Check out this week's featured stories.

1. Circulate San Diego Welcomes Jana Schwartz

2. CSD Board Chair Co-Authors Op-Ed on MTS Parking Report

3. Bike to Work Day 2018: Circulate SD Pit Stop!

4. Circulate Welcomes BIRD, Our Newest Corporate Member

5. Catherine Thibault is Back

Circulate is very excited to welcome Jana Schwartz to our team. As is customary, we asked her to answer a few questions so that our members and supporters could get to know her. Read below to see what she had to say!

Yesterday, Circulate San Diego convened a press conference with a coalition of housing advocates at the Metropolitan Transit System headquarters. We were there to call on the transit agency to transform its empty parking lots into affordable homes.

Our effort is a continuation of a campaign we launched in April with the publication of our latest report “Real Opportunity.” That document identified that MTS has at least 57 acres of available property, which could support up to 8,000 new homes. 

The press conference generated a lot of coverage. Circulate has established credibility with local journalists who recognize that our policy recommendations are thoroughly researched, and help drive change in the region. We were covered by ABC 10, CBS 8, KPBS, Fox 5, KUSI, the Times of San Diego, and more. Our board chair also published an op-ed on the subject in the Voice of San Diego.

Watch the CBS 8 coverage of our press conference.

At our press conference we were joined by housing advocates, developers, construction workers, and REALTORS. Afterwards, our coalition provided testimony to the MTS board. We presented our report, and called on the board to take action to reform the agency’s real estate policies. The new MTS Board Chair Georgette Gomez offered positive comments, and let the public know that she is working with staff to bring forward updates to the agency’s policies.

While signs are positive, we are not resting on our laurels. Public agencies move slow, and often only with ongoing attention. Circulate San Diego will continue to keep this issue in the spotlight, and work with MTS staff and the elected officials on their board to ensure these changes are made a reality.

We can only keep up our fight for affordable homes and access to transit with your support.

Will you make a contribution to Circulate San Diego today to sustain our work?

Thank you for your continuing support for Circulate San Diego. We appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Colin Parent
Executive Director and General Counsel
Circulate San Diego

PS: If your company or organization wants to become a corporate member, please visit our Corporate Membership page.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 10, 2018

Contact: Colin Parent

(858) 442-7374

cparent@circulatesd.org

Press and Photo Release: Circulate San Diego and Housing Advocates Call on MTS to Develop Empty Parking Lots into Affordable Homes

Land use and Transportation think tank Circulate San Diego today was joined by affordable housing advocates to call on the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) board to allow their under-utilized parking lots to be developed into homes. Advocates hosted a press conference in front of the MTS offices prior to providing testimony at this morning’s MTS board meeting during public comment.

Contact: Colin Parent
(858) 442-7374
cparent@circulatesd.org

Circulate San Diego will host a press conference with affordable housing advocates on Thursday morning to call on the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) to  allow their under-utilized parking lots to be developed into affordable homes.

Check out this week's featured stories.

1. New Report: Transforming empty MTS parking lots into affordable homes

2. Evening Budget Hearing

3. SB1 Money Comes to San Diego as MTS awarded Major Grant 

4. Catch our Executive Director, Colin Parent, Speak at the ULI Monthly Breakfast

5. Bike to Work Day Pit Stop

6. Empire Bikes Back Community Event

7. Circulate Welcomes ofo, Our Newest Corporate Member

Circulate San Diego signed on to a letter to Assemblymember Richard Bloom in support of a discounted transit pass program for low-income students. A student transit pass program is also key to “growing” transit riders and to cultivating a transit-oriented culture among young people: If riding transit is made easy and affordable for students to take to school and to work they are likely to begin making decisions about where to live and get a job based on the proximity of transit, which will in turn help promote the land use and development patterns that will support even greater transit use, and reductions in traffic and GHG emissions.

Read our letter here [PDF].

Circulate San Diego submitted a letter in support for AB 3119 (Gonzalez Fletcher), which creates a special committee to create a mobility and sustainability plan for the San Diego International Airport. It’s time for all the stakeholders — the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the Port of San Diego, SANDAG, MTS, NCTD, and the City and County of San Diego to work together to craft a viable solution to facilitating multimodal access to and from the airport. Therefore, we fully support AB 3119.

Read our letter here [PDF].

Today Circulate submitted a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission on the Proposed Decision Authorizing a Pilot Test Program for Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Passenger Service. The potential of AVs to expand ridesharing and reduce the need for car ownership is a critical factor in California’s ability to meet its aggressive climate and air quality goals. The PUC’s proposed ban on shared rides during AV testing unfortunately runs counter to this goal and risks undermining an important opportunity to reduce carbon emissions.

Read our letter here [PDF].

Contact: Colin Parent

(858) 442-7374

cparent@circulatesd.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 25, 2018

Circulate San Diego publishes report on how the Metropolitan Transit System can transform empty parking lots into affordable homes

Transportation and land use think tank Circulate San Diego published a major report today on how the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) can transform its underutilized parking lots into affordable homes.