Fresno County Measure S is on the ballot as an initiative in Fresno County on November 3, 2026.

A "yes" vote supports establishing a 0.5% sales tax for 30 years, beginning when the existing Measure C transportation tax expires, to initially generate an estimated $113 million annually for transportation projects and services, including street repairs, public transit, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and free transit for specified groups.

A "no" vote opposes establishing a 0.5% sales tax for 30 years, beginning when the existing Measure C transportation tax expires, to initially generate an estimated $113 million annually for transportation projects and services, including street repairs, public transit, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and free transit for specified groups.

Fresno County voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to replace Measure C, the half-cent transportation sales tax that has paid for the county’s freeways, road repairs and bus service since 1987 and expires next summer.

Measure S — the “Fresno County Transportation Improvement Act” — would keep the same half-cent tax as Measure C for 30 more years, starting next summer. Its backers project it would raise about $7.4 billion over those 30 years.

Unlike every Measure C renewal attempt since 1986, Measure S only needs a simple majority to pass. It is a citizens’ initiative: supporters turned in more than 32,000 petition signatures, and the county registrar verified enough of them — 22,205, just over the 21,909 required — to put it on the ballot. That means it is not held to the two-thirds threshold that sank the 2022 renewal effort at 58%.

Measure S makes three big promises: fix neighborhood roads first, make students safer near schools, and keep public transit running.

And it does something no voter-approved version of Measure C has done before — it ties the money to measurable targets on neighborhood road quality and school safety, and writes spending rules into law that cities must meet before they can widen roads. Annual independent audits, reviewed by a citizens oversight committee where elected officials are banned, will check that the rules are followed.

Will Measure S add to my taxes?

No — not compared to what you pay today. Measure S would begin collecting on July 1, 2027, the day after Measure C stops. The half-cent rate stays the same.

Legally, though, Measure S is a new tax, not an extension of Measure C. That distinction is why the Board of Supervisors, when it voted in August to move the measure to March 2028, rewrote the ballot question to read “impose a new half-cent sales tax.” A judge later ruled the measure must appear on the November ballot under a new state law, AB 1923.

If Measure S fails, the half-cent Measure C tax disappears after June 2027 and your sales tax rate goes down by half a cent, unless another measure replaces it.

How does this plan work, and what’s new?

This spending plan is more transparent than the last few versions of Measure C.

In the old versions of Measure C, most of the money went out with few strings attached. The original 1986 measure and the 2006 extension handed most of the money to cities as “flex dollars” and to a list of projects in the regional highway program, and it was spent, according to a report commissioned by the county, “without being tied to specific success metrics.”

In recent years, that has become a major problem for residents across the county, as sprawl development that those new highways served failed to deliver the promised economic prosperity.

Instead, local roads have become filled with potholes. Between the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis and 2020, Fresno County’s average pavement score fell 14 points — the biggest drop among California’s 10 biggest counties.

“I go to a lot of places, and I hear from people that we spent all this money on Measure C but our roads are still terrible,” Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said at the Dec. 18, 2025 Fresno Council of Governments meeting where an initial version of the plan was approved.

Measure S would work mainly through a new transparency structure run by a group of independent citizens. Politicians and their staffers are banned from being on the committee. 

The main rule: before a city can spend its Measure S road money on widening roads, its existing neighborhood streets have to be taken care of first. Even then, it can spend no more than 5% a year on widening.

How will this be measured? By Measure S’s two major goals:

1) Fixing neighborhood streets. Roads are graded on something called the Pavement Condition Index (PCI), on a 0-to-100 scale. Each city’s streets must average at least 70 — the bottom of the “good” range. And every single street must score at least 65 — “fair” — before a city can spend Measure S money widening roads. 

2) Safe routes to school. The first version of Measure C from the 1980s was obsessed with speed: it paved Fresno’s farmland into the big, beautiful highways that we know and love today. Think Highway 41, 180, 168.

What does the rest of the plan look like?

