Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

City of San Pablo wins 3 major Public Works project awards

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These awards from the Northern California Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) highlight the City of San Pablo’s extraordinary vision and dedication that are transforming San Pablo into a safer, greener, and more sustainable community. Source: City of San Pablo

By Carl Dameron, Vice President of Public Relations, Strategy Research Institute

The City of San Pablo took home three major awards at the 2025 APWA Project Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Northern California Chapter of the American Public Works Association, on February 20, 2025.

The Rumrill Blvd. Complete Streets Project won both the Small Cities Transportation Project of the Year award and the prestigious Project of the Year awards.

Rendering of improvements to Rumrill Blvd. between Costa Avenue and Market Avenue. Source: City of San Pablo

Additionally, the San Pablo Public Works Department received the Exceptional Performance in Sustainable Practices award, recognizing the City’s commitment to innovative, sustainable projects that benefit both the community and the environment.

Rendering of improvements to Rumrill Blvd. between Market Avenue and San Pablo Avenue. Source: City of San Pablo

“This is an acknowledgement of the City’s commitment to making San Pablo a wonderful community where to reside,” said Allan Panganiban, Public Works Director/City Engineer.

West Contra Costa Unified board compromises on staff cuts, but may have to cut student services instead

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United Teachers of Richmond gather at West Contra Costa school board meeting Wednesday to protest staff cuts approved a week earlier. Credit: Monica Velez / EdSource

177 positions; on split board vote; deadline to give layoff notices is March 15

Only 1 in 4 students are performing at grade level in math

By Monica Velez, EdSource.org, republished with permission

In a move consistent with dozens of California school districts, West Contra Costa Unified School District board members have had to choose between eliminating staff and services for students or exploding its budget deficit.

At the start of the debate at Wednesday night’s school board meeting, the district had proposed cutting about 177 staffing positions and, after nearly three hours of debate, the board voted 3-1 to cut all but eight. But saving those eight positions jeopardizes funding for services for at-risk students.

“Ultimately, with these decisions, our students will suffer the most without the staff that is needed to provide them with an excellent education that they deserve and which is necessary to decrease the longstanding education gaps for the district’s Black and brown students,” said Sheryl Lane, executive director of Fierce Advocates, a Richmond organization focused on working with parents of color.

Out of the positions that are being eliminated, 122 are already vacant, according to district officials. And so far, the district has also received 27 resignations and 47 retirement notices.

It’s unclear if there will be layoffs, but on Feb. 6, interim Superintendent Kim Moses said that because of vacancy levels, the district administrators “expect that there will be a certificated job available for all current WCCUSD (West Contra Costa Unified School District) educators for the 2025-26 school year.”

Throughout this month, educators, parents, students and community members showed up in large numbers to speak, as they have in all board meetings since the budget talks started, urging the board to reconsider cutting staff positions.

“We saw today the dysfunction,” United Teachers of Richmond President Francisco Ortiz said during the meeting. “We need collaboration. Every single cabinet member has my direct phone number. Every board member has my phone number. We have been excluded from the decision-making process and in the collaboration since the new administration took over. This situation has been imposed on us, but we’re ready to fight.”

A Split Board

It took nine amended resolutions for a vote to pass on Wednesday night. Trustee Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy attempted to save high school teachers, school counselors, social workers, psychologists, speech therapists, and career technical education educators.

But the board was split.

Board President Leslie Reckler and trustee Guadalupe Enllana voted down the motions while Gonzalez-Hoy and trustee Cinthia Hernandez were determined to save some staffing positions.

The successful resolution saved one part-time psychologist position, one part-time and seven full-time high school teachers. Reckler voted down the resolution and trustee Jamela Smith-Folds was absent.

In an email to EdSource, Reckler argued the board had already approved the fiscal solvency plan and if the cuts weren’t passed, “it shows the board to be an unreliable steward of public funds, and I will not be lumped into that category.”

