Federal “green” transportation grant awarded to Anaheim Transportation Network

This month the Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN) was awarded a $1.7 million federal grant to fund projects that will help create green jobs, promote clean fuels and reduce greenhouse gases.

“Service reliability and environmentally conscious solutions are our highest priorities and they go hand-in-hand with making sure that the ATN’s Anaheim Resort Transit system is in a solid position to meet the needs of the Anaheim community,” said Paul Sanford, ATN Chairman. “The millions of people who depend on the Anaheim Resort Transit system each year expect a safe, comfortable, and eco-friendly transportation service.”

Through a nationwide competitive process, ATN was selected among 35 other transit organizations to receive the federal grant to promote clean fuels. A total of $1.4 billion was awarded throughout the country.

Help a.ker.fa change lives one bicycle at a time

Since the Mobility 21 Summit on Oct. 29, we have received an outpouring of positive feedback for the lunchtime presentation given bya.ker.fa co-founders Dustin McBride and Vaughn Spethmann. Their organization nurtures the Zambian-led company, Zambikes, which provides affordable and dependable transportation resources to the developing world.

“In the midst of this challenging time in Southern California, it was very moving to hear how access to transportation is helping transform the lives of thousands of people in Africa,” said Michelle Boehm, CH2M Hill Business Development Lead and Mobility 21 Advisory Board Member. “The Zambikes presentation reminds us all of the transformative nature of transportation and its ability to improve our quality of life.”

Since the Summit, the Zambikes team has been working tirelessly to build bamboo frames for customers, many of which are for Mobility 21 conference attendees. Check out the latest blog post from Spethmann on the Mobility 21 Facebook page.

Many companies and organizations have already reached out to a.ker.fa in support of their efforts to improve the lives of southern Africans through transportation, including Acire, Inc., LA Street Car Initiative, MBI and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

“The Zambikes presentation was the most meaningful and purposeful thing discussed and puts our current situation in context,” said Todd Osborne of Gensler.

During the conference alone, Zambikes sold more than 15 bamboo bikes and frames. In response to such enthusiastic support, we have been working with a.ker.fa to put together an easy way for conference goers to help through making individual or corporate donations, or even purchasing a bamboo Zambike.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Make a tax-deductible donation to a.ker.fa
Individual Donations
$25: Equivalent of putting on a mechanic training
$140: Equivalent of one bicycle

Corporate Donations
$800: Equivalent of one bicycle, a bicycle ambulance, canopy, tool kit, spare parts and training on delivery
$8,000: Equivalent of ten bicycle ambulances, bikes, tool kits, trainings and transportation to save lives

Buy a bamboo bike or frame
E-mail the a.ker.fa team to ask about your Mobility 21 wholesale discount to receive $400 off the full retail price of $1,500.

Order by Sunday, Dec. 12 to get your Zambike in time for Christmas!

Small business spotlight:
BikeConnect and Acire, Inc.


BikeConnect designs and manufactures modular bike-transit hubs, enabling bikes and other sustainable first / last mile transportation options to be an integral part of an integrated transportation system. The bike-transit hubs offer secure and covered bicycle parking to cyclists.

“I was very inspired by the Zambikes presentation during the luncheon. So much so that I have added a social consciousness element to BikeConnect, a secure bike parking venture Acire, Inc. started earlier this year,” said Acire, Inc. President Derek Fretheim. “BikeConnect’s social consciousness program is to donate ten percent of our proceeds back to organizations that are providing a positive impact on humanity. Zambikes is the first organization BikeConnect has certified under its social consciousness program. I wouldn’t have thought of this program if I didn’t attend the Mobility 21 conference.”

Acire, Inc. was recently recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative for its work in developing Mobility Hubs and sustainable first / last mile linkage programs in Los Angeles County.

Were you inspired by the Zambikes presentation at the Mobility 21 Summit? We want to hear from you. Leave a comment on our Facebook page.

Design-build plan to replace aging Gerald Desmond Bridge approved

The Port of Long Beach’s plan to accelerate the $950 million Gerald Desmond Replacement Project through the design-build delivery method was approved by the California Transportation Commission earlier this month.

“The Transportation Commission’s approval is a major milestone for this project,” said Nick Sramek, President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. “It allows us to embark upon one of the biggest construction projects in the state and to replace an obsolete bridge with a new one built to handle the traffic and cargo needs of the region.”

The new bridge will include three traffic lanes plus emergency lanes in each direction and stand higher than the existing Gerald Desmond Bridge to accommodate the new generation of taller green cargo ships. The project is estimated to take five to six years to complete, with final design and preliminary construction beginning in early 2011 and construction of the main bridge supports expected to start in 2012. Approximately 4,000 jobs per year will be created. Read more.

Orange County Mayors Elect New
 Members to the OCTA Board of Directors

Excerpt from OCTA CEO’s Weekly Update

The City Selection Committee, composed of mayors from cities across Orange County, met on Thursday to vote for new members for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) board of directors.

The committee conducted the meeting to elect members to fill in vacancies resulting from the recent election where board members are termed out, elected to other offices or lost reelection.

Members selected current Board Chairman and Tustin Mayor Jerry Amante and Board Director and Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido to serve another term.

The new members of the OCTA Board of Directors elected by the committee will include:

  • Fountain Valley Mayor Larry Crandall– elected to serve in the 2nd district seat currently held by Board Director and Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor, who was elected to the State Assembly.
  • Fullerton Mayor Don Bankhead– elected to serve in the 4th district seat currently held by Board Director and Buena Park Mayor Art Brown, who is termed out.
  • Anaheim Mayor-elect Tom Tait– elected to serve in the 4th district seat currently held by Board Director and Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle, who is also termed out.
  • Lake Forest Mayor Peter Herzog– elected to serve in the 5th district seat currently held by Board Director and Lake Forest City Councilman Richard Dixon, who lost his bid for reelection.

All new board members will be sworn in at the end of the year.

TRANSPORTATION EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY

Thursday, Dec. 2
CMAA Southern California: Breakfast of Champions with Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority
more info | register now

Friday, Dec. 3
CMAA Southern California: Breakfast of Champions with OCTA
more info | register now

Thursday, Dec. 9
Orange County League of Cities: Holiday Reception
more info | register now

Monday, Dec. 13
WTS San Diego: Joint Annual Holiday Luncheon
more info | register now

Thursday, Jan. 20
WTS Inland Empire: Sixth Annual Awards & Scholarship Dinner
more info

March 30 – 31
World Research Group: Green Energy Technology Conference
more info

March 31 – April 1
IEEP: Inland Empire Quality of Life Summit
more info