The plan reflects what voters told pollsters. In an October 2025 survey of 1,660 likely voters commissioned for the COG renewal process, fixing potholes (82%) and prioritizing the worst roads (80%) topped the list of features voters called very important. Sixty-two percent also said maintaining public transit service was very important, and 60% said preventing transit cuts was.

A separate countywide survey conducted for Fresno COG found 68% of residents rated improving local bus service as highly important.

Keeping transit running. A quarter of the money goes to transit — 70% of that to Fresno Area Express, 20% to the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency and 10% to Clovis Transit — and paratransit for seniors and people with disabilities must be funded first. Each agency must show year-over-year improvement on a set of measures: ridership, how many urban routes run every 15 minutes or better, travel times to key destinations, transfers, wait times and on-time performance.

Seniors and military veterans get free bus fares + new technology. Another 4% of the measure pays for free fares for seniors 62 and older, active-duty military, veterans, people with disabilities, students and children. Whatever is left goes out as competitive grants for things like electric-vehicle chargers, mobility hubs and broadband for telecommuting.

Regional roads and highways. Just 4% goes to projects that serve more than one city, including state highways — about $223 million over 30 years by the county’s estimate. Cities, the county and Caltrans compete for it, and projects must reduce driving, reduce crashes, increase walking, biking or transit, clean the air, improve access to jobs or bring other direct local benefits. This is genuinely new: before, highway expansions could just be put on Measure C’s project list with no proof that the public would benefit.

In another new transparency measure, these projects will only be selected after at least three public meetings — one each on the east side, the west side and in the Fresno metro area. Money is handed out in four rounds, the first by June 30, 2028, and agencies are only reimbursed after they spend, never advanced.

The last 2% would be split between administering the measure and Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

Program	Share	What it pays for
Neighborhood streets & roads	65%	Repaving, potholes, sidewalks, curb ramps, lighting, traffic calming, Safe Routes to School, bike lanes — split among the 15 cities and county
Public transit	25%	FAX 70%, rural transit 20%, Clovis Transit 10%
Regional roads & highways	4%	Projects that serve more than one city, including state highways, chosen in public meetings; must cut driving, crashes or pollution, or add other local benefit
Airport	1%	Fresno Yosemite International
Access & innovation	4%	Free fares for seniors, students, veterans and people with disabilities first; then clean-energy and technology grants
Administration	1%	Fresno COG

Over 30 years, the campaign’s economic analysis estimates Measure S would support about 68,000 job-years — about 40,000 of them directly — and $5.1 billion in total wages.

What happens to transit and road funding if Measure S fails?

Measure C ends June 30, 2027, either way. Without a replacement:

• The City of Fresno loses about $54 million a year and 217 city positions are at risk, including about $19 million and 93 jobs at Fresno Area Express, according to Mayor Jerry Dyer. Dyer said buses could stop running after 8 p.m., and routes that come every 30 minutes could come every 45 minutes to an hour.

• Clovis loses about $6.3 million a year and the rural transit agency about $4 million.

• County Public Works would lose $10 million to $13 million a year from its road fund. County staff listed layoffs “as a last resort”; Supervisor Luis Chavez said about 90 county jobs are at risk.

The City of Fresno has its own backstop on the ballot, Measure D, a half-cent general tax for the city’s general fund. It would end if Measure S or another countywide road tax passes; otherwise it would expire after 10 years.

Who supports Measure S?

• 11 of the county’s 15 mayors, including Republicans Jerry Dyer (Fresno), Vong Mouanoutoua (Clovis), Nathan Vosburg (Coalinga), Victor Martinez (Mendota), Alma Beltran (Parlier) and Freddy Valdez (Firebaugh). Ten of them voted for the plan at Fresno COG in December.