“My prime responsibility is to ensure the long-term fiscal solvency of the school district and ensure continued local control in decision-making,” Reckler said. “Last night’s vote will make it more difficult for the school district.”

The top priority for Gonzalez-Hoy was to save the high school teacher positions because cutting them would have caused some schools to go from a seven-period day to six, he said. English learners, students with disabilities and students who need more academic support would be most affected because they often need to take on extra courses and benefit from having more class periods.

“I could not in good conscience make those reductions, knowing the unintended impact they would have,” he said. “Even though it was a very difficult conversation and decision, I did vote to cut the majority of the positions, in part due to our ability to possibly retain some of those positions through grants, but also due to our financial situation.”

In an emailed statement, Enllana said the board and district can no longer continue to be “driven by individual interests but must prioritize the needs of all students.”

“There is a clear distinction between needs and wants. Our first responsibility is to secure what our students need, and then work towards fulfilling the wants under our current budget.”

California Schools Are in a Budget Crisis

This week, other Bay Area school boards also made the difficult decision to lay off employees for the coming school year. Oakland’s school board voted to cut 100 positions, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. According to KQED, San Francisco Unified will also send pink slips to more than 500 employees.

West Contra Costa Unified has to balance between the need for fiscal solvency and keeping the schools adequately staffed with teachers, social workers, psychologists and other support staff.

“These decisions by the school board are tough ones and speak to the structural changes needed at the state level to change the revenue it receives that can go towards funding local school districts, like WCCUSD,” Lane said.

The district has been under financial stress since last year and could risk insolvency if its fiscal plan isn’t followed.

When districts can’t get out of deficits, they risk being taken over by the state and losing local control over budget decisions. Twenty-six years ago, West Contra Costa became the first district in the state to go insolvent and received a $29 million bailout loan, which took 21 years to pay off.

To stay out of a deficit, West Contra Costa has to cut $32.7 million in costs between 2024 and 2027. District officials have said about 84% of the budget is used to pay salaries and benefits — the reason staffing cuts would be unavoidable.

The district needs to put forth a fiscal solvency plan approved by the Contra Costa County Office of Education to avoid going insolvent and risking a takeover, Moses said. The staffing cuts are tied to the plan and must happen for the district to stay on track. The board approved the plan earlier this month.

“It would be multiple millions of dollars of impact to the general fund if we don’t take action,” Moses said during the meeting. “The response to the county, if that is the case, I think we would be sending a strong message that we are not addressing our fiscal stability, and that would not be advisable as they are oversight agents.”

The Price of Compromise

Saving the high school teacher and psychologist positions will add $1.5 million to $1.75 million to the deficit, Moses said. The district doesn’t have a choice but to use funds that are meant for student services and will likely have to dip into the $4 million set aside for math curriculum.

“We value all staff and their dedication to our community; however, the fiscal health of our district has to be prioritized as the foundation for our ability to continue normal district operations,” Moses said in a news release Thursday. “I am concerned about the added fiscal uncertainty we face after last night’s board meeting.”

Cutting the money for teacher and math support is a step backward for the district, which makes it more difficult for educators to help students improve, said Natalie Walchuk, vice president of local impact at GO Public Schools, an organization advocating for equitable public education. In West Contra Costa, only 1 in 4 students are performing at grade level in math and just 6.1% of seniors are ready for college-level math.

“Teachers need the right tools and resources to support their students, yet the district has lagged for years in adopting a new math curriculum,” Walchuk said. “While we recognize the difficult financial decisions the board had to make, it is critical that the district prioritizes student learning.”

The positions on the chopping block came from two pots of money — the general fund, which accounts for 40 positions, and grants, which cover 137 positions. Money for grant-funded positions is either expiring or has been used faster than projected, said Camille Johnson, associate superintendent of human resources.

Trying to save the grant-funded positions would add to the deficit, Moses said. Although the district staff is working to secure more grants, the funds districts receive from the federal government are uncertain.

