If you have not yet received a membership invoice, please watch for one over the next two weeks. If you have any questions about your membership status or the status of your organization, please feel free to get in touch with me.

Our 2016 membership drive is underway and your support is needed and greatly appreciated. There are public and community transportation challenges around the state, in Juneau and in Washington DC.

Your membership gives us the ability to advocate across the state and around the country for public transportation in Alaska! Help us to lower our administrative costs by signing up online or you can mail your membership to:

Alaska Mobility Coalition

3705 Arctic Blvd, #1777

Anchorage, AK 99503

COMING EVENTS

DATE	EVENT	PLACE/TIME	additional info.
7/27	ADA 25 Year Celebration	Anchorage Senior Center	additional info.
8/12-14	The Small Urban Network (SUN) Conference at CTAA (see article below)	Denver, CO	additional info. contact Scott Bogren
4/19-21, 2016	Alaska Community Transit Conference	Westmark Hotel Fairbanks	additional info contact Stephanie Bushong

AMC NEWS

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES UPDATE

The Governor has signed the Capital Budget! The $750,000 state matching funds have been protected. This funding is used to help match dollars all around the state for transit projects. While the total for matching dollars is down from last year, we still feel very fortunate to have secured any funding at all given the tough financial times in the state. We would not have been able to maintain the funding this year if it weren't for the great support of our members.

The testimony period on the budget was announced three days before the hearing. Frantic phone calls went out to the members asking for volunteers to help testify on behalf of the funds and we were able to secure a great slate of statewide representatives to help highlight the impact the funding has in all our communities. I would like to extend a thank you to all the members who were able to testify on such short notice.

Additionally, thanks goes out to Governor Walker for maintaining the funding in his original budget and to DOT for maintaining this crucial piece of funding in their annual budget request. We plan to maintain this critical legislative priority into the next session and hope to see the full $1 million restored as the price of oil continues to recover.

Fairbanks Transportation Project

Monthly meetings are continuing as the Fairbanks Project moves forward. The VISTA Volunteer, Chanelle Whitehurst has started with the project. We have included a brief bio for your review.

Chanelle, Vista Volunteer 2015 "My name is Chanelle. I love to fish and go out exploring in this amazing state. I have lived in Fairbanks for about five years, and even with the freezing winters, I absolutely love it. I became a Vista volunteer because I wanted the opportunity to give back and to help people in some way. I love living in Alaska and to be able to make a change that improves the community is amazing for me. I'm very excited to be working with an amazing non-profit while I serve my community."

Chanelle is based out of the Access Alaska office in Fairbanks. I would like to take this opportunity to thank both Access Alaska and Art Delaune for all their support and efforts to help us secure her position.

The primary focus of the project continues to be updating the coordinated plan. We are pulling on resources from former plans and community input. If you are a member of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Community and either want to be involved yourself or know someone you think should be involved, please send the appropriate contact information and we'll be sure to include them in future emails.

Three public meetings are being planned for the month of August. These meetings are going to be a great opportunity for members of the community to let us know what gaps you see in transit services within the Borough and ways you think we can go about improving that service. More details will be available shortly. For more information please contact me.

The Small Urban Network (SUN) at CTAA

August 12-14, 2015 Sheraton Downtown, Denver

SAVE THE DATE:

Peer site visit to Denver Regional Transit District and VIA Mobility
Interactive sessions around: building community partnerships, ridership and community engagement, planning and handling increased ridership and service expansions, policy and funding, technology, and much more
Unique opportunities to tap likeminded small urban agency peers from all over the country who have "been there, done that"
Complimentary registration for sessions and meals

Hosted by the Community Transportation Association of America.

Held in partnership with RouteMatch Software.

See the coming events above.

Check out the news articles and sponsors below.

Sponsors assist us in bringing this newsletter to you.

Member Sponsor
- RouteMatch- click on the image to view their website.

ALASKA TRANSIT IN THE NEWS

Actual article headings are used and the information contained in the articles is not necessarily the opinions of the AMC

"Anchorage moves a step closer to relocating transit center"

- June 2, 2015, KTUU Channel 2 News

"Access to Public Transportation is Key for Returning Military Veterans with Disability in Achieving Reintegration Success"

- Tuesday, July 14, 2015, Rutgers studies role transit-oriented development might play in bettering vets' lives

"US: GOP Bill Would Undermine Auto and Rail Safety Regulations"

- July 17, 2015 - Mass Transit, BY JOAN LOWY AND TOM KRISHER

"75 Percent of Americans Support Using Taxes to Improve Transit"

- July 16, 2015 Mass Transit, SOURCE: AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION

ATT square edge - use Feb. news - out March

Member Sponsor
- AT&T - click on the image to view their website.

Thank you for your support and interest in the Alaska Mobility Coalition (AMC). If you have questions about this report or any AMC project or activity, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Casey Anderson

Interim Executive Director
Alaska Mobility Coalition