Circulator - 06/19/2026 - Circulate Planning & Policy

Published June 19, 2026

Happy Juneteenth!
See the Photos: Highlights from Our Summer Membership Mixer
Nominations Open for the 2026 Momentum Awards
Intro Spotlight: Vince Young
Major Taylor Cycling Club Juneteenth Freedom Ride
Share Your Feedback: Take Our 2026 Stakeholder Survey by June 20th
Recap: Balboa Park Day
Recap: SDSU Crosswalks
Circulate Participates in the Metropolitan Abundance Project’s Achieving Transportation Abundance Convening in Chicago
Circulate Research Featured in National Transit Abundance Playbook
City Budget Includes Circulate’s Vision Zero Priorities
CEQA at a Crossroads: Game-Changing Reforms on the November Ballot
Circulate News

Happy Juneteenth!

Happy Juneteenth. Today we honor the ongoing pursuit of freedom and belonging in America. At Circulate, that pursuit shapes everything we work toward: safe streets, transit choices, and homes people can afford. #Juneteenth

See the Photos: Highlights from Our Summer Membership Mixer

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Summer Membership Mixer! It was a wonderful evening of connecting with members, partners, and supporters.

A special thank you to ULI San Diego-Tijuana for co-hosting the event and helping bring together leaders from across the housing, land use, and transportation communities. We also appreciate Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee for sharing remarks and discussing efforts to accelerate housing production and improve transit in San Diego.

We're also grateful to our corporate sponsors and individual members whose support makes this work possible. Together, we're helping build a more connected, accessible, and livable San Diego.

Browse our event gallery to revisit the evening's conversations, networking, and memorable moments.

Check out the photos!

Nominations Open for the 2026 Momentum Awards

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Momentum Awards, Circulate Planning & Policy’s annual recognition of the people and projects advancing safe streets, public transit and land use.

This year introduces new award categories and updated criteria that better reflect the full range of work shaping our region’s future. From housing innovation to transit-oriented development and public sector leadership, the 2026 awards elevate the work driving real change on the ground.

2026 categories include:

Safe Streets Award
Public Transit Award
Planning Award
Transit Oriented Development Award
Housing Innovation Award
Advocate Award
Public Servant Award

Nominations are due by 5:00 PM on July 31, 2026. Self-nominations and client project nominations are welcome.

Submit a nomination!

Intro Spotlight: Vince Young

Join us in welcoming our new Planning & Policy Intern, Vince Young! As is our tradition, we interviewed Vince so our supporters and members can get to know him!

Read his intro spotlight!

Major Taylor Cycling Club Juneteenth Freedom Ride

Join Major Taylor Cycling Club San Diego on Saturday, June 20 for the Juneteenth Freedom Ride!

Starting at Plaza Bonita Mall in National City (3030 Plaza Bonita Rd., West Parking Lot, National City, CA 91950) at 8:00am, there will be two epic rides celebrating freedom and sisterhood/brotherhood. Ride A is 38 miles roundtrip and Ride B is 18 miles roundtrip.

For more information, including sign-up form and waivers, please visit the event website!

Share Your Feedback: Take Our 2026 Stakeholder Survey by June 20th

Your perspective helps shape Circulate’s work to advance safe streets, public transit, and sustainable growth.

Whether you're a longtime member, a recent supporter, or simply follow our work, we want to hear from you. Our 2026 Stakeholder Survey takes about 3 minutes to complete and consists primarily of multiple-choice questions designed to help us improve how we engage and communicate with our community.

Take the 2026 Stakeholder Survey today and make your voice heard. The survey closes tomorrow, June 20th, so be sure to submit your responses before the deadline.

Take the survey!

Recap: Balboa Park Day

On Saturday, May 30, 2026, Circulate Planning & Policy and RideSD conducted a Transit Trip and Pedestrian Audit to Balboa Park. The group met at Fashion Valley Transit Center and took MTS Route 120 to Fourth Avenue and Laurel Street. The bus ride took approximately 15 minutes before we got off and began our Pedestrian Audit into Balboa Park.

For the audit, we set out to observe pedestrian, bicycling, and transit conditions in the park and explore opportunities for improving access in the park. Check out our observations on our Balboa Park Day Reel here.

Thank you to everyone who came on this beautiful Balboa Park day!

Recap: SDSU Crosswalks

For our SDSU grant, Circulate had to complete two quick-build demonstrations on SDSU’s campus. On the weekend of June 6th, Circulate worked with SDSU student artists, volunteers, and SDSU staff to transform two campus crosswalks into vibrant works of public art that promote both school spirit and pedestrian safety.

