Public Strongly Encouraged to Participate in Community Workshops and Surveys
MARINA – The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) will be conducting a series of collaborative community workshops to initiate a regional dialogue about future growth and how we should prioritize future transportation improvements.
According to AMBAG projections, by the year 2035 the tri-county region of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties will see an increase of more than 150,000 people, 40,000 housing units, and nearly 65,000 jobs.
Maura Twomey, Executive Director of AMBAG, foresees a real opportunity to start thinking about mobility from a regional perspective, rather than a more incremental approach, which has been more typical in the past. “MovingForward Monterey Bay is about promoting a regional dialogue about who we are, where we are going, and how are we going to get there. It’s about listening to the people who have a stake in our community and crafting a vision that reflects their desires and their aspirations.”
At each workshop, stakeholders will provide their preferences and vision of the region in the year 2035 with a sustainable pattern of regional growth that helps to decrease transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and accommodates housing and employment growth.
The six community workshops are scheduled as follows:
[wpcol_1half id=”” class=”” style=””]Monday, May 13th 6 – 7:30 PM
Salinas City Hall Rotunda
200 Lincoln Avenue, Salinas[/wpcol_1half] [wpcol_1half_end id=”” class=”” style=””]Thursday, May 16th 6 – 7:30 PM
Seaside Community Room
220 Coe Avenue, Seaside[/wpcol_1half_end]
[wpcol_1half id=”” class=”” style=””]Tuesday, May 14th 6 – 7:30 PM
Hollister Community Center
300 West Street, Hollister[/wpcol_1half] [wpcol_1half_end id=”” class=”” style=””]Monday, May 20th 6 – 7:30 PM
Civic Building
275 Main Street, Watsonville[/wpcol_1half_end]
[wpcol_1half id=”” class=”” style=””]Wednesday, May 15th 6 – 7:30 PM
Gonzales City Hill Council Chambers
117 Fourth Street, Gonzales
[/wpcol_1half] [wpcol_1half_end id=”” class=”” style=””]Thursday, May 23rd 6 – 7:30 PM
Santa Cruz Police Department
155 Center Street, Santa Cruz[/wpcol_1half_end]
Participation from a broad range of stakeholders is anticipated including affordable housing advocates, neighborhood and community organizations, low income and minority groups, environmental advocates, business organizations, and landowners.
MovingForward Monterey Bay is part of a multi-agency collaboration to produce an integrated land-use/transportation plan through the year 2035. It inaugurates a new process: the development of a Sustainable Communities Strategy to reduce transportation-generated greenhouse gases and promote new thinking in where we live, how we travel, and what economic opportunities we should pursue. Project Manager Heather Adamson, who prepared a similar plan for the greater San Diego region, understands the implications and opportunities this planning effort provides. “It’s about community, employment, and the environment. It’s an opportunity to participate in defining a bold, sustainable vision for our future generations.”
The plan will be grounded by six broad goals focused on: 1) Accessibility and mobility, 2) Economic Vitality, 3) Environment, 4) Healthy communities, 5) Social equity, and 6) System preservation and safety. As described by AMBAG Board Director and Carmel City Councilman Ken Talmage, “MovingForward Monterey Bay is one of our region’s most comprehensive planning efforts to date. It’s a tremendous opportunity for the community to tell us how and where we should make investments to improve mobility, and thereby our quality of life.”
A second round of public meetings is expected to be held in July for individuals to weigh in on preferred scenarios. The adoption of the final plan is anticipated for June 2014.
For those unable to attend the workshops but would like to have their voices heard, an online survey will be available at www.MovingForwardMB.org starting May 10th.
For more information and updates on MovingForward Monterey Bay, visit www.MovingForwardMB.org.
