Study assesses benefits of regionalizing Bay Area rail; suggests 5-county pilot next steps

A new study funded by the State of California concluded that there are potential benefits to be gained from regionalizing capabilities of the region’s fragmented rail system. ‘Regionalized’ capabilities would be led and managed by a single entity across the region.  The Regional Rail Partnership Study was conducted by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in partnership

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This week, MTC and BART start planning to address transit fiscal cliff

At this week’s MTC Programming and Allocations Committee meeting on Wednesday morning and BART board meeting on Thursday morning, the Bay Area’s regional planning organization and largest regional transit agency are starting to grapple with the impending financial crisis when federal Covid relief funding runs out as transit ridership has been returning gradually.  The Bay

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Caltrain board chair suggests possible service cuts – how would you regrow transit ridership?

At the September board meeting, Board Chair Steve Heminger reported that had requested that staff bring back recommendations for potential service cuts.  His remarks are at 2:33 in the meeting video. Heminger noted that Caltrain’s strategy to regrow transit ridership has included running more frequent all-day service. However, Caltrain’s ridership recovery from the pandemic is

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2022 Sustainable Transportation Candidate Questionnaire

Where do candidates for local office stand on sustainable transportation policy issues that could improve, walking, biking, and transit access and safety? The Sustainable Transportation Candidate Questionnaire was developed by a dozen Bay Area advocacy groups to answer that question. It was was sent to hundreds of candidates across the San Francisco Bay Area in

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Transit megaprojects – what goes wrong and how to fix it

September 12: Panel on MTC Megaproject Advancement Policy On Monday September 12, SPUR is hosted a panel with Kenneth Folan of Metropolitan Transportation Commission, discussing the Regional Megaproject Advancement Policy that is under development to identify and monitor cost and delivery risks for megaprojects. The panel also includes Paul Lewis of think tank Eno Transportation

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BART and VTA discuss ways to improve BART-San Jose

In May, following requests from the BART board and San Jose City Council the VTA board agreed to move forward with two parallel review processes to investigate opportunities to improve the project, looking the potential for: Entrances on both sides of the street – important for passenger access and safetyBetter, easier passenger access to station

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Bay Area cities advance rail “quiet zones”

In highly populated areas near railroad crossings, train horns can blare dozens of times a day at up to 110 decibels, disrupting the lives of current residents and making new development near railroads less attractive. The path to quiet zones When passing through at-grade railroad crossings, trains are required by law to blare their horn

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Oakland City Council to consider pedestrian, transit, & cycling improvements on San Pablo Avenue

On Tuesday, June 28th, the Oakland City Council will be meeting to authorize a letter of support for the San Pablo Avenue Corridor Project to move to the detailed design phase. This would help the Alameda County Transportation Commission (CTC) begin detailed design and funding acquisition for the project – a key step in bringing

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Transbay Bus Bill Passes Senate Committee!

Thanks to your help, the Bay Bridge Bus Bill AB 455 (Wicks, Wiener), sailed through the Senate Transportation Committee and it is now on to the Senate Appropriations Committee. We are now one step closer to faster, more reliable, equitable, and greener travel across the Bay Bridge Corridor keeping the Bay Area\’s people and economy

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MTC/ABAG consider regional funding for housing, transit

On Friday, June 10, a joint legislation committee of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments – the regional governing bodies that focus on transportation and housing – will consider options to provide funding for affordable housing and public transportation. A $10B bond measure to fund affordable housing is being considered for

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BIG TRANSBAY BUS NEWS! You can help NOW!

At long last, the Bay Bridge Bus Bill AB 455 (Wicks, Wiener), is coming to a vote in the Senate Transportation Committee this Tuesday, June 14th! Although the bill passed the Assembly in 2021, it got held up in committee and its fate was uncertain. But after much collaboration between the Transbay Coalition, the Assemblymember’s

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30 Second Action: Sign our petition

Please sign our petition and spread the word! Below is why this action is important: We have a once in a generation opportunity to transform the El Cerrito Plaza BART station into a vibrant gathering hub with mixed-income housing, shops, restaurants, and public spaces. A thoughtful plan will enhance and serve the existing neighborhood residents

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San Jose Mayor calls for design review for BART-Silicon Valley; following calls by advocates, BART board

At this evening’s VTA board meeting, in the agenda item to approve the first stage of the major construction contracts for the BART Silicon Valley Extension (item 7.7), Mayor Liccardo has submitted a memo calling for reviews of the project to explore important improvements to rider experience and the urban fabric of San Jose, including: 

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Caltrain board contemplates challenging postpandemic budgets

At a board budget workshop on March 21, the Caltrain board will contemplate challenging years ahead with the prospect of changed post-pandemic travel patterns. Business surveys predict that office workers will be commuting an average of three days per week, reducing Caltrain’s pre-pandemic ridership base.  Federal funding has kept transit afloat in the Bay Area

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MTC proposes coordinated plan to pursue $30B in new federal rail funding

On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission will consider approving an integrated strategy to pursue funding from the recently passed federal infrastructure law.  This strategy would fund a set projects that improve and connect rail around the bay, including  Completion of Caltrain electrification The Downtown Extension connecting Caltrain to the salesforce terminalDiridon Station upgrades to accommodate High

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