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
For over a year, Transbay Coalition volunteer and De Anza student Harry Neil has led the charge for a safer and more sustainable Stevens Creek Boulevard. Through the campaign to get safer street crossings, protected bike lanes, and bus lanes on the corridor from San Jose to Cupertino, Harry built a wide coalition of support,
In the first week of April, transit boards serving San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties discussed participation in regional transit funding, including SamTrans, San Mateo County Transportation Authority, Caltrain and VTA. The tenor of the conversation was about how to participate, rather than whether. In SB63, the current legislation led by Wiener and Arreguin to
Last week, Senators Wiener and Arreguin announced a new bill, SB63 that would authorize a regional public transportation funding measure. The first draft of the bill calls for a half-percent sales tax that would fund the regional transit agencies that face likely cuts, including Caltrain, BART, Muni and AC Transit. The proposed measure includes San
By Noor Rizvi — A group of transit advocates organized by Transbay Coalition were thrilled to have State Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan join us for a bus ride-along last week! In a time when politicians and decision-makers seem disconnected from the public, one of the best ways to help elected officials truly understand the transit rider
Polling about a potential regional transportation funding measure conducted by MTC showed results that could pass with a citizens’ signature gathering effort, and the mood of Bay Area lifting somewhat. Voters continue to value an improved system more than just stemming cuts. The polls left open questions that will be debated by MTC and the
At a VTA board workshop on Friday, the board reviewed the agency’s emerging strategy on transit and transportation funding. Similarly, San Mateo County’s agencies discussed transit and transportation funding earlier in the week. During the MTC discussion about transit funding options in 2024, Santa Clara County leaders had sent a forceful message that the county
Written by: InfrastructureWeak Despite operating reduced service since 2020, like many Bay Area transit operators, AC Transit has been projecting a ~$35 million annual budget deficit beginning next year, as revenue growth falls behind expenses and pandemic financial support expires. The AC Transit Board will hear at its Wednesday meeting this week, with updated revenue