“We were not in a position to consult the (teachers) union because we do not have money to pay for these positions,” Moses said during the meeting. “Negotiations in terms of what stays and what goes was not possible in this scenario because it’s strictly driven by money that is expiring or money we aren’t responsible for assigning.”

The district doesn’t have a choice but to eliminate some positions because they are dependent on school sites approving the positions in their budgets, Moses said. If approved, about 78 positions could be reinstated.

The deadline to give layoff notices is March 15.

Related Reading
West Contra Costa Unified struggles to stay solvent, avoid state takeover | EdSource
West Contra Costa school board slashes staffing to avoid deficit | EdSource

Richmond child predator arrested while caught in the act

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22-year-old arrested on four charges including continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14
Charged by Contra Cost DA with 16 felony counts
Held on $7 million bail

By Lt. Donald Patchin, PIO, Richmond Police Department

On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at around 3:00 PM, a Richmond PD sergeant was flagged down by someone who wanted to report a possible sexual assault. The person provided information about a juvenile who was possibly the victim of a sexual assault. Officers immediately launched an investigation. They determined the possible victim was currently with the alleged suspect. They also determined the suspect and victim were alone and unsupervised.

Officers immediately responded to the victim’s location. Upon knocking on the residence door, a male subject clad in only a bath towel answered. Officers quickly located the victim inside the residence and found out that the suspect was the male who answered the door. Officers learned through the subsequent investigation that the suspect had been in the act of sexually assaulting the juvenile when officers arrived on the scene. Officers knocking on the door forced the suspect to end the sexual assault.

Although we wish we would have arrived in time to prevent the sexual assault, we are glad we arrived in time to prevent the assault from continuing and to rescue this juvenile victim from their assailant.

Special Victims Unit Detectives immediately responded to assume the investigation. Detectives worked with the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office to ensure the suspect remained in police custody and that charges were filed.

On January 30, 2025, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office filed a 16-count felony complaint against the suspect, Marlon Alexander Maravilla Martinez, a 22-year-old resident of Richmond (born May 22, 2002). He remains in custody with a $7,000,000.00 bail. All sixteen counts relate to lewd and sexual acts on a child who is ten years old or younger.

The victim is now safe with her family and receiving the help and resources she needs.

According to localcrimenews.com, Martinez was arrested for 261(A)(1) – rape of a victim incapable of consent, 288.5(A) – continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, 288(B)(1) – forcible lewd acts upon a child, and 288.7(A) – engaging in sexual intercourse or sodomy with child 10 or more years of age.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, six-inch, 215-pound Martinez is being held in the West County Detention Facility. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 19, 2025, in Superior Court in Martinez at 1:30 PM.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

 

Richmond man wanted for felony domestic violence killed in officer involved shooting

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Brandished what appeared to be a knife but determined later to be a sheath

CA Attorney General investigating

By Lt. Donald Patchin, PIO, Richmond Police Department

On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at 8:13 p.m., officers from the Richmond Police Department responded to the 2700 block of Maine Avenue in an attempt to locate a wanted subject. The subject was wanted on a probation violation warrant related to domestic violence charges.

Officers located the wanted subject on the Union Pacific Railroad right of way just west of the 300 block of Carlson Blvd. The subject refused to cooperate with officers, and a standoff ensued. During the standoff, the suspect wielded an object that appeared to be a knife. The subject ignored multiple commands to drop the object. Officers spent approximately 32 minutes attempting to de-escalate the situation and reach a peaceful resolution.

Despite our officers’ efforts to defuse the situation and end the standoff peacefully, the suspect charged the officers with the object in his hand while raising it in a threatening manner. At approximately 8:53 p.m., an officer-involved shooting occurred, and the wanted subject sustained fatal injuries.

Suspect’s knife sheath discovered later. Photo by Richmond PD

We later determined the object was not a knife. The black knife sheath in the photo is the object the subject wielded, which investigators recovered at the scene.

