Bay Area Monitor

05/13/2020

Monitor Notes: Train Troubles, Virtual Creek Tour, Green Jobs, Home Solar - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features troubling news for Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit and Caltrain, a Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates webinar, Wholly H2O's live-stream Temescal Creek Watershed tour, a new open space jobs report from TOGETHER Bay Area, and solar-power webinars with the Marin County Sustainability Team: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/05/13/nn-wh2o-together-pge/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Surveying Options SMART is asking riders to take a short survey about potential service changes that would help the nearly three-year-old North Bay operator shave expenses...

05/06/2020

Monitor Notes: Travel Patterns, Affordable Housing Month, Park Policies, Sewage Surveillance - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features UC Davis research about traffic and fuel use during the pandemic, Affordable Housing Month events with Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California and other groups, California State Parks Foundation Park Advocacy Day, a look at COVID-19 indicators in sewer systems with The Water Research Foundation, and much more: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/05/06/ucd-ahm-cspf-wrf/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Driving Budgets to the Brink Roads are less traveled during shelter-in-place, with vehicle miles traveled down about 75 percent in California, according to UC Davis resear...

04/29/2020

Monitor Notes: Digital Democracy (featuring LWVC), High-Speed Rail, Headwaters, Heat Pumps, "Green Fire" - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features the League of Women Voters of California in a First Amendment Coalition webinar, California High-Speed Rail Authority plans, a Public Policy Institute of California webinar on headwater management, Sierra Club analysis of heat pumps, and a Solano Land Trust film fest and panel discussion: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/04/29/lwvc-hsra-ppic-sc-slt/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Public Participation Knowledge During the coronavirus pandemic, virtually every meeting has gone virtual. So consider joining an 11 a.m. webinar this Thursday, April 30 fo...

04/22/2020

Monitor Notes: Transit Discounts, PG&E Bankruptcy, Food Security, Wetlands Monitoring - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features emergency transit funding allocations from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission's proposal on reorganizing PG&E, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition's effort to help out Valley Verde, and San Francisco Estuary Partnership's Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/04/22/sfmta-cpuc-svbc-sfei/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Hailing Transit Help SFMTA announced a discount program to help seniors and people with disabilities make essential trips in taxis during the shelter-in-place period. That...

04/15/2020

Monitor Notes: Earth Day, Climate Ready, Bay Aquarium, City Streets - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment's virtual Earth Day celebration, climate change planning with the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative and the City of Albany, CA, an Aquarium of the Bay cyber conversation, and a look at the future of cities in a post-pandemic world with SPUR: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/04/15/su-crcrc-bay-spur/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Earth to Celebrators For many people, commemorating Earth Day is an essential activity. The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment is hosting a free webcast on April...

04/08/2020

Monitor Notes: Spring Break Edition - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features a webinar with Seamless Bay Area, San Francisco Transit Riders, and TransForm; Mary Ellen Hannibal's TedTalk on Monarch butterflies; a Climate One presentation on threat response; a Pacific Institute article about stormwater in PLOS; a Circle of Blue article about water agency staff shortage worries; and grants from Clean Water Program Alameda County: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/04/08/sba-meh-co-pi/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Rebuilding Bay Area Transit Under our new COVID-19 reality, transit ridership and revenue has plummeted, putting our transportation system in peril. What can you do to mos...

04/07/2020

Looking to the Horizon of Regional Transportation - Bay Area Monitor

Bay Area transit operators are hurting right now due to COVID-19, but what about the long-term outlook? We search for answers in the new edition of the Bay Area Monitor: https://bayareamonitor.org/article/looking-to-the-horizon-of-regional-transportation/

Futuristic hyperloop pods that whisk commuters around the region are a flashy idea, but not one that Bay Area transportation planners are betting on today. Looking at key proposed projects — like a new San Francisco/East Bay rail connection — it’s clear that planners are doubling down on publi...

04/03/2020

Earth Day at 50: Mulling the Blue Marble’s Next Half Century - Bay Area Monitor

Earth Day's 50th birthday will need to be celebrated digitally on April 22, and you can get in the spirit now with the Bay Area Monitor's look at the past and future of this important observance and its broader meaning: https://bayareamonitor.org/article/earth-day-at-50-mulling-the-blue-marbles-next-half-century/

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. What Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson had initially envisioned as a national day of environmental education blossomed into a full-blown movement when on April 22, 1970, 10 percent of the United States population, 20 million people, took to America.....

