Circulate San Diego Housing Recommendations in Mayor Faulconer’s State of the City Speech

During last night’s State of the City speech, Mayor Kevin Faulconer laid out a bold housing agenda that adopted a number of recommendations from Circulate San Diego.

In January 2017, Circulate San Diego released a report titled “Transit Oriented Development.” In that report, we outlined a variety of city-wide policies that could be adopted to promote the location of more market-rate and affordable homes near San Diego’s transit infrastructure.

“Circulate San Diego is a strong supporter of Kevin Faulconer’s continuing efforts to make San Diego more affordable,” said Colin Parent, Executive Director and General Counsel of Circulate San Diego. “We are glad that our research and advocacy is helping to inform the policy goals of our region’s largest city.”

Sections from Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s State of the City Speech	Recommendations from Circulate San Diego’s Report on Transit Oriented Development
“This year we’re going to change our outdated parking mandates for projects near transit centers to reduce development costs and greenhouse gases.”	“Allow developments near transit to provide modestly less parking, and to satisfy some of their parking requirements with alternative transportation choices.”
“I will send legislation to the City Council to revamp fees so developers are encouraged to build smaller units that people can actually afford.”	“Reform the calculation methods for development fees to remove disincentives to build compact units near transit.”
“And expand our award-winning affordable housing development program to incentivize more housing for San Diego’s middle class.”	“San Diego can further refine its [Affordable Homes Bonus] program to ensure its success going forward. A working group should be created, to develop recommendations, monitor outcomes, and evaluate other mechanisms to maximize the potential from this important program.”

Four Pedestrians Seriously Injured and One Killed This Week

Since Saturday, January 6, four pedestrians have been seriously injured and one killed by people driving cars in the City of San Diego. Ages ranging from 39-years-old to 79-years-old, the collisions were located in North Park, Downtown, Barrio Logan, Normal Heights, and Pacific Beach. Two of the collisions, one involving a 78-year-old woman who succumbed to her injuries and the other involving a 39-year-old who was pinned under a car, took place on Vision Zero corridors University Avenue and Imperial Avenue, the most dangerous streets in San Diego.

“We know how to make streets safer for all,” said Maya Rosas, Advocacy Manager for Circulate San Diego. “The City of San Diego must prioritize road improvements on the streets where the most crashes occur. This will undoubtedly save lives.”

Circulate San Diego and a diverse coalition of 20 organizations have promoted a campaign for the last two years called Vision Zero, with the goal to end traffic deaths and serious injuries in San Diego by 2025. Mayor Faulconer and the San Diego City Council adopted a 10-year Vision Zero strategy in 2015.

The concept behind Vision Zero is that traffic deaths are preventable – through safe street design, education, and enforcement. The program has been successful in other U.S. and European cities. To date, 20 cities across the U.S. have adopted a Vision Zero goal.

2017 saw a decrease in pedestrian and all traffic fatalities. However, pedestrians still account for nearly 50% of all traffic fatalities. No loss of life is acceptable and this week’s numerous serious injuries and fatality shows that more work is needed.

Recommended Items for Councilmember Budget Priority Memoranda for FY 2019

Circulate San Diego wrote a letter to City of San Diego Councilmembers recommending transportation projects to be included in their Budget Priority Memoranda for FY 2019. These projects, if funded, will save lives and help the City reach its Climate Action Plan and Vision Zero goals by making walking, biking, and transit safer, more affordable, and more convenient for San Diegans.

To read the full letter, click here.

SANDAG Looking for Community Input as they Search for New Executive Director

1024px-Sandag_LOGO.svg.png SANDAG is hosting a series of five subregional meetings to solicit input from community members about the preliminary job description for the vacant executive director position, as well as feedback on the type of skills and characteristics they desire from the new leader of the regional transportation agency. For more information about meeting times and locations, click here.

Input is also being accepted via a brief survey.

Learn How to be a Succesful Advocate During the City's Budget Process

The Community Budget Alliance, a group of community, faith-based, labor and policy organizations, including Circulate San Diego, that advocates for an equitable City budget, is hosting a seminar for how community members can advocate for their projects during the City's budget season.

“Lack of funding” is a common reason that officials give for denying a request, so staying informed & advocating helps you keep and attain valuable neighborhood resources.

Understanding what the budget is and how it is created helps you be a more successful advocate. Learn how to make your project a priority and push for what your neighborhood needs.

To RSVP, click here.