Hundreds to convene in Mountain View to help Silicon Valley “Get Moving” for health, affordability

Three hundred community members will converge at the Microsoft Campus with a critical mission – to provide greater health, affordability, and opportunity for everyone in Silicon Valley. In a region that faces some of the fastest growing rents and rapidly widening income gap in the nation, this is an ambitious feat. The fourth annual ‘Let's Get Moving Silicon Valley’ Summit, hosted by the Bay Area transportation advocacy non­profit TransForm and sponsored by the Mineta Transportation Institute, will address those issues Saturday, May 7, from 9 a.m.­4 p.m. at Microsoft, 1065 La Avenida Street, Mountain View CA. For information, go to http://www.transformca.org/events/lets­get­moving­2016­silicon­valley­summit.

This public assembly of residents, community leaders, public officials, organizations, and city planners will tackle issues related to transportation and community health in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Sessions will address the Bay Area's affordability crisis, parking, mapping greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in the SF Bay Area, preparing for the arrival of BART and High Speed Rail; and more.

The Summit will be filled with experts speaking on the region’s most important issues: transportation, affordable homes, climate change, and parking. We will be joined by some of California’s visionary leaders, including: ­

• Kate White​, Deputy Secretary for Environmental Policy and Housing Coordination, California State Transportation Agency; ­
• Dr. Karen Chapple​, U.C. Berkeley professor, researcher and author and Principal Investigator of the Urban Displacement Project; ­
• Dr. Christopher M. Jones​, Program Director of U.C. Berkeley’s CoolClimate Network; ­
• Rod Diridon, Sr.​, Executive Director Emeritus, Mineta Transportation Institute; ­
• Dr. Richard W. Wilson​, Professor and Chair in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at California State Polytechnic University

TransForm’s Senior Community Planner, Chris Lepe, said, “Anyone concerned about the future of our Silicon Valley communities should attend this critical event. In addition to open discussions, we will offer skill­building workshops on how to effectively bring about change in our cities.”

More than 25 sponsors include Microsoft, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Santa Clara County Public Health Department, Mineta Transportation Institute, Lyft, SPUR, Greenbelt Alliance, SJSU Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, and others.

For more information and to register, visit http://www.transformca.org/events/lets­get­moving­2016­silicon­valley­summit. Tickets at $20 are available until April 30, after which registration will increase. Scholarships are available for volunteers, students, and those on limited incomes; no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Registration includes breakfast and lunch. Interpretation services will be available upon request.

ABOUT TRANSFORM

TransForm is California's leading advocate for great transportation choices and walkable, affordable communities. TransForm has offices in Oakland, Sacramento, and San Jose.

ABOUT THE MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE

The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) conducts research, education, and information transfer programs regarding surface transportation policy and management issues, especially related to transit. Congress established MTI in 1991 as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. MTI won national re­designation competitions in 2002, 2006, and 2012. The Institute is funded through the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of Homeland Security, the California Department of Transportation, and public and private grants. The internationally respected members of the MTI Board of Trustees represent all major surface transportation modes. MTI, the lead institute for the nine­university Mineta National Transit Research Consortium, is affiliated with San Jose (CA) State University’s College of Business.

###

Contacts:
Shannon Tracey, TransForm, 510­-740-­3150 x303
Karen E. Philbrick, Mineta Transportation Institute, 408-­924-­7562