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You can sign-up for Streetsblog's SGV Connect Newsletter, emailed every Friday (except holidays). Below is a copy of this week's newsletter.

SGV Connect is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the new Gold Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”

Infrastructure Day has grown into an Infrastructure Era as President Biden finally signs the long-awaited bipartisan infrastructure bill into law.

Governing Magazine looked at the bill and bemoaned that it is not as transformative or progressive as promised - and hoped. And while Railway Age is really excited about how the bill will improve service for rail passengers, it admits that too much of the bill will be spent on environmentally destructive highway projects.

Another reason for caution is that states have a lot of discretion in how they spend federal funds they receive. Vox explains that because the bill doesn’t include enough funding to cover the entirety of the country’s infrastructure needs, states and other regional entities will have to decide which roads get repaired, which lead pipes get replaced, and which bridges get restored. This process usually leaves low-income communities and communities of color with poor access to adequate infrastructure.

Following the bombshell report in the Los Angeles Times that Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies are far more likely to pull over cyclists in less affluent, traditionally minority communities, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has been looking for ways to rein in stops for bike infractions.

This week, Supervisors Hilda Solis, Kathryn Barger, and Janice Hahn put forward a motion exploring decriminalizing bicycle traffic stops.

Advocacy group Streets 4 All encouraged speakers to support the Supervisors’ efforts at this week’s board meeting. “As the Los Angeles Times broke in their explosive article on November 4, LA County Sheriffs use minor infractions - such as riding a bike on the sidewalk - to pull minorities over and harass them. While the LA County Sheriff needs reform regardless, the fact that it is illegal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk in LA County is absurd.” A statewide effort to reform decriminalizing bicycle stops failed this year when Governor Newsom vetoed legislation that would have allowed “rolling stops” at intersections when safe.

Other News:

Foothill Transit is conducting a year-long study to find out how to better serve customers. Foothill Transit Forward will evaluate all aspects of the Foothill Transit system and determine where improvements can be made to create a more effective, efficient, equitable, and sustainable service. The outcome will be a detailed service plan to make Foothill Transit more convenient and useful for San Gabriel Valley residents. Find out more at FoothillTransitForward.com.

On November 14, Foothill Transit updated its schedules and routes. To check the changes, click here.

Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority CEO Habib Balian offers an update on construction. “Last weekend through earlier this week, crews completed installation of the foundations for the two columns for the future light rail bridge over Lone Hill Ave. in Glendora. At this location, the freight track will cross underneath the bridge, and the columns are being built on either side of the freight track to support the super-structure.” For more details and updates on construction, visit the official website.

The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments is looking for your feedback as it considers whether or not to launch a new e-bike program. Take the survey, here

Join Active SGV on December 11 for a holiday lights ride starting and ending at the soon-to-be-open Blossom Market Food Mall. For more details or to RSVP, here.

The proposed light-rail line from East Los Angeles to Whittier might have to be constructed  in phases because it’s possible the $3 billion now budgeted may not be enough to fund the project, Metro officials said. Read more at the Whittier Daily News.

This year, there were eleven major transit initiatives on the ballot across the country. All 11 ballot measures passed.

The COP26 Conference came to an end, and most of its proposed solutions focus on electric vehicles. But a new report shows that electric vehicles won’t save us from climate change - there also needs to be a significant mode switch to more sustainable transportation.

It’s not news that gas prices are high in Southern California, but did you know they’re closing in on all-time record highs? Not coincidentally, the cost of purchasing a new home in Southern California is also at an all-time high.