Blue Zones Project Monterey County is a community-by-community well-being improvement initiative designed to help people lead longer, better lives by making healthy choices easier. The initiative promotes simple permanent or semi-permanent changes to community, organization and home environments that support healthy lifestyle behaviors and habits based on Blue Zones cultures. 

The Blue Zones initiative is sponsored by the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, Montage Health, and Taylor Farms. The Transportation Agency has been very involved in this project: the Executive Director serves on the Steering Committee, and staff serves on the Schools and Built Environment committees to support TAMC's safe routes to schools program and bicycle/pedestrian safety improvement activities.

Phase 1 of Blue Zones Project Monterey County, launched in Salinas in 2018. However, the sponsors' intent was always to have the effort be countywide. In January 2021, program officials announced the project is expanding countywide, with the assistance of Dan Burden, a nationally recognized authority on walkability and bike-ability.

Mr. Burden led field trips to South County cities and the Monterey Peninsula, and made a presentation to the Transportation Agency's Board of Directors in February 2020 on Blue Zones Project Monterey County activities, which included ideas for reducing pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities, and strategies for improving community health through active transportation.

His presentation to the Measure X Citizens Oversight Committee will illustrate how Measure X funding (primarily the local share) can be used to support safety and active transportation.   Attached is Mr. Burden's bio.