• Supervisor Luis Chavez

• Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, Jakara Movement, League of Women Voters of Fresno, Faith in the Valley, Cultiva La Salud, California Walks, Fresno Building Healthy Communities

• Sierra Club, NRDC Action Fund, California Environmental Voters, Fresno County Bicycle Coalition, Medical Advocates for Healthy Air

• North Coast States Carpenters Union, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1027, SEIU Locals 521 and 2015, Fresno Teachers Association, California Nurses Association, Central Labor Council

• Central Valley Community Foundation

• Fresno Association of Realtors, Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce, Clovis Chamber of Commerce

• Streetsblog California

Who opposes Measure S?

• Supervisors Garry Bredefeld, Nathan Magsig, and Buddy Mendes

• Clovis Mayor Pro Tem Diane Pearce, Reedley Mayor Matthew Tuttle

• Valley Watchdogs PAC chair and Brooke Ashjian and the Central Valley Young Republicans

• Former Fresno County Supervisor, California High-Speed Rail Authority Board Member and lobbyist Henry R. Perea

What are the arguments against Measure S?

Supervisor Garry Bredefeld, chair of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, called it “a scam” and “a public transportation tax disguised as a roads tax.” 

Bredefeld says, falsely, that Measure S won’t touch the county’s road maintenance backlog. He also objects to the requirement for 120 miles of bike lanes to be built out across the county.

Many opponents worry that the accountability measure baked into Measure S will hurt growth. If local roads have to get fixed first and school routes get safer before new roads get built, opponents say, that would hamstring local governments who want to build new roads near the fringes of town, and thereby reduce some of the region’s economic dynamism.

Who is funding the campaigns?

The Yes on S committee, Fresno County Residents for Better Roads and Safe Streets, reported that their top funders were the Central Valley Community Foundation, the North Coast States Regional Council of Carpenters and the Fund for a Better Future – a committee of the Resources Legacy Fund, which helps fund campaigns that make California communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

As of Oct. 2, Yes on Measure S has raised over $1.8 million, including $848,000 from the Central Valley Community Foundation. 

Central Valley Community Foundation	$848,097.88
North Coast States Regional Council of Carpenters Issues PAC	$500,000
Fund for a Better Future, Inc.	$150,000
Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability	$88,061.46
Fresno Building Healthy Communities	$51,499.49
Accelerator for America Action, a national group focused on infrastructure and transit	$40,000
Fresno City Employees Association PAC	$30,000
Paul M. Gibson, farmer, philanthropist, and former co-owner of Guarantee Real Estate	$25,000
Kathryn Taylor, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and wife of former gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer	$20,000

The Non on S Fresno County Committee has raised $10,000, as of Oct. 2, from retiring Supervisor Buddy Mendes’ campaign account and another $25,000 from contractor, developer and major Republican donor Richard Spencer. The Valley Red Wave PAC has also spent $596 in “No on S” signs across the county.

Written by Nancy Moya, Communications Volunteer with USGBC Central California

Making a difference requires leadership.

Join our Board of Directors to advance

a green built environment in Central California. 

October 5, 2026

USGBC Central California is now soliciting nominations for election to the Board of Directors.  This position provides the opportunity to help advance green buildings and communities in Central California and become part of the leadership team of a growing organization.  The Chapter is seeking Directors who are committed to increasing sustainability in our built environment, passionate about making an impact in our community, experienced in leading volunteer organizations, and willing to commit leadership to helping the Chapter serve our community.  Find out more about board membership in our election fact sheet.

ELECTION SCHEDULE

Filing Period:                                              October 5th – November 7th, 2026

Deadline to Submit Application*:              November 20, 2026

Candidate Notification:                            November 30, 2026

Elections:                                                    December 1 – December 31, 2026 

New Board Members Seated:                   January 1, 2027

Who can Vote:                                           All current paid Chapter members*

 *To join the Chapter and be eligible to apply and vote, click here: www.usgbccc.org/Become-A-Member and follow instructions on Registering for a Chapter Membership link below. 

TERMS & MEETINGS

The term of office is for two years from January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2028.  Terms of board members are staggered so that half the Board changes each year.  Board meetings occur on a monthly basis, generally online.