The Contra Costa Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Protocol, a set of guidelines and procedures followed in cases of officer-involved fatalities, was invoked, and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office responded to investigate.

We are committed to a thorough, transparent investigation.

Under the requirements of AB 1506, we recognized the California Department of Justice (DOJ) treats this as an “unarmed” officer-involved fatal incident, and we immediately notified them. The DOJ dispatched investigators to the scene to investigate.

We are fully cooperating with the DOJ’s independent investigation. We believe it is important to release information in a transparent manner. We intend to release additional information as soon as the investigation allows.

According to a press release issued on Wednesday, Feb. 5, “California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ), pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), is investigating and will independently review an officer-involved shooting (OIS) that occurred in Richmond, California on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.

Following notification by local authorities, DOJ’s California Police Shooting Investigation Team initiated an investigation in accordance with AB 1506 mandates. Upon completion of the investigation, it will be turned over to DOJ’s Special Prosecutions Section within the Criminal Law Division for independent review.

More information on the California Department of Justice’s role and responsibilities under AB 1506 is available here: https://oag.ca.gov/ois-incidents.”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Innovative freight and transit plan proposed for Port of Oakland

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Renderings source: CyberTran International

Colliers and partners present practical underground solution to ease traffic, reduce emissions and boost regional economy with two West Contra Costa companies

In response to the Port of Oakland Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for use of the Charles P. Howard Property, the global real estate and investment brokerage firm Colliers is spearheading a proposal and negotiations for a joint collaboration between CyberTran International, EarthGrid PBC, UC Berkeley Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH), the County of Alameda, and the Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (MANEX) and has submitted a visionary proposal to move freight underground from the Howard Property to an inland port to be established in Tracy, California area.

EarthGrid has developed patented plasma-boring technology that cuts through the hardest rock types exponentially faster than, and at a fraction of the cost of traditional tunnel boring techniques. The plasma boring system cuts through hard rock using a process called spallation, induced by thermal shock on the rock face. CyberTran International, Inc. is the final stage developer for full-scale demonstration and deployment of their Ultra-Light Rail Freight and Transit (ULRF&T) system technology which was originally developed by the US Department of Energy. Their innovative autonomous vehicle transit solution can provide both passenger and goods movement services at a quarter of the cost of a traditional transit system, with half the cost to operate and maintain, while providing on-demand and direct-to-destination travel without having to make stops.

EarthGrid’s groundbreaking plasma-boring technology allows for unprecedented flexibility in tunnel sizes, enabling the co-location of freight, power and fiber in the same reliable, resilient and efficient tunnel. This breakthrough drastically reduces our carbon footprint, taking millions of trucks transporting freight off the road. Together, the two cutting-edge technologies are poised to have a significant impact across multiple industry platforms.

“Yesterday’s transit technologies aren’t serving us well today; Automobiles have evolved, Aviation has evolved, Aerospace has evolved, it’s time for rail to evolve,” says Dexter Vizinau, CEO of Richmond, CA-based CyberTran. “Today’s grid cannot handle the rapidly rising demand for energy, freight transport, fiber, and water. This is an opportunity to evolve our infrastructure through a network of resilient underground tunnels that can efficiently distribute freight, power, water and fiber; all in one utility tunnel built for the 21st century. We must move away from relying on current vulnerable above-ground infrastructure prone to increasingly frequent weather events.”

“Our plasma-boring machines are the solution to our aging, inefficient grid.” says Troy Helming, CEO of Richmond, CA-based EarthGrid.

Renderings source: CyberTran International

Today, trucks are the only way to carry goods to the Tracy and Central Valley regions. Highway 580 is heavily congested with traffic, which also impacts air quality.

“The Port of Oakland has every right to increase cargo throughput. It’s key to maintaining a productive port, but not at the expense of more trucks on the road. My constituents don’t want to see more trucks added to an existing problem and will vehemently oppose it,” said Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley. “Going underground to move goods and reducing truck traffic appears to be a viable solution and I hope all the Port of Oakland community embrace it and make use of the proposed system!”

