Have you ever wished you could bring the Rail~Volution conference home with you, so that a whole coalition from your community could connect and learn together? Wishes DO come true – Rail~Volution’s ACT2 program offers just that: a place-based program designed to deliver the boost your community needs to develop and activate an ecosystem that supports transit, land use and community development the Rail~Volution way.
Dan Bartholomay, Chief Executive Officer, and Sarah Rudolf, Associate Director, travelled to two locations this summer to explore how ACT2 could activate their communities.
NEPA MOVES: Northeast Pennsylvania
NEPA MOVES is a coalition of about 100 people representing organizations in Northeast Pennsylvania. The geographic region is comprised of Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties and includes urban centers in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton. The region is strategically situated for easy access and distribution to New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and DC, and is experiencing job growth and population growth as a result. The challenge is that people can’t always get to work or other places they need to go.
NEPA MOVES is focused on providing solutions to the transportation challenges through a strategic plan that promotes equity, encourages economic growth, and fosters greater opportunity for all people and communities across Northeastern Pennsylvania. NEPA MOVES evolved from an Equitable Transit Council convened by the Scranton Area Community Foundation two years ago. NEPA Moves has been praised as a unique, collaborative model of cross-sector partnerships advancing transit equity, applicable not only for the state of Pennsylvania but also nationally.
Rail~Volution is in the initial phase of ACT2 with this group. We are conducting an in-depth scan of the current conditions for both transit and the coalition. Dan and Sarah met with the four NEPA MOVES subgroups in mid-July to hear about priorities, challenges, hopes and wish lists. This visit, along with a document review and key stakeholder interviews, will inform the development of a work plan for trainings over the next 12 months on such topics as regional coordination, public engagement and community identity.
Move Oahu Forward: Honolulu, Hawaii
Move Oahu Forward is a coalition of business and community leaders working to improve mobility and quality of life on the island of Oahu. A major focus is the Honolulu rail project, which is slated to begin interim service in early 2021 after more than 10 years of construction. Full service along 20 miles with 21 stations will launch in December 2025.
With the advent of light rail comes increased access and opportunities for residents and visitors alike. The City & County of Honolulu has a variety of TOD plans in process to manage development along the rail line. This provides an important and foundational starting point. Move Oahu Forward recognizes the unique window of opportunity presented by the pending rail system to galvanize existing stakeholders and activate new partnerships at the community level. They want to ensure that the benefits of a rail line are fully realized and that policy and program changes occur proactively to protect and uplift existing communities in the face of change.
Dan spoke at a Move Oahu Forward annual leadership breakfast on July 31, celebrating progress to date and activating considerations about community impact “beyond the rail.”
We’re excited to be working in the early stages with both communities. Through our work we hope to inspire cross-sector leaders to act to maximize the positive community impact of transit investments.
ACT2 is seeking two additional pilot communities to sign on for 2020. Pilot communities should have an active cross-sector, interdisciplinary collaborative, be able to identify a timely transit-related issue or reason that now is a moment of opportunity, and provide a primary liaison to work with us. Please contact Sarah Rudolf (sarahr@railvolution.org) to explore how ACT2 could help activate your community.