             

QUALIFICATIONS

Given the Chapter’s expanding scope of programs and local influence, a number of qualifications are particularly important.  The Board seeks diversity and leadership qualities to assure strong and dynamic local leadership. 

·        Candidates will be selected to provide a mix of expertise, potential contributions, leadership, business experience, diversity, and continuity. 

·        Candidates must sign the USGBC-CC Board of Directors commitment form.

·        Candidates are expected to be USGBC-CC members, new member applicants are accepted.

·        We are currently looking for candidates from the following fields: architecture, banking, law, construction, real estate development, engineering, government, interior design, landscaping, transportation, marketing.

GENERAL INFORMATION                         

·        Nominations will be accepted for seven (7) board seats.

·        You may nominate yourself or nominate another member by asking them to do so by completing the linked application form.

·        Bios and applications will be sent out with the ballots.  Voting instructions will be sent to all members prior to commencement of voting. 

·        Submit the completed Board of Director Application and signed Board of Director Commitment by the deadline above.  Submission of the Board of Director application implies agreement. 

·        Direct all questions to connect@usgbccc.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

Uris Giron

President

Mayuko Russell

Vice-President

Ellis Vance

Treasurer

Sheila Hakimipour

Secretary

DIRECTORS

Aya Shitanishi

Andres Jauregui

Anthony Williams

Armen Devejian

Joseph Amader

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Laura Gromis

UC Merced’s Office of Sustainability welcomed the U.S. Green Building Council Central California (USGBC Central California) this month for a unique campus tour that showcased the university’s leadership in sustainable design, green building practices, and experiential learning.

Beginning at the iconic “Big Rufus” Bobcat Statue, attendees explored UC Merced’s transformative 2020 campus expansion, including several LEED Platinum-certified buildings that exemplify the university’s commitment to environmental stewardship and innovation.

“USGBC Central California brings together our community through green project tours in the region. UC Merced is a sustainability beacon in the San Joaquin Valley that demonstrates how to implement and advance sustainability in the built environment and beyond. It’s a perfect place to learn about implementing sustainability in the built environment through a real-world example,” said Laura Gromis, Executive Director of USGBC Central California.

UC Merced is the only university in the United States with 100% of its permanent buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. It is also the first public research university in the country to achieve official carbon neutrality.

“This institution is not only a sustainability leader in higher education, but also a large institutional leader in the Central Valley. It is important to spotlight its work in sustainability, climate, and resilience because it directly influences the community where it resides and serves,” said UC Merced Director of Sustainability Daryl Pierson.

A highlight of the tour included the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library, a facility that demonstrates how sustainable building principles can enhance both environmental performance and the user experience.

Visitors also learned about the building’s energy-efficient systems, water conservation strategies, natural daylighting, healthier indoor environmental features, and sustainable site design elements.

“From drought-tolerant landscaping and stormwater management practices to efficient HVAC systems and low-emitting materials, the library showcased how thoughtful design can support occupant wellness while addressing the unique climate challenges of California’s Central Valley,” added Pierson.

The Kolligian Library has earned LEED Gold Certification twice: first in 2007 under New Construction, and again in 2015 under Existing Building Operations and Maintenance (EBOM). The recertification effort was completed through UC Merced’s LEED Lab program, where students gain hands-on experience participating in the LEED certification process.

UC Merced has 32 total LEED-certified buildings, and every single permanent building on campus is certified.

Breakdown of Certifications: 

• LEED Platinum: 19 buildings

• LEED Gold: 11 buildings

• LEED Silver: 2 buildings 

Check out media coverage of the tour

Fresno, CA. USGBC Central California is excited to congratulate Lee Miyamoto on winning First Place and Dayle Edinborough on winning second place in the 2024 Adaptive Reuse Design Competition. The competition was held by USGBC Central California and sponsored by AARP for local students in the region. Construction, engineering, and design students were invited to submit proposals.

