Seamless Regional Transit Advancing
Work is progressing on the development of sweeping changes to the Bay Area’s transit system that would deliver more integrated, convenient and efficient service for commuters. The Network Management Business Case Advisory Board may have an unwieldy name, but its mission is to reimagine how the region’s major transit operators function together. The Bay Area Council has long advocated for stronger coordination among the region’s many transit operators on everything from fares and scheduling to consistent signage. In other words, to make them operate more like a single, seamless system. And as the lone business voice on the Advisory Board, Council CEO Jim Wunderman is pressing for changes that will better serve riders and grow ridership. The work is especially important as transit agencies struggle to recover ridership lost during the pandemic. The Bay Area Council’s recent Bay Area Council Poll found that issues related to lack of coordination among transit agencies is a major reason commuters opt to take their car.
Concurrently, the Council is co-sponsoring legislation (SB 917, Becker) that would authorize a three-year pilot of various strategies to improve coordination among transit agencies and require them to work together in implementing them. The Seamless Transit Act would effectively serve as a test run for the broader and longer-term changes being developed by the Advisory Board. SB 917 won approval this week from the Senate Transportation Committee. The other co-sponsors include Seamless Bay Area, Transform and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.
The Transportation Committee also approved SB1226 (Durazo), which enables public-private partnerships for the development, construction, and operation of zero-emission transportation systems or facilities. This bill was also supported by the Council. Both bills need a Senate floor and Assembly vote to move forward. For more information about how to support these bills and other legislative work, please contact Senior Vice President of Public Policy Gwen Litvak.
