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The Manzanita Talks

The Manzanita Talks were a series of discussions convened by Joint Venture Silicon Valley and in partnership with the Bay Area Council. Eight cities and nine private-sector entities from the Mid-Peninsula participated in the project that culminated in a 2019 report, The Manzanita Report & Alternative Analysis. The report delves into the problem of too many cars in too little space on Bay Area roadways. The Report also seeks to resolve the most effective way for cities and companies to collaborate to provide Transportation Demand Management (TDM) services within our subregion. 

Background

The talks grew out of dialogue emanating from the private sector, matched by heightening discussion that took place in the halls of local government. With funding for technical assistance provided by an anonymous family foundation, the Manzanita talks joined private and public sector parties into a shared conversation that took place in five installments.

The purpose of the talks was to explore the logic and desirability of cross-sector collaboration to address “first and last mile” challenges, traffic mitigation, the potential for coordinating and integrating existing Transportation Management Associations, and whether to form a sub-regional Transportation Management Association on the mid-Peninsula.

Who participated?

The talks brought together elected officials from eight mid-Peninsula cities (Redwood City, East Palo Alto, Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Mountain View and Sunnyvale) and nine companies deeply engaged in transportation programs.

What are Transportation Management Associations (TMAs)?

TMA's are non-profit, member-controlled organizations that provide transportation services in a particular area, such as a commercial district, mall, medical center or business park. They are generally public-private partnerships, consisting primarily of area businesses with local government support where they provide an institutional framework for Traffic Demand Management (TDM) programs and services across a variety of employer sizes. There are several TMAs in our sub-region in various states of formation.

While the project has been completed, a new group, known as Manzanita Works was formed. 

The Manzanita Talks

A series of discussions that explored the potential of cross-sector collaboration on transportation management.

Manzanita Report

Press

  • October 18, 2019 - (Palo Alto Online) - Peninsula cities, companies explore partnership to tackle traffic congestion: Launched by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, the series sought to bring all the parties together to exchange knowledge about transportation-demand management... More
  • Kate Bradshaw: “Midpeninsula mayors, tech company transportation leaders convene to talk traffic” (The Almanac, 22 April 2019)
  • Guest Opinion by Nancy Shepherd: “Local solutions for traffic and congestion” (Palo Alto Weekly, 8 March 2019)
  • June 26, 2019 - (The Almanac) - Manzanita Talks move forward: Efforts to bring together public and private sector leaders to talk about how to address regional transportation problems moved forward on June 13 with what Joint Venture Silicon Valley President and CEO Russell Hancock called a historic discussion. More