Council CEO Named to State Task Force to Reimagine Transit

Bay Area Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman has been appointed by California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin to participate in a state task force that will chart a new course for transit in California. The state’s Transit Transformation Task Force was established as part of the transit recovery package signed by Governor Gavin Newsom this year to develop policy recommendations to grow transit ridership, improve the transit experience, and address long-term funding challenges.

The 25-member task force represents state government, local agencies, academic institutions, and advocacy organizations, and will be charged with preparing a report of policy recommendations to submit to the state Legislature by October 2025. The Bay Area Council was at the forefront of the effort this year to secure state funding to address the immediate fiscal crisis facing the transit agencies that are still struggling to recover from the pandemic ridership impacts. The Council has also testified as an expert before the state Legislature multiple times on ridership regrowth strategies that will draw more riders back to the systems and sustain the agencies long-term. To learn more about the Council’s transportation policy work, contact Vice President Emily Loper.