04/02/2020

The Future of Water: Onsite Desalination for Hyperlocal Reuse - Bay Area Monitor

Robin Meadows' latest article for the Bay Area Monitor looks at the possibilities for hyperlocal wastewater treatment being worked on by folks at the Berkeley Lab's NAWI and SF Water, Power, Sewer (SFPUC): https://bayareamonitor.org/article/the-future-of-water-onsite-desalination-for-hyperlocal-reuse/

People have dreamed of turning salty water into drinking water since the early 1960s, when President John F. Kennedy famously said, “If we could produce fresh water from saltwater at a low cost, that would indeed be a great service to humanity, and would dwarf any other scientific accomplishment.....

04/01/2020

Monitor Notes: EPA Rule Rollback, I-680 Lanes, Birding, COVID-19 Food Chain Impacts - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features NRDC and Mother Jones on new federal standards for fuel economy, opportunities for public comment on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Plan Bay Area proposal for I-680, National Audubon Society's thoughts about birding during the pandemic, Public Policy Institute of California's consideration of COVID-19's broader effect on our food system, and more: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/04/01/epa-mtc-aud-ppic/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Pollution Rule Rollback The Trump administration announced new fuel economy standards for cars and pickups on Tuesday, March 31, replacing a 2012 rule set by President Bar...

03/31/2020

Taking a Clear Look at 2065 - Bay Area Monitor

Leslie Stewart examined regional and state long-term air quality goals in the new edition of the Bay Area Monitor: https://bayareamonitor.org/article/taking-a-clear-look-at-2065/

Illustrations and comic strips from 1975, the year the Bay Area Monitor was first published, often depicted automobiles with little puffs of gray exhaust coming from their tailpipes. Refineries and factories were shown with tall chimneys emitting plumes of dark smoke. In the Bay Area today, these po...

03/30/2020

Tough Times Ahead: Bay Area Monitor Facing Potential Shutdown - Bay Area Monitor

The April/May edition of the Bay Area Monitor, with a special theme focusing on the region's long-term future, is now online. Unfortunately, our magazine -- along with so many other small media outlets and nonprofits -- is currently in short-term peril: https://bayareamonitor.org/article/tough-times-ahead-bay-area-monitor-facing-potential-shutdown/

In 1975, the year it launched, the Bay Area Monitor was produced on a mimeograph machine. In case you’re wondering, a mimeograph is basically a high-volume stencil, a way to reproduce printed pages by pushing ink onto paper through letter-shaped holes. These days, you’re more likely to find one ...

03/30/2020

Bay Area Monitor

03/25/2020

Monitor Notes: Regional Coalition, Flood Control, Transit Funding, Renter Woes - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features regional organizing from the new coalition developing out of what was once the Bay Area Open Space Council, ESTUARY News Magazine articles from Robin Meadows, a request for revenue loss relief from transit operators like Bay Area Rapid Transit due to the coronavirus pandemic, and a report on affordable housing needs from the California Housing Partnership: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/03/25/baosc-en-bart-chp/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Safe Space A new regional coalition working toward climate-resilient lands and social equity is hosting a virtual gathering this Thursday, March 26 from 10 to 11 a.m., wit...

03/18/2020

Monitor Notes: Stay Safe, Stay Busy - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features tips from California Volunteers, Office of the Governor for how to help during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with some reading and watching material (from KQED Forum, Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital, Greenbelt Alliance, and others) to pass the time: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/03/18/cv/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Stay Safe, Stay Busy Work from home. Kids at home. Social distance. Indeed, coronavirus sheltering-in-place is hitting home for many of us as we digest our role in stoppin...

03/11/2020

Monitor Notes: Sexual Harassment, Housing Fight, Climate Adaptation, Golden Gate Park Turns 150 - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features a webinar from the Mineta Transportation Institute about harassment on transit, a housing crisis book event at Manny's, work on climate change adaptation at California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department's celebration of Golden Gate Park's 150th birthday: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/03/11/mti-cd-oes-ggp/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Handling Harassment Concerns Mineta Transportation Institute’s March 19 “Research Snaps” webinar from 10 to 10:30 a.m. will focus on sexual harassment on public tran...