“UC Berkeley PATH has been on the cutting edge of autonomous vehicle transportation for over 30 years. Going from vehicles in traffic to rail is a natural fit for the engineering science of PATH. Lately, we’ve been working on analysis and studies. We’re ready to build something and we believe the CyberTran ULRF&T system is it!” according to James Fishelson PATH Director and Lead Researcher. MANEX will be an instrumental factor in the design, planning, and implementation of a factory being proposed at an additional Port of Oakland site. The federally backed organization is well suited to assist in virtually every aspect of the vehicle production process. MANEX has experience with both transit and automobile vehicle manufacturing practices.

Vizinau added, “The Port must consider the needs of their customers during the proposal selection process. These companies want their goods quickly, more efficiently, and at the best possible cost obtainable. They must have a voice in this process!”

CyberTran is committed to having the factory and logistics facilities be Union Shops. Dockside operations will be negotiated with the ILWU, and construction jobs will be negotiated with the Building Trades. The In-Land Port will be a Union facility with which the union is yet to be identified.

The three massive structures being proposed will generate a significant amount of construction and permanent jobs that will add to the East Bay regional economy. The Howard Property proposes to house a 1,000,000 square foot on-dock logistics center, with a Ship to Shore operation where Ships, ULRF&T, Trucks, and possibly Heavy Rail will converge for import and export activity. The operation will result in approximately 1000 construction jobs, and 1500 permanent jobs. The structure is named IMODAL1.

A second property two doors west of the Howard Property called The Roundhouse is being proposed to be CyberTran’s Manufacturing Operations and Maintenance facility, aptly named M.O.M. This facility will birth transit vehicles for a global market. M.O.M. will also maintain the transport system. The 800,000 square foot M.O.M. facility will generate approximately 1000 construction jobs and 1200 permanent jobs.

IMODAL2 is proposed as a property site yet to be determined in the Tracy California area. It will operate as an In-Land Port for both import and export goods movement activities. The 1,000,000 square foot structure will employ 1000 construction jobs and 1500 permanent jobs.

Colliers International is pleased to be spearheading the Public Private Partnership proposal package and is available for questions.

About EarthGrid

EarthGrid, founded in 2016, is a plasma boring technology and infrastructure company specializing in proprietary, groundbreaking plasma tunnel-boring technology that can revolutionize the grid infrastructure in the U.S. Its goal is to create a network of underground tunnels to transmit clean energy, goods, and high-speed broadband across the U.S. In addition to expanding electricity capacity, EarthGrid aims to enhance the safety, security, and reliability of grid infrastructure, housing critical infrastructure underground to avoid the crippling effects of natural disasters. Follow EarthGrid on LinkedIn and YouTube.

(NOTE: The publisher of the Herald has a financial interest in CyberTran International.)

 

Annexation of Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District with Con Fire approved

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Effective July 1, 2025

By Lauren Ono, PIO, Contra Costa Fire

CONCORD, CA – Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Contra Costa Fire) and Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District (Rodeo-Hercules) are pleased to announce the Contra Costa Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) has unanimously approved the annexation of Rodeo-Hercules by Contra Costa Fire.

The annexation is expected to be effective on July 1, 2025. Contra Costa Fire will absorb all of Rodeo- Hercules’ firefighters, support staff, facilities, apparatus and equipment into the Contra Costa Fire operations.

“After years of careful study and deliberation, I’m very pleased and grateful for the Contra Costa County Local Agency Formation Commission’s approval of our district’s annexation into the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District,” said Delano Doss, chairman of the Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District Board of Directors. “Once implemented in mid-2025, residents in the communities of Rodeo and Hercules will receive significantly enhanced fire, rescue and EMS services provided by our firefighters, thanks to the exceptional resources of Contra Costa Fire.”

