hours to facilitate access to jobs that are not necessarily 9-to-5.

This week Texas Citizen Fund and Circle of Ten (http://www.circleof10.org) signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Circle of Ten to provide ETJTA with a "home base" as it develops and grows. Circle of Ten is an organization based in Jacksonville, which supports nonprofit agency boards, staff and volunteers through training for capacity building. For more information on activities, contact Tom King at tomking@broadwayinternet.com.

Houston Presses City Council on Pedestrian and Bike Resources

The Houston Pedestrian and Bicycle Coalition, which JTA helped initiate, will be meeting with individual council members and staff to press the City of Houston to find more resources for sidewalks. Accessible sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure have been identified repeatedly by our constituents and others as crucial to mobility, providing safe routes for persons in wheelchairs, children, and anyone else who wants to go somewhere on foot. Additionally, well-designed sidewalks with curb cuts, where they provide access to transit, are especially important for safe access to mainline, or fixed route, buses. If you would like to join the coalition in advocating for sidewalk funds, call Peter Tyler at p_tyler@swbell.net.

Houston: TCF Investigating Pedestrian Issues in West Alabama

Texas Citizen Fund is considering collaborating with Houston activists to address the need for accessible pedestrian amenities along the West Alabama corridor. For more information, contact Sheila Holbrook-White at (512) 451-2634.

Houston Hosts Pedestrian Workshop

Pedestrian Workshop gets improvements rolling.

Possible new "area" codes for Houston

As noted in the last issue of TransAction, the City of Houston Planning & Development Department is circulating a draft of a new "area plan" ordinance that would allow neighborhoods to create basic development standards that might differ from the City's current development codes. For more info, see http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/departme/planning/projects/mainstreet/implementation_tools_and_techniques.html. (From Gulf Coast Growth News.)

El Paso Gets Travel Trainer, Cooperative Effort of VOLAR, Sun Metro, and TxDOT

VOLAR Center for Independent Living, an El Paso JTA partner, recently hired a trainer to do travel training. VOLAR partnered with Sun Metro to apply for grant money from TxDOT to provide travel training for people with disabilities who wish to use fixed route buses and have more mobility options. In some cases, the travel training can provide an added measure of independence for people with mobility impairments.

"It is a win-win for everyone," says Luis Enrique Chew, Volar CIL's Executive Director. Instead of relying solely on paratransit service, which requires advance reservations, they can use fixed route buses. Reduced demand for paratransit service, which can be costly to provide, is also an incentive for transit providers to provide travel training. Used in several Texas cities and across the nation, travel training has been proven to be a successful, innovative approach. Using an agency or organization trusted within the disabilities community, persons with disabilities who are interested in participation and for whom training is appropriate are identified. Trainers work with each individual to develop the array of skills they will need to use a standard bus with supported opportunities to practice their skills. And, because trainers build relationships with graduates, on-going support ensures that all is well. JTA helped VOLAR identify a funding opportunity for this project and supported the application for funding.

For more information about VOLAR's travel training, contact Luis Chew at 915 591 0800

VOLAR Helps Pass City Resolution in Support of Community Services

VOLAR headed up an ultimately successful effort to encourage the City of El Paso Council to pass a resolution in support of maintaining and, even, increasing the funding of community services for people with disabilities that enable them to fully participate in their communities and to control the direction of their own lives. The resolution, which was directed at the Texas Legislature, represents an official response to legislation and initiatives in which funding for these essential services would be significantly cut. Transportation is a key element in enabling many people with disabilities to live independently in their communities.

Beaumont and El Paso Plan to Host Media Training Workshops

In collaboration with transportation activists in Beaumont, JTA has scheduled a Media Training, "How to Get the Media to Work For You," led by the dynamic Kaye Beneke, on May 28th. El Paso is also working to schedule a training for late May or June. For more information, contact JTA Outreach Coordinator Tim Brown at tim@justtransportation.org or (512) 451-2634.

Innovative Project Underway with Capital Metro in Austin

Texas Citizen Fund has begun to implement an innovative project with Capital Metro that seeks to engage communities in the transit planning process. The project incorporates some of the aspects of the Pedestrian Safety Workshops led by Charlie Gandy, who is also playing a key role in the project with Capital Metro. For more information, contact Glenn Gadbois at glenn@justtransportation.org or (512) 294-7446.