“Soledad Community Asked to Vote on Which Safe Routes to School Projects to Fund”

MONTEREY COUNTY – The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC), in partnership with the City of Soledad, announced that Soledad residents and workers, age 14 and older will have the opportunity to vote to determine which Safe Routes to School projects to fund in their city. Voters can cast their votes from May 18 – May 25, 2023, by selecting from a list of projects developed by the Soledad Safe Routes to School Steering Committee and designed to make it safer for kids and families to get to and from school.

The Steering Committee, made up of residents and community advocates, formed in October 2022, worked with the Safe Routes to School program partners and the City of Soledad to develop a list of eighteen projects for the community to vote on. Through this participatory budgeting process, residents will help determine how to spend $250,000 allocated for program safety improvements.

The election will kick-off at the Soledad Farmers Market (Thursday Market) on Thursday, May 18, 2023, from 4 - 8 pm, at Soledad Street and Front Street in Soledad, where community members can learn about the projects, ask questions, and cast their votes either on-site, online at the Soledad Participatory Budgeting webpage: www.bit.ly/soledadpb, or take a ballot and drop it off at one of the ballot drop-off sites.

Ballot drop-off sites:

Rose Ferrero Elementary School, 400 Entrada Drive, 7:45 am – 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday

Main Street Middle School, 441 Main Street, 7:30 am – 4:00 pm, Monday – Friday

Frank Ledesma Elementary School, 973 Vista De Soledad, 7:45 am – 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday

Jack Franscioni Elementary School, 779 Orchard Lane, 7:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday

Gabilan Elementary School, 330 Walker Drive, 7:30 am – 4:00 pm, Monday – Friday

San Vicente Elementary School, 1300 Metz Road, 7:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday

Soledad High School, 425 Gabilan Drive, 7:30 am – 4:00 pm, Monday – Friday

Pinnacles High School, 690 Main Street, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday

Soledad Branch Library, 401 Gabilan Drive, 11:00 am – 7:00 pm, Tuesday - Wednesday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, Thursday, and 10:00 – 5:00 pm, Friday - Saturday

Soledad Community Center, 560 Walker Drive, 6:00 am – 9:00 pm, Monday – Friday; and 8:00 am – 12:00 pm, Saturday

Soledad City Hall, 248 Main Street, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday

The winning projects will be announced in June 2023 and recommended for implementation to the Soledad City Council. The Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Plan will be adopted in Spring 2024.

For more information about the Soledad Participatory Budgeting project visit: www.bit.ly/soledadpb; the Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Plan webpage; or contact Aaron Hernandez, Assistant Transportation Planner, TAMC at 831 775-4412, aaron@tamcmonterey.org (Hablo español) or Janneke Strause, Transportation Planner, TAMC at 831 775-4410, janneke@tamcmonterey.org.

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