Located in high-traffic areas of campus, the newly painted crosswalks feature student-inspired designs that help make crossings more visible while creating a more welcoming environment for everyone who walks, bikes, and rolls through campus. Creative crosswalks can help draw attention to crossing locations and encourage drivers to slow down and stay alert, improving overall safety in active campus environments.

A huge thanks to all who came and helped Circulate paint that weekend. From preparing the pavement to carefully painting detailed artwork, participants worked together to create bold, colorful community spaces that students and visitors will enjoy.

For more photos from the weekend of June 6th and to see the finished designs, check out Circulate’s Instagram!

Circulate Participates in the Metropolitan Abundance Project’s Achieving Transportation Abundance Convening in Chicago

Last week, Circulate’s CEO and General Counsel participated in the Metropolitan Abundance Project’s Achieving Transportation Abundance Convening in Chicago.

This invite-only event included several dozen leading researchers from the academic world, advocates from across the country, major funders, and current and former leaders of transportation agencies.

In recent years, the scope of Circulate’s research and advocacy has extended beyond the San Diego region. We are increasing our participation in statewide and national conversations related to transit, safe streets, and affordable growth. Our participation this convening is an example for how we are extending our reach. Colin previously appeared on the Metropolitan Abundance Project’s podcast.

It was not all wonky panels and citing papers we wrote. Many attendees stayed beyond the conference for the acclaimed architecture boat tour. Our docent made clear that the source of Chicago’s growth and importance was based on its abundant access to transportation infrastructure!

Circulate Research Featured in National Transit Abundance Playbook

Earlier this week, the national Institute for Progress (IFP) released its, Transit Abundance Playbook, a collection of proposals for reducing American transit construction costs.

One of the proposals featured Circulate’s groundbreaking report “The Powerless Brokers: Why California can’t build transit.” The report summarizes the issue as follows:

“A major driver of high transit costs is the power imbalance between the transit agency building the project and the third parties that have to give their approval for the project to advance. New transit construction must navigate potential vetoes from other government agencies that need to issue permits, utilities that need to agree to move or reconfigure their infrastructure, and many other affected asset owners. … As Circulate Planning & Policy’s The Powerless Broker details, bilateral third-party negotiations have added tens of millions of dollars in utility and municipal infrastructure costs to California transit projects after contracts were tendered.”

Read the piece & full report!

City Budget Includes Circulate’s Vision Zero Priorities

The City of San Diego’s FY 2027 Budget funds the budget priorities advanced by Circulate Planning & Policy and the Vision Zero Coalition. The final budget signed by Mayor Gloria includes:

$551,000 to make improvements to the Fatal 15, the 15 deadliest intersections in the City.
$2.4 million to implement the speed management plan, which would slow speeds near schools and in targeted safety corridors.
$1.45 million to maintain the Multi-Modal Team, which designs treatments like crosswalks, stop signs, and bike lanes that make our neighborhoods safer.

Circulate has been leading the advocacy to fund the Fatal 15 and speed management plan throughout the budget season, beginning engagement with Council offices last September.

This spring, the Mayor threw us a last-minute curveball by proposing to eliminate the Multi-Modal Team in his budget proposal. Circulate led a coalition of organizations in a campaign to fund this team by diverting funding from repaving. The campaign was ultimately successful, with the Council voting unanimously to fund the team. We are grateful for our amazing partners and the Councilmembers who prioritized Vision Zero in the FY 2027 budget!

CEQA at a Crossroads: Game-Changing Reforms on the November Ballot

Join the Building Industry Association of San Diego County for an informative discussion on the proposed Building an Affordable California Act and its potential impact on housing, infrastructure, and development across the state.

Date: Wednesday, July 15
Location: WESTPAC Wealth Partners, 5280 Carroll Canyon Road, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92121
Cost: Free to attend

The proposed initiative would modernize CEQA review and permitting for essential projects, establish clearer timelines for agency approvals and legal challenges, reduce delays affecting housing and critical infrastructure, and maintain environmental, labor, and tribal cultural resource protections. It would apply to projects involving housing, transportation, water, energy, healthcare, schools, broadband, and wildfire resilience.

Attend to gain a better understanding of what is at stake this November, how CEQA reform could reshape California’s development landscape, and what it could mean for future projects throughout the state.

Learn More & Register Here!