Doss added, “This is a huge win for everyone in Rodeo and Hercules, as well as for our dedicated firefighters—and it doesn’t cost residents a single extra penny in taxes.”

When the annexation occurs, residents can expect a seamless transition and a continued high level of emergency response and community connectivity. Benefits will also include increased fire services and improved firefighter safety throughout the entire service area.

“The combining of another fire agency in west Contra Costa County into Contra Costa Fire achieves the goal of providing safe, consistent, and efficient fire, medical, rescue and hazardous materials emergency response to all the communities we serve,” said Lewis Broschard, Fire Chief of Contra Costa Fire Protection District. “Although we’ve always worked closely with Rodeo-Hercules, this annexation will solidify and unify the emergency and non-emergency services we provide in west county under one agency.”

Padilla announces $19 million grant for North Richmond Community Resilience Initiative

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Part of over $216 million for California from environmental and climate justice Community Change Grants from Inflation Reduction Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded 15 California projects a combined $216.5 million to advance local, on-the-ground projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and strengthen workforce development. The funding comes from the Inflation Reduction Act as part of the Community Change Grants Program, the largest nationwide investment in environmental and climate justice in history.

The Community Change Grants Program addresses the diverse and unique needs of disadvantaged communities by reducing air, water, and soil pollution, building resilient infrastructure to extreme weather events, and bolstering workforce development.

“Overlooked communities across California have struggled for generations with air pollution and unaffordable water and energy bills. The climate crisis has only underscored these vulnerabilities,” said Padilla. “Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, we’re delivering millions in environmental justice investments to reduce energy costs and improve air quality, while developing climate-resilient community workforces.”

Approximately $2 billion dollars in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds were available for environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. These place-based investments focused on community-driven initiatives to be responsive to community and stakeholder input.

“On day one of his Administration, President Biden promised to target investments to communities that for too long have been shut out of federal funding,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today, thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, EPA is delivering on that promise. These selections will create jobs, improve public health, and uplift community efforts in all corners of this country, regardless of geography or background.”

California projects selected for Community Change Grants Program awards include:

