Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.
Addressing Air Pollution
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Advisory Council is holding a March 24 symposium — the second in a four-part series — about fine particulate matter to hash out effective measures to protect public health. The agenda includes a “community perspectives” conversation with local leaders about the ways air pollution affects residents. There also will be conversations about potential policy solutions, including an overview of transportation and land-use planning impacts on exposed neighborhoods. RSVP for the free 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. event. Bonus: the symposium includes lunch. Unable to attend? View the webinar.
Fare Chance
Tell the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) what you think about proposed ferry service fare increases that could go into effect this July. The agency has laid out fare increases between 2021 and 2025 for San Francisco-anchored service to Alameda/Oakland, Vallejo/Mare Island, and Richmond, as well as other routes. Under the proposal, the Alameda/Oakland standard adult fare would jump to $7.50 from $7.20 in the 2020-21 fiscal year, eventually hitting $8.50 by 2025. Increases are calculated at 3 percent annually to keep pace with inflation and operating costs, according to WETA. But Solano County’s Daily Republic noted in a February 27 article that riders are upset by rate differences for Vallejo compared to other terminals. Standard adult fares from Vallejo to San Francisco would be $15.50 in the 2020-21 fiscal year, jumping 50 cents each fiscal year until reaching $17.50 in 2025. They are $15.10 now. Read about the proposed fare program and send written comments to [email protected] by March 26. A public hearing will follow in April.
Watershed Some Wisdom
Did you know about 40 percent of Alameda County Water District’s supply to Fremont, Newark, and Union City comes from Alameda Creek? And at 660 square miles, Alameda Creek is the largest Bay Area watershed in the Bay Area. Head to a March 26 “State of the Alameda Creek Watershed” event at the Shannon Center in Dublin to learn more. Click here for event updates, including a forthcoming list of speakers all working within the watershed. General admission registration is $20. Paddle along the Monitor’s overflowing water news archive as part of your event prep.
Parks in Bloom
California State Parks has awarded funding to several parks in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties for various improvements and expansions in under-served communities. The projects are the result of 2018’s Proposition 68, a $4 billion bond measure which directed $254.9 million to CSP for competitive grants that can be used to create new parks and recreational opportunities. This is the state’s largest investment — 62 total grants to 52 recipients — in grant funding history targeted for under-served communities. Grants will help attract visitors to commune with nature in new settings, an aim the Monitor’s Aleta George explored in an article about coastal areas last year. Read the full list of new grants here.
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