New MSRC Member Michele Martinez and new Alternate Member Ben Benoit are both committed to expanding regional collaborations to improve transit options in Southern California that can significantly improve the health and quality of life for their constituents and all of the residents of our region. Michele Martinez was raised in Santa Ana since the age of 11 and was the first person in her family to graduate from high school and earn a college degree; she attended Santa Ana College and California State University Fullerton. Inspired by a desire to give back to the community that helped raise her, Michele ran for Santa Ana City Council in 2006 and became one of the youngest elected leaders in Santa Ana history. Under Michele's leadership and hard work she helped the city secure millions of dollars for active transportation to ensure pedestrian and bike safety. Ironically, while Forbes Magazine recently listed Santa Ana as the 4th Safest City in the country, it has the most pedestrian fatalities of nearly any city in California. Michele is committed to correcting this public health crisis by implementing safer streets that are friendlier to bike and pedestrian traffic.
“We can’t expect people to be active outside and have good health if we don’t have good infrastructure to walk and bike,” said Martinez referring to two important zero emission transportation options used extensively in Santa Ana and Southern Orange County. “We haven’t created the infrastructure to help people be healthy.” Martinez added that she’s particularly concerned about how we connect people to the first and last mile of public transit and how we can create more multi-modal transportation options that especially encourage healthier lifestyles.
Martinez is looking forward to sharing the unique opportunities and challenges of Santa Ana with her fellow MSRC members. Use of public transit, for example, is extremely high – with 100 of the busiest bus stops in the region.
Martinez also noted that there’s much to learn and like from many other cities across the country grappling with similar transportation challenges to our region. She noted that Pittsburgh and Seattle are creating transportation networks that don’t just center on the car by creating inclusive transportation planning processes in order to have more transportation choices. Interestingly, they are succeeding in environments that have much worse weather conditions than Southern California.
Martinez is passionate about creating better transportation solutions in Southern California that will benefit our environment, our air quality and our overall health. She pointed to an example of her leadership on transportation issues that included her efforts to help identify and secure a unique federal grant to assemble three cities to advance healthy transportation solutions. The partnership between the cities of Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Anaheim created a model Open Streets event that is similar to CicLAvia but focuses not only on bicycling but all active transportation and especially celebrates creating more walkable communities.
In addition to promoting healthy transportation events, Martinez is committed to educating and activating her constituents to play an active role in advancing funding for creative transportation initiatives. Through the Alliance for a Healthy Orange County, Martinez has helped start an Academy where they’re taking young people and adults through an active transportation leadership program to better understand how pedestrian, bike and transportation master plans are developed locally and regionally.
In addition to serving on the MSRC, Michele is the 2nd Vice President for the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the nation's largest metropolitan planning organization representing six counties, 189 cities and more than 19 million residents. Michele also represents the city on the Transportation Corridor Agencies Committee (TCA). The TCA is a joint powers authority formed by the California legislature in 1986 to plan, finance, construct, and operate Orange County's toll roads.
New Alternate MSRC Member Ben Benoit
Ben Benoit was first elected to the Wildomar City Council in 2010 and served as Mayor Pro Tem in 2011 and Mayor in 2012. Council Member Benoit serves on Western Regional Council of Governments (WRCOG) and was a part of the Board when it won the President's Award for Excellence from Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) for WRCOG's HERO program. The HERO Financing Program is the nation's largest Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, and Council Member Benoit is a strong supporter of bringing this program to other municipalities throughout California. Serving on Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), Council Member Benoit has been a strong supporter of helping further Metrolink's reach into Riverside County. Council Member Benoit's community involvement is motivated by his family. "My daughter Abby is the primary reason I decided to become politically involved. Wanting to ensure a better quality of life for her is the primary reason I spend so much time focused on improving our community."
The MSRC is very fortunate to have the leadership, experience and passion of its newest Member Michele Martinez and Alternate Ben Benoit.