Caltrain recently disclosed likely devastating service cuts if a Bay Area transit measure does not succeed in 2026. Without additional funding, Caltrain would be forced to: Reduce service to once an hour during the week End weekend service End operations by 9 p.m. Close more than one-third of stations Cut segments of service These cuts […]
The Bay Area 5-county regional transit funding measure can pass with a signature-gathering effort, according to new polling shared by MTC at its legislative committee meeting on Friday November 14. The poll showed overall support at 56%, which would pass with the 50%+1 threshold required with a signature gathering effort, which was enabled by the
Getting around the Bay Area by transit is about to become simpler, cheaper, and more convenient. Starting December 10th, transit agencies are rolling out Clipper 2.0, replacing the decades-old Clipper Card with a modern and effective fare payment system. How you’ll benefit: Riders who use employee transit benefits, monthly passes, and BART High Volume Discount
By Joseph Rogers To close out transit month, and to celebrate a beautiful fall in the Bay Area, Transbay Coalition would like to highlight some great options to get outdoors without a car! There are already some great resources out there to plan your trip. If you’re looking for a bike ride, BARTable (bartable.bart.gov/outdoors) has
On Monday afternoon in Sacramento, the Assembly Transportation Committee passed Senate Bill 63, the bill authorizing a regional transit funding measure for the Bay Area. The measure would be put on the ballot by a signature gathering initiative in 5 counties (San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara). The measure would be a
In the first week of August, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties voted to join the regional transit funding measure, joining San Francisco and the East Bay. The VTA Board voted unanimously to opt into the regional transit funding measure being authorized by SB63 on Thursday, August 8, following SamTrans Board’s 8-1 decision on Wednesday,
On Wednesday, August 23, the Caltrain board voted on a compromise agreement on how Caltrain would be funded in the context of a regional transit funding measure. The Caltrain board agreed to allocate funds among the Caltrain member agencies at $32.5 million for Santa Clara County, $32.5 million for San Mateo County, and $10 million
On July 2, the SamTrans board heard information about new polling that drew more board members to lean toward support for participation in a potential regional transportation funding measure. The polling compared options for joining the regional transit funding measure (which enables a citizens’ initiative that can pass with over 50% of the vote), or
On Wednesday, July 2, the SamTrans board will discuss new polling and will evaluate options to fund transit for the county, including Caltrain and BART regional services which face steep deficits and potential service cuts in upcoming budget years, and SamTrans which is starting to show future deficits imperiling service. Options to keep the regional
Way to go! You – along with tens of thousands of Californians and a diverse coalition of over 120 organizations – spoke out in support of transit and won. For the past several months we rallied, made over 5,000 calls to elected officials, wrote more than 50,000 emails, dropped banners, and did all sorts of things to elevate our
At board meetings in the first week of June, decision-makers in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties inched toward decisions on a regional transit funding measure. Legislation to authorize a funding measure includes San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, with San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties have the option to join. Both “opt-in” counties
A new poll commissioned by the Service Employees International Union shows a “gross receipts tax” on businesses would get more voter support than the sales tax that has been polled to date. The poll asked likely November 2026 voters whether businesses should pay their fair share to support public transit. The business gross receipts tax
A tour of Kiku Crossing, an affordable housing community near downtown San Mateo, was a highlight of Affordable Housing Month. The tour showed how a set of transportation demand management strategies including Clipper BayPass, shared parking, and secure, plentiful bike storage help residents living in the community; help the city bring affordable using a downtown
There are thousands of bus stops in the Bay Area and a significant number of them lack benches, which makes transit less comfortable, accessible, and appealing. However, as cities and transit agencies struggle with shrinking budgets, it can be financially infeasible for them to install new infrastructure such as bus stop benches on their own.
By Joseph Rodgers Over 1.2 million people in the Bay rely on transit according to recent Clipper data. That’s more than double the entire population of Wyoming! But despite playing such a vital role to our regional and state economy, transit agencies around the San Francisco Bay Area face large budget deficits and are in
Last week, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties inched closer toward participating in a regional transportation funding measure. There are more key meetings in San Mateo County this month, and in both counties over the next couple of months as the July decision deadline nears. The VTA board reviewed its polling data (agenda 7.3)
By Betsy Megas: Like many VTA riders, I occasionally reload my Clipper Card at VTA ticket machines on light rail platforms. I don’t use them all that often, so I was surprised to find that not just one, but several of the VTA ticket machines at the light rail stations I tried were broken. A
By Amy Thomson May 1 is International Workers Day, commemorating the day in 1886 when many U.S. workers went on strike to demand an 8-hour workday – a time when 16-hour shifts weren’t unusual. But an 8-hour shift isn’t the norm for today’s transit operators, who often work 12-hour days and then face a long
Last week, the bill authorizing a regional transportation funding measure, SB63, passed the Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday April 22 and the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee on Wednesday, April 23. In the process, authors Wiener and Arreguin accepted several amendments. The bill includes three counties: San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties, and allows
On Thursday, the Caltrain board will consider taking a position in support of SB63, the authorizing legislation for a regional transportation funding measure, being authored by Senator Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin. The Caltrain board Advocacy and Major Projects committee recommended this position in April. SB63 was approved last week in two Senate committees. Caltrain
