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Sacramento legislators examine transit crisis and transformation as fiscal cliff comes into sharper focus

February 20, 2023 / Capitol, Help California Transit Survive & Thrive, Regional Funding for Transit

The state legislature in Sacramento is looking into the challenges facing public transportation as the fiscal cliff facing agencies comes into sharper focus. On Monday, February 27, a Joint Assembly/Senate Transportation Committee hearing will cover the impending public transportation fiscal cliff that is impacting 72% of transit agencies in California, and opportunities to regrow ridership […]

Caltrain board discusses short-term ridership regrowth strategies

February 2, 2023 / Caltrain, San Francisco, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County

On Thursday, February 2, the Caltrain board will discuss short-term opportunities to regrow transit ridership. Caltrain is looking at single agency strategies that it can fully control. These strategies will be helpful, but this narrow focus on short-term independent actions underestimates the depth of the challenge Caltrain is confronting. The railroad is struggling to break

New funds for Caltrain to complete electrification, defer fiscal cliff

February 1, 2023 / Caltrain, Electric Trains, San Francisco, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County

On January 31, the State of California announced that it is awarding $367 million to Caltrain to finish its electrification project, which is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2024. The funding for Caltrain complements $43 million in federal funding, adding up to the full $410 million gap needed to complete electrification, which will enable

Newsom’s proposed budget undermines transit and climate goals

January 17, 2023 / Capitol, Help California Transit Survive & Thrive

Governor Newsom’s proposed budget grapples with a projected $22.5 billion state budget deficit by slashing funding for public transportation capital projects (and other climate investments) while ignoring the fiscal cliff facing transit agency operating budgets, creating risks of service cuts. In California’s multi-step budget process, the governor’s proposal is only the first salvo in a

Come learn about next steps this year to improve transit megaprojects

January 17, 2023 / Reform processes so transit projects get done better

The San Francisco Central Subway just opened after over a decade in construction and about $1.6 billion. The BART Silicon Valley project may get better station access but the cost is now over $9 billion. What can be done to help transit megaprojects be planned better, delivered faster and more cost-effectively? Join Friends of Caltrain,

MTC starting work to plan regional transit funding measure

January 12, 2023 / Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Regional Funding for Transit

On Friday, January 13, the MTC Legislation Committee will receive updates will about preparations for a regional transit funding measure in partnership with transit agencies. The presentation was also given at MTC’s Policy Advisory Council on Wednesday January 11. This groundwork is being planned for 2023, for authorizing legislation in 2024, for a potential

Caltrain receives $43 million from federal budget for electrification; may help defer fiscal cliff

December 27, 2022 / Caltrain, Electric Trains, Federal Funding, San Francisco, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County

The Federal omnibus spending bill included $43 million to help complete Caltrain electrification. Additional funding is expected in early 2023 from the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), which has funding guidelines that favor projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are currently under construction. The electrification funding may help defer the fiscal

This week: SamTrans and VTA consider transit priority and transit first policies

December 6, 2022 / Bus Lanes, SamTrans, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, VTA

This week, SamTrans and VTA are considering next steps to speed buses in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Wednesday: SamTrans ECR Bus Speed and Reliability Study Buses on El Camino Real could travel 25-30% faster compared to 2019 travel times along the 25 mile El Camino Real corridor if improvements in a new SamTrans

Caltrain’s fiscal cliff – starting this coming budget year

November 28, 2022 / Caltrain, San Francisco, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County

Caltrain will be the first major agency in the Bay Area to face a fiscal cliff, as federal relief funding runs out and ridership grows back more gradually. This could result in cuts to service and/or maintenance starting this coming year. To address the transit fiscal cliff as a region, the MTC has requested that

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

October 23, 2022 / Events, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Regional travel, seamless transit

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

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

October 11, 2022 / BART, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Regional Funding for Transit

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

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

October 5, 2022 / Caltrain, San Francisco, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County

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

2022 Sustainable Transportation Candidate Questionnaire

September 29, 2022 / Elections

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

Transit megaprojects – what goes wrong and how to fix it

September 11, 2022 / Reform processes so transit projects get done better

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

ACTION: Make your voice heard regarding latest project plans

September 2, 2022 / BART, Contra Costa County, El Cerrito, Parking

INTRODUCTION The El Cerrito Plaza Bart’s selected development team shared their updated vision for transforming surface parking lots into housing and public spaces in July 2022. We encourage you to view the latest plans here. The development team also has a survey online where you can give feedback for each page in their plan documents.

BART and VTA discuss ways to improve BART-San Jose

August 25, 2022 / BART, Bart2SV, Mobility Justice, Reform processes so transit projects get done better, San Jose, Santa Clara County, VTA

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

Candidate questionnaire project – transit, walking, bicycling

August 21, 2022 / Elections, Mobility Justice

Come join a project to ask candidates for local office who are on the ballot this November where they stand on issues relating to transit, walking and bicycling. City Council members and county supervisors make key decisions about making our streets safer for walking and bicycling, and serve on the boards of transit agencies and

Action: In person open house 7/20 4-6:30pm @ Plaza BART

July 13, 2022 / BART, Contra Costa County, El Cerrito, Events, Parking

BART recently announced that an open house will be taking place at the Plaza BART station in between Central Ave and the north turnstiles. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, July 20, between 4:00 – 6:30pm. According to BART, the development team will be presenting their latest design concepts for the site. Additionally, staff will

Bay Area cities advance rail “quiet zones”

July 12, 2022 / Regional travel, regionalrail

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

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

June 26, 2022 / AC Transit, Alameda County, Mobility Justice, Oakland, San Pablo Ave

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