Circulate San Diego

Circulate San Diego
Name	Circulate San Diego
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	2008
Headquarters	San Diego, California
Focus	Active transportation, transit advocacy, land use, equitable mobility

Circulate San Diego is a nonprofit transportation advocacy organization based in San Diego, California that promotes walking, bicycling, and transit-oriented development. Founded in 2008, the organization engages with civic institutions, planning agencies, community groups, and philanthropic funders to influence public policy and capital investments in the San Diego region. Circulate San Diego works across sectors, partnering with municipal governments, metropolitan planning organizations, regional transit agencies, and neighborhood coalitions.

History

Circulate San Diego was launched by local advocates in the context of regional debates involving the San Diego Association of Governments, City of San Diego, Metropolitan Transit System (San Diego County), North County Transit District, SANDAG 2050 Regional Plan, and California Department of Transportation planning processes. Early milestones included engagement with campaigns similar to those led by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, National Association of City Transportation Officials, Trust for Public Land, Urban Land Institute, and Smart Growth America to shape San Diego County's active transportation priorities. The organization grew alongside initiatives such as the Centre City Development Corporation reuse discussions, the redevelopment proposals near San Diego International Airport, and community responses to projects influenced by cases like Proposition A (San Diego)}]. Circulate San Diego’s evolution paralleled national movements exemplified by advocacy groups including Transportation Alternatives, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, Walk San Francisco, Bike Pittsburgh, and East Bay Bicycle Coalition.

Mission and Programs

Circulate San Diego's mission emphasizes equitable mobility, safe streets, and transit-oriented growth, aligning with principles advanced by California Complete Streets Act, Senate Bill 375, Senate Bill 743, Metropolitan Planning Organization reforms, and federal programs overseen by Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration. Programs address pedestrian safety, bicycle infrastructure, land use entailing transit-oriented development near San Diego Trolley stations, and equitable transportation access for communities such as San Ysidro, Chula Vista, City Heights, Encanto, and Downtown San Diego. Programmatic work has paralleled technical resources from National Complete Streets Coalition, Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, and RAND Corporation analyses to inform local interventions and metrics.

Advocacy and Policy Impact

The organization has intervened in policy dialogues involving the San Diego City Council, San Diego County Board of Supervisors, California Air Resources Board, and regional planning at SANDAG. Its advocacy has intersected with statewide reforms such as California Environmental Quality Act implementation debates, Household Affordability Index considerations promoted by California Housing Partnership Corporation, and climate strategies similar to those advanced by California Air Resources Board's Scoping Plan. Circulate San Diego participates in coalitions with groups like Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Local Government Commission, Public Advocates, and California Walks to influence transportation investments, complete streets policies, and equitable zoning reforms exemplified by policies in Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.

Projects and Initiatives

Key initiatives include bicycle and pedestrian network planning, transit-supportive development projects, and community outreach in neighborhoods adjacent to Interstate 5 (California), Interstate 8, Interstate 15, and rail corridors such as the Coaster (commuter rail) and Pacific Surfliner. Projects often intersect with capital programs like SANDAG Smart Growth Incentive Program, municipal complete streets projects in the City of San Diego, and transit station area planning akin to redevelopment efforts at Sorrento Valley, Old Town Transit Center, and Santa Fe Depot. Circulate San Diego has supported pilot programs for protected bike lanes, vision zero strategies comparable to those in New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle, and complete streets retrofits informed by best practices from Copenhagenize Design Co., NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, and World Resources Institute research.

Partnerships and Funding

The organization collaborates with philanthropic and institutional partners such as The San Diego Foundation, Toshiba America Foundation, California Endowment, James Irvine Foundation, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and regional entities including Port of San Diego and San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. Project-specific grants have been coordinated with agencies and foundations like Federal Transit Administration, California Strategic Growth Council, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Urban Sustainability Directors Network, and private donors similar to supporters of Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Partnerships extend to academic collaborations with University of California, San Diego, San Diego State University, University of San Diego, and research institutions such as Scripps Institution of Oceanography on resilience and mobility planning.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

Circulate San Diego is governed by a board of directors drawn from civil society, planning, development, and transportation sectors, reflecting leadership practices seen in organizations like Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Smart Growth America, TransitCenter, National Association of City Transportation Officials, and Transport Workers Union. Executive leadership has included staff with backgrounds in urban planning, public policy, and community organizing who collaborate with municipal planners from City of San Diego Planning Department, regional staff from SANDAG, transit officials at Metropolitan Transit System (San Diego County), and community liaisons representing neighborhoods like North Park, Hillcrest, Pacific Beach, and Logan Heights. Operational funding and staffing models mirror nonprofit practices common to Center for Community Change, PolicyLink, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in San Diego