MTC, South Bay partners kick off Active Transportation and Vision Zero workshop series

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), with support from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP) this fall held the first in a series of workshops for public agency staff focused on bicycle and pedestrian transportation as well as Vision Zero initiatives designed to prevent roadway injuries and fatalities. 

Entitled “Embrace the Future: Green Complete Streets Technical Deep Dive,” the workshop, attracted more than 90 public agency professionals to the Campbell Community Center in Campbell to discuss and share holistic design approaches and practical implementation tools to help build infrastructure that is people-centric and climate-resilient. 

MTC Commissioner and then-Mountain View City Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga opened the event by emphasizing the importance of collaboration to overcome challenges and discover innovative solutions. The workshop also included presentations from Caltrans and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), and featured case studies on specific street projects in Campbell, San Jose and Santa Clara. 

Participants walked away with a solid understanding of how to combine Complete Streets design with green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to mitigate water pollution, flooding and heat island effects in ways that are consistent with state design guidelines and that meet current Bay Area Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP 3.0) water permit requirements. 

As part of its work to implement MTC’s Active Transportation Plan, the Commission is conducting the workshop and peer exchange series to provide county-focused training to help local governments ​implement the regional Active Transportation Network and  the Complete Streets Policy, and to ​support Vision Zero efforts throughout the Bay Area. 

MTC seeks a consultant to help with this work. The Commission recently issued a request for proposals (RFP), with submissions due Jan. 25, 2025.