Council Launches New Committees on Waterfront Mobility and Goods Movement

The Bay Area Council is launching two new policy committees to address pressing regional policy challenges. Next week, the Bay Area Council will launch its new Waterfront Mobility Committee under the leadership of co-Chairs Heather Salem (Genentech) and Emily Lesk (Wilson Meany). As employees have begun to commute back to offices this spring, people are increasingly choosing to take the ferry over other commute options. The Council led the creation of the Water Emergency Transportation Authority, which operates the SF Bay Ferry service, and is chaired by Council CEO Jim Wunderman.

Fortunately, there is a historic amount of new funding available to expand service, build new terminals, and electrify vessel fleets in the coming years, and this new Waterfront Mobility Committee will lead the region’s advocacy to realize that vision. Join us on May 18 to hear an update on new ferry service and plans for future growth from the Water Emergency Transportation Authority, get a progress report on the Hovercraft Working Group led by Council Board member Gilead, and participate in a discussion about opportunities for water transit service to access new locations quickly. To attend, RSVP HERE.

On June 21, the Bay Area Council will launch its new Goods Movement Subcommittee of our broader transportation work under the leadership of co-Chairs Danny Wan (Executive Director, Port of Oakland) and Genevieve Cadwalader (VP, Investment Officer, Prologis). Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruption to the global supply chain, access to consumer goods remains very unpredictable as ports, factories and warehouses are working through backlogs. The Goods Movement Subcommittee will unite the region to advocate for new federal and state infrastructure funding to support Bay Area projects that will improve supply chain efficiency, decarbonize operations, and rethink how we strengthen a network that is the backbone of our economy. Join us on June 21st to hear how the Port of the Oakland – the sixth largest container port in the nation – is working to expand capacity and build resilience to future supply chain disruptions, and provide your input on the top priorities for goods movement investments throughout the region. To attend, RSVP HERE.

To learn more about either of these committees, please contact Policy Director Emily Loper.