Council Advocacy on Near-Term Commute Relief Rewarded

The Bay Area Council’s advocacy for near-term commute relief was rewarded this week when the Metropolitan Transportation Commission approved $40 million for a suite of projects to expand transportation capacity in the critical Bay Bridge corridor linking the East Bay, San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Serving about a half million (and growing) commuters every weekday, the corridor is among the most congested in the Bay Area. The package includes funding to increase bus service, expand high-occupancy vehicle and bus-only lanes, and promote carpools. The Council was instrumental in securing $2.5 million as part of the package to enable the Water Emergency Transportation Authority to extend its increased summer service to year round.

In the face of rising gridlock on our highways and transit systems, the Council under the leadership of Transportation Committee Co-Chairs Rosemary Turner of UPS and Jeff Heller of Heller Manus has been working hard to implement near-term commute relief projects that will make the most efficient use of our current infrastructure and help ensure the future economic competitiveness of our region. To engage in the Council’s transportation policy work, please contact Senior Vice President Michael Cunningham.