  • North Richmond Community Resilience Initiative — $19.08 million. The North Richmond Community Resilience Initiative will build a community resiliency center at the North Richmond Farm to serve the community in the event of an emergency or disaster and provide community services during normal operations. The project will scale up existing efforts to increase North Richmond’s urban tree canopy and will plant 65 new trees along the Verde Elementary schoolyard to shield students from pollution generated by a new distribution center.
  • Treasure Island Connects — $19.50 million. This project focuses on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island in the San Francisco Bay Area. Treasure Island Connects aims to expand community access to clean public transportation resources through six projects. The project will launch a microtransit pilot to connect Treasure Island residents to key resources on mainland San Francisco and a community circulator shuttle. The project will also add one new electric bus to the Muni bus route servicing Treasure Island, create a bikeshare program, and install electric ferry charging infrastructure to support the planned conversion to zero-emission ferry service.
  • South Los Angeles All In – Good Jobs, Healthy Communities — $20 million. The Coalition for Responsible Community Development and the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College will support workforce development in South Los Angeles along four career tracks to reduce pollution, including lead abatement in buildings; welding for clean energy and transportation projects; hybrid and electric vehicle maintenance; and weatherization and energy auditing of buildings.
  • GREEN San Gabriel Valley — $20 million. In California’s San Gabriel Valley, Day One, Active San Gabriel Valley, and their partners will implement several environmental justice projects. They will mitigate extreme heat and build community resilience by expanding tree canopy and greening schoolyards with rain gardens and native plants. They will also provide incentives for the purchase of e-bikes, establish 60 public water stations, and reduce energy costs through the installation of solar, energy storage systems, and cool roofs.
  • Safe Drinking Water and Climate Resilience for Rural Pajaro Valley Disadvantaged Communities — $20 million. Focusing on households served by California’s Pajaro Water System (PWS), Sunny Mesa Water System (SMWS), and Springfield Water System (SWS), as well as households relying on private wells near the SWS in Northeastern Monterey County, this project will consolidate these water systems into a combined system with multiple compliant wells for redundancy and resilience to extreme climate events. Current systems do not have backup wells that meet water quality standards.
  • The San Diego Foundation — $20 million. Focused on San Diego’s historic central barrios, San Diego Foundation and the Environmental Health Coalition will take a holistic approach to improve local air quality, mitigate extreme heat, and expand green space. The project will improve residents’ access to clean and safe transportation, electrify homes, add energy storage, install air filters, and perform weatherization upgrades. It will also connect residents to clean energy job opportunities and apprenticeships in electrical and construction work.
  • Restoring Resilience: Enhancing Community and Environmental Sustainability through the Dos Pueblos Institute’s Climate Action Strategy — $19.99 million. The Restoring Resilience project will enhance disaster preparedness and response capabilities for the residents of disadvantaged communities on California’s Gaviota Coast. The project will establish the Gaviota Coastal Cultural and Historical Center, a resilience hub that will serve as a central location for educational programs and community events during “blue sky” days and as an emergency shelter and staging area during wildfires and other disasters.
  • Southeast Strong — $19.98 million. The City of Bakersfield and Building Healthy Communities Kern will improve community connectivity in central and southeast Bakersfield by expanding residents’ access to safe, clean, and convenient active transportation and public transit options. To reduce pollution and energy costs, they will fund energy efficiency retrofits at 30 single-family residential units and retrofit another 60 homes with solar panels and battery technologies. The project will also provide 150 residents with training to install solar panels, repair electric vehicles, and enroll in electrician apprenticeships.
  • Building Climate Resilient Communities in the Eastern Coachella Valley — $18.76 million. This project will build four geothermal, solar-powered commercial greenhouses with geothermal energy for cooling and heating. The greenhouses will support vertical hydroponic farming and will offer free training and 15 living wage jobs to newly trained “Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) workers from the Eastern Coachella Valley community. The project also will build the Center for Community Development and Resilience (CCDR), which will integrate climate-smart building elements, such as solar and heat pumps, as well as green infrastructure.
  • Greening North Franklin — $17.84 million. La Familia Counseling Center and Community Resource Project will implement several projects to reduce pollution and build climate resilience in south Sacramento. They will develop a community resilience hub to serve as a cooling center during extreme heat events and provide services to meet community needs in an emergency. To reduce energy costs and pollution, the project will provide energy efficiency upgrades, install solar on qualifying homes, and provide workforce training in electrification, housing retrofits, and solar installation.

A full list of California projects and descriptions is available here.

EPA is on track to obligate the majority of selected Community Change grants by January 2025. More information on the Community Change Grants Program is available here.

Senator Padilla has helped secure hundreds of millions from the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce pollution in underserved California communities. Earlier this year, Padilla announced nearly $500 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which will help decarbonize the transportation and freight sectors and improve air quality for Southern California residents. Padilla also secured nearly $250 million for California’s Solar for All project to help deliver residential solar for low-income and disadvantaged communities across the state. Last year, he announced over $102 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service to combat extreme heat and climate change, plant and maintain trees, and create urban green spaces.

 

MTC, transit agencies debut Bay Area’s new transit maps and signs

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Source: MTC. Credit: Noah Berger

Test signs and maps now installed at El Cerrito del Norte BART station

By John Goodwin, Assistant Director Of Communications, Metropolitan Transportation Commission

SAN FRANCISCO, December 12, 2024…Bay Area transit agencies and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Thursday, at the El Cerrito del Norte BART station unveiled new test transit maps and signs designed to help make transit journeys easier to understand for both existing and new riders by delivering information that is clear, predictable and familiar across service areas and county lines. A new, comprehensive regional transit map, which will enable riders to discover key destinations they can reach on the Bay Area’s extensive bus, rail and ferry network, also was released.

