Touted as the "electric vehicle for the urban commuter", electric bike and scooter manufacturer GenZe stopped by the San Joaquin Partnership Board of Directors' meeting this week to demonstrate its new products. CEO Gurmeet Naroola, looking for the opportunity to collaborate with San Joaquin County cities in reducing street congestion and air pollution, offered to work with public agencies by lending them 1,000 bikes. Partnership President & CEO Mike Ammann met Naroola at the May 15-17 TiECon conference in Santa Clara and believing it would be a mutually beneficial experience, has arranged for Naroola and GenZe head of sales, Kevin Barnett, to tour San Joaquin County. They met with Esperanza Vielma at Cafe Coop who helped facilitate the tour. "This meeting and tour demonstrates the importance of the Partnership's connection with TiE (The Indus Entrpreneurs) and our "Greater Silicon Valley" marketing program," said Ammann at the conclusion of the Board meeting.

The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission provided an invitation-only Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) train for a special business-to-business tour to San Jose on Thursday. The goal was to give business leaders in the Central Valley a first-hand experience on the ACE train and answer questions regarding current ACE service as well as future plans for expansion in the Valley. About 75 people including city managers, mayors, council members, education and chambers of commerce representatives as well as economic development specialists from San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties participated in the day-long trip which began at dawn. San Joaquin Partnership President & CEO Mike Ammann participated in the tour. Once the group arrived at Diridon Station in San Jose, they traveled by light rail to the downtown San Jose library where Regional Rail Commission Chairman Bob Johnson, a Lodi City Councilman began the day's program.

At their August 20 meeting, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) recommended 148 bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs for funding from the new Active Transportation Program (ATP), including 4 from San Joaquin County.

The ATP is a new statewide grant program that funds bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout California. Under the ATP, the CTC awarded $221 million for projects and programs in two categories: a statewide competition and a separate competition for small rural and urban projects. Not surprisingly, the ATP received far more applications than it was able to fund.