Students were invited to share their ideas and find unique ways to adaptively reuse the existing Nippon 2 building in the Japanese part of Fresno’s Chinatown while incorporating decarbonization, heat island reduction, and social infrastructure strategies. The building has been empty for years and does not conform to current code regulations. This area of Fresno has been getting lots of attention recently, due to the development of a High-Speed Rail Station which will have an entrance facing Chinatown, and the rising housing costs leaving many residents in need of shelter. The 2024 Adaptive Reuse Design Competition highlights the opportunities in using underused buildings to serve the needs of a town with an aging population.

Historical backgrounds, neighborhoods, and land demographics were considered when designing the new repurposed property. The designs focused on the needs of an aging population with an average age of 50 and accessible for all people regardless of disability or social status.

The project brought together many partners to develop guidelines and evaluate the submissions, including the Mayor’s office, City of Fresno Economic Development Department, Fresno State Interior Design Department, Gazarian Real Estate Center, Chinatown Foundation, and AARP to make this visioning project a reality.

Our Adaptive Reuse Design Competition winners were announced during the USGBC Central California’s Design Showcase and Holiday Party, which took place on the 10th floor of The Grand 1401, only a couple blocks away from the existing Nippon 2 building in the Japanese part of Fresno's Chinatown. Winners were picked anonymously, and their names were not shown to judges before the competition or when judging their proposals at any time.

Adaptive Reuse is one of the greenest ways a building can make a green impact. Using existing buildings for new usage is key, as it reduces waste, saves materials, extends the useful life of buildings, preserves culture, articulates heritage, and most importantly transforms underused spaces for communities.

This September and October, the Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG) is asking the community’s help to develop the 2026 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). As a key part of the planning process, the community is asked to fill out a survey to gather community suggestions and feedback on the greatest transportation needs in Fresno County, including bike lanes, bus stops, sidewalks, road improvements, and others. Your thoughts and input will ultimately help shape the 2026 RTP and help the region’s cities and the county prioritize project funding based on needs and available resources. In Spring 2025 Fresno COG will be identifying possible greenhouse gas reduction options the public should weigh in on.

To provide your own feedback, and to learn more about the project and where you can find us next, please check out our dedicated RTP/SCS website, PlanFresno.com. All in-person event materials will be available online.

Stay Updated

For up-to-date information about this project, please visitPlanFresno.com. Fill out our survey at our Website. If you have questions, please email the project team at info@fresnocog.org or call (559) 233-4148

About the Project

Every four years, state and federal regulations require Fresno COG to update our Regional Transportation Plan, a plan for the future of Fresno County’s regional transportation system. These plans are developed with the help of substantial community feedback and extensive data gathering to ensure alignment with existing community plans and local planning documents, which reflect the future needs and desires of our community. To learn more about the project and participate in the process, please visitour webpage or take a survey to tell Fresno COG your transportation needs and suggestions.

 

About Fresno COG

Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG) is a Metropolitan Planning Organization involving over 16 different cities. Fresno COG is a voluntary association of local governments – one of California’s 38 regional planning agencies and one of 500+ nationwide. Fresno COG works by conducting studies, planning, and funding for the future of Fresno County. Every 4 years this organization updates a Regional Transportation Plan to be implemented through public participation through surveys. This Transportation plan is a framework for a 20-year vision for Fresno County. 

The 2024 Adaptive Reuse Design Competition is asking all participants to adaptively reuse the existing Nippon building to enable residential or mixed-use usage in Fresno’s Chinatown. All designs will need to highlight sustainability through heat island mitigation, decarbonization, and social infrastructure strategies. The historic background of the building and neighborhood shall be considered in the design. The design needs to include the needs of the aging population and be adapted for accessibility. 

Competition Guidelines

Attachment 1

Attachment 2

PARTICIPANT SIGN UP

IMPORTANT DATES

Public Walk of Building:

Thursday, October 3rd, 3:30 - 5:30PM

SIGN UP REQUIRED

Design showcase and public choice election:

Thursday, December 12, 5PM

More information and updates 

Fresno, CA. The US Green Building Council Central California (USGBC-CC) announced the first annual winners of the ADUs for all ages 2023 Design Competition.  The designs were displayed at this year’s Tiny House Expo at the Fresno Home and Garden Show.  A distinguished jury selected first, and second place awards and a public choice winner was voted by the public at the exhibition. 