Thursday’s event kicked off the start of an evaluation period for the Regional Mapping & Wayfinding project, in which MTC and its transit partners invite Bay Area residents and visitors alike to share their thoughts about the test signs and maps now installed at the El Cerrito del Norte BART station. Several “test” prototype signs and other communication materials also will be installed at the Santa Rosa Transit Mall/Downtown Santa Rosa SMART station later this month.

“Transit in the Bay Area and elsewhere is still suffering the effects of the pandemic,” said Sue Noack, Vice chair of MTC’s Regional Network Management Committee and Pleasant Hill City Councilmember. “But these maps and signs are tangible examples of the work MTC, and the transit agencies are doing together to make the Bay Area’s system simpler, easier to use and more affordable.”

Transit riders will be able to engage with the test materials during their journeys and share with MTC their ideas about how to make new signs and maps work better for them. This public feedback will help inform the next stage of the project, in which the new maps and wayfinding materials are expected to be installed at seven additional locations across the Bay Area in 2025 and 2026.

New BART station sign and map. Source: MTC Credit: Gordon Hansen

Members of the public who are unable to visit one of the test locations in El Cerrito or Santa Rosa are invited to take an online survey. Full details are available on the MTC website at mtc.ca.gov/MappingWayfinding.

A new, comprehensive regional transit map, which will enable riders to discover key destinations they can reach on the Bay Area’s extensive bus, rail and ferry network, also was released.

The new maps and signs are part of the larger Regional Mapping and Wayfinding initiative aimed at making it easier to ride transit in the Bay Area. Whether a rider is traveling by bus, rail, ferry or a combination, the signs, maps, screens and other communication systems will be consistent and easy to identify across all nine Bay Area counties.

The Regional Mapping and Wayfinding Project is the result of a first-of-its-kind effort — led by MTC with the partnership of transit riders, Bay Area cities and counties, and over two dozen Bay Area transit agencies — to redesign and harmonize maps and signage across all nine Bay Area counties to help people navigate transit more easily. This project is just one piece of a broader effort, outlined by the Bay Area Transit Transformation Action Plan, focused on making Bay Area transit easier and more convenient for riders of all ages and abilities to use.

The Regional Network Management Council includes top executives from MTC, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, BART, AC Transit, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Caltrain, SamTrans and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District as well as three general managers representing all other transit agencies serving Bay Area communities.

MTC is the regional transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

 

El Cerrito PD seek help ID’ing person of interest in sexual battery of a hearing impaired woman

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Photos: El Cerrito PD

The El Cerrito Police Department is still seeking help from the community to identify a person of interest in a sexual battery incident that occurred on Wednesday, November 13th, at approximately 3:30 PM.

The investigation revealed that the victim, a sight and hearing impaired woman, was followed by a man for several city blocks until she reached a more secluded residential area on Stockton Avenue near Elm Street. The man then approached the woman from behind and slapped her buttock before he fled the area.

After locating additional video surveillance footage from businesses in the area, investigators discovered this man was a Hispanic male in his twenties with a thin to medium build, wearing a dark gray beanie, a light gray sweatshirt, dark pants, and white and black shoes. This alert contains two updated pictures of the suspect.

Please contact Detective Michael Olivieri at molivieri@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us if you recognize this man or if you have any information that might help this investigation

Richmond: Free Ferry Fridays begin today, Nov. 1

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Source: CCTABIG, exciting news for Richmond passengers! CCTA and SF Bay Ferry have teamed up to offer Free Ferry Fridays on the Richmond/SF route for the rest of 2024! Hop on board starting Nov. 1 for a stress-free, cost-free ride every Friday across the Bay! #FreeFerryFridays

Source: SF Bay Ferry

All trips between Richmond and Downtown San Francisco are FREE ON FRIDAYS until the end of the year, thanks to a partnership with Contra Costa Transportation Authority – CCTA. Check the Richmond route schedule here: https://sanfranciscobayferry.com/richmond-ferry-route.