03/04/2020

Monitor Notes: Air Symposium, Ferry Fares, Water Wisdom, Park Grants - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features a Bay Area Air Quality Management District symposium, possible fare increases for San Francisco Bay Ferry service, a forum about the Alameda Creek Watershed with Alameda County Water District and others, and new Prop 68 grants awarded by California State Parks: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/03/04/baaqmd-weta-acw-csp/

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 f...

02/26/2020

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes reminds you that Voter's Edge will help you get ready to vote next Tuesday. This week we also bring you a Valley Water survey, events from the Bay Area Regional Energy Network and Aclima, and the winners of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Transformative Projects competition: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/02/26/ve-vw-bayren-mtc/

02/14/2020

Empowering Women in the Bay Area for Decades - Bay Area Monitor

Happy 100th birthday to the League of Women Voters of the U.S.! In recognition of this milestone and the centennial of women earning the right to vote, we're proud to present Leslie Stewart's article about the League of Women Voters Bay Area's history, published in our recent special edition of the Bay Area Monitor: https://bayareamonitor.org/article/empowering-women-in-the-bay-area-for-decades/

When women won the vote in 1920, the two primary goals of the newly formed League of Women Voters were to make sure that women had the opportunity to cast an informed vote, and that they would use their new voices to amplify the messages that were most important to them. “Your vote is your …

02/12/2020

Monitor Notes: League Centennial, TOD, Futures, Coasts, More Monarchs - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features League of Women Voters of the U.S. centennial celebrations, Bay Area Rapid Transit TOD plans, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Futures report, policy solutions for protecting coastal infrastructure, and a podcast about art and butterflies from Outside Magazine: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/02/12/lwv-bart-mtc-sa-op/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   And Many More… This Friday, February 14 the League of Women Voters is celebrating its centennial, marking a rich history born of the suffrage movement that continues to ...

02/05/2020

Monitor Notes: Shoreline Protection, Climate Care, Senior Mobility, Forever Forest - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features planning for shoreline protection, action on climate change with the League of Women Voters Berkeley Albany Emeryville and the Marin County Sustainability Team, meetings about senior mobility with the Sonoma County Human Services Department, and Save the Redwoods League's progress with its Forever Forest campaign: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/02/05/rwqcb-lwvbae-scaaa-srl/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Water Swaps The San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board is proposing changes to the Bay Area’s Water Quality Control Plan to protect our shorelines from sea l...

02/04/2020

After Suffrage: Women’s Long Struggle for Political Equality - Bay Area Monitor

Our February/March Bay Area Monitor magazine is out today, focusing on the League of Women Voters of the U.S. centennial with special coverage and a lead article from guest contributors Steve and Susie Swatt, authors of Paving the Way: Women's Struggle for Political Equality in California: https://bayareamonitor.org/article/after-suffrage-womens-long-struggle-for-political-equality/

When the first four women were elected to the California Assembly in 1918, the state’s newspapers disagreed on the breakthrough’s significance. The Los Angeles Times called it an “experiment.” The Oakland Tribune, however, said it expected the women to be as competent as the men, although it...

02/04/2020

Bay Area Monitor

01/29/2020

Monitor Notes: Electric Homes, Butterflies, Stormwater, Retirement - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes features a Climate Reality program about electric homes with guest speakers from the Sierra Club, a warning from The Xerces Society about the monarch butterfly population, an East Bay Municipal Utility District presentation on green stormwater infrastructure, and a discussion about retirement in San Jose with SPUR: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/01/29/crp-xs-ebmud-spur/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.   Come into Power Curious about the growing push toward all-electric, gas-free homes? Become empowered with a February 11 discussion hosted by the Bay Area chapter of the Cl...

01/22/2020

Monitor Notes: Aclima, Housing, UGBs, Carpools, and Creeks - Bay Area Monitor

Our latest edition of Bay Area Monitor Notes -- brought to you in part by the Oakland Museum Women's Board White Elephant Sale -- features
Aclima air monitoring, a SPUR housing event, Greenbelt Alliance's work on UGBs, a survey on ridesharing and carpooling from SFMTA | San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and creek daylighting coverage from The Frisc: https://bayareamonitor.org/2020/01/22/baaqmd-spur-gb-sfmta-frisc/

Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles. Notes note: In a break from our usual approach, this week’s edition of Monitor Notes focuses solely on the upcoming Women’s March. We will be back next week with our regu...