The expert panel of judges including Andres Jaurique, Executive Director Gazarian Real Estate Center, Dan Fitzpatrick, President, Tiny Home Industry Association (THIA), Michelle Zumwalt, Architect, City of Fresno, and Dr. Ajith Weerasinghe, Assistant Professor Mechanical Engineering, voted Fresno architect Arthur Dyson’s entry for the First Place Award.  Additionally, Dyson was also awarded the Second Place Award. The People’s Choice Award went to Gladys Molina, an architect with the City of Fresno.

An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a secondary housing unit that is either attached to or located on the same property as a primary residence. These units, also known as granny flats, in-law suites, or backyard cottages, provide additional living space while maintaining the character of the existing neighborhood.

The ADUs for all ages design competition asked participants to design a sustainable Accessory Dwelling Unit, to enable multigenerational living on an existing single-family. All designs were required to be sustainable and include passive design elements and fit the needs of aging individuals. The designs had to comply with the California State Building Code and be adaptable for accessibility. The focus was on multi-generational living arrangements and featured sustainable solutions.

The size was limited to 350 to 500 square feet with one-bedroom, bath, kitchenette and living area. The building systems included solar panels and batteries, HVAC systems with passive ventilation systems may be used to minimize HVAC operational time and additional passive design elements.

Additional sponsors were the Fresno Home Shows, AIA San Joaquin and the Tiny Home Industry Association. Funding was provided by the AARP Community Challenge Grant. 

About USGBC Central California

The US Green Building Council Central California is a 501c3 nonprofit organization located in Fresno, CA with the mission to engage San Joaquin Valley communities in the transformational development and promotion of ecologically healthy built environments. USGBC-CC’s work centers on community engagement, education, networking, and advocacy for solutions that are good for human health, communities, and the climate. USGBC-CC is a partner of the City of Fresno in its Transform Fresno project focused on creating transformative climate communities and led the design for the Circle V Indigenous and Environmental Resource Center in collaboration with the San Joaquin River Conservancy.

The American Institute of Architects, California (AIACA) announces the launch of the tenth annual Architecture at Zero competition focused on decarbonization, equity and resilience in building design. The annual competition is open for entries from students and professionals worldwide.

This year, AIACA will partner with Self Help Enterprises in Visalia, CA, to develop a design challenge to create affordable housing for farmworkers in California’s Central Valley. Up to $25,000 in prize money, is awarded by a jury of international experts.

“The American Institute of Architects, California is excited to collaborate on this important initiative that affirms the role of architects in leading efforts to use design to curtail climate change,” said Brett Dougherty, AIA, AIACA President. The competition strives to generate new, innovative, decarbonization building design ideas that respond to equity and resilience and help achieve California’s ambitious energy goals.

“Self Help Enterprises is delighted to participate in the 2021-22 Architecture at Zero competition and receive fresh ideas, thoughts and concepts that can be applied in Visalia and the surrounding San Joaquin Valley,” said Betsy McGovern, Program Director of Real Estate Development. “There continues to be a huge demand for housing for farmworkers, and this is a unique opportunity to integrate decarbonization and climate resiliency through an equity lens.”

Competition entries will be juried by international experts including: Paul Torcellini, Principal Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Allison Williams, FAIA; AGWms_studio; Lance Collins, AIA, Director at Partner Energy; and Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, Cameron MacAllister Group.

To learn more, visit www.architectureatzero.com.

This program is funded by California utility customers and administered by Southern California Edison under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. Cosponsors include: Pacific Gas and Electric Company; San Diego Gas & Electric Company and Southern California Gas Company. Other sponsors include: the California Energy Commission, US Green Building Council Central California and the International Building Performance Simulation Association.

Roosevelt High School took on the Transportation Challenge set up by Fresno State and USGBC Central California this Spring and worked on the question: How can we get more students to bike to school? As students, we noticed that only a very small percentage of our staff and students ride their bike to school. While we set out to answer a larger, solution-based question, we realized we first needed to identify the barriers that prevent more people from cycling. 

We used our knowledge of Roosevelt’s surrounding geography and student body population to make predictions about what would impede students from biking to school. We thought about how traffic heavy the intersection at our school was, our own  hesitations with the safety of our neighborhoods and the safety of parked bikes at school. Some of our own members know first hand that people’s distance from school is a factor that stops many from biking to school; especially because a lot of us choose to come to Roosevelt because of the School of the Arts magnet program. Another one of our members shared that he didn’t know how to ride a bike; we hadn’t even discussed the most basic of obstacles: access to a bike itself and knowing how to ride in the first place. 

We brainstormed some solutions like working with local bike shops to pass out bikes and helmets, giving out alarms and locks for students that park their bikes at school, and calling on city government to expand bike lanes in our area. We recognized that while our solutions looked great, they were pretty big projects to take on. 

We needed to engage with our Roosevelt community. We figured the best way to start the conversation was with a survey. We sent it out to students and teachers, and the results gave us insight into what Roosevelt students' relationship is with biking.

The results of the survey indicated that almost half of the population has never ridden a bike, and almost 75% had never ridden a bike to school before. People pointed to distance, lack of protected space, and lack of access to bikes as the most common reasons for their lack of riding. 

Seeing as it was already the end of April, we knew as a group we didn’t have the time to solve these big-scale, long-term problems, but rather we needed to come up with something we could do now.

After some back-and-forth we came up with the idea of an after school Bike to School event for the Bike to School month of May where we would bike from the neighborhood across the way all the way to City Hall and we would integrate some of our previous solutions ideas like bike alarms, locks, lights, and helmets as give-aways. We got helmets donated from BPAC to give out to those in need of one, and lights from Rubbersole. 

On the day of the Bike to School event, we set up a helmet decorating and light attachment station. A crowd of teachers, students, and community members much larger than we expected formed and our teacher called us onstage to speak. After some nervous shifting and awkward silence due to stage fright, our members spoke on the theme “Why We Ride.” They mentioned the nostalgia biking holds as it was something they did to bond with family members or how good it feels to ride freely with the wind blowing through your hair.

Finally, the time to ride came. We jumped on our bikes and started on route to the neighborhood across from our school. We listened to the music playing from my teacher’s speaker and we finally got to have conversations with people we only ever saw through a Zoom screen.

We continued the route into busier streets, and even got to use a new protected bike lane on our way to city hall. As a vulnerable cyclist, you are highly aware of the spaces around you, and we noticed when cars felt a little too close to us or when barricades between the streets and bike lanes made us feel so much safer. 

This experience taught us how valuable time outdoors is and how valuable it is to create events (and streets!) that bring people together. This is why bike riding proved to not only be impactful as a mode of climate action, but as a source of happiness and communal peace. 

Thanks to our members, we work in our community to advance green buildings. With your support, we are able to advance green buildings and communities through advocacy, education, networking and soon, a hands-on green building project. 

We believe in transforming the built environment and that green buildings and communities should be for all, including communities in Central California. Because everybody deserves a built environment that is good for our health, creates healthy places, reduces the impact on our natural resources and is part of the solution to address climate change.

Join us to show the support for green buildings in our region and help increase the capacities of our local chapter. We strive to make membership affordable. For $75 or the cost of a nice night in or out, general members show their leadership in the green building world and support our programming all year long. We offer reduced rates for students ($25) and emerging professionals ($35), and supporting memberships for those that want to increase their support for our chapter at $150.

Thanks to our newest member Alyssa from Gd.Stwrd, all new members that sign up until Earth Day will receive 25% OFF when shopping at her local zero waste store, www.gdstwrd.com.

Sign up today to BECOME A MEMBER

Interested to join as company to demonstrate your support and expertise? Check out our partnership opportunities