New polling about a potential regional transportation funding measure showed results that could pass with a citizens’ signature gathering effort, and the mood of Bay Area lifting somewhat. Voters continue to value an improved system more than just stemming cuts.  All of the options polled better than 50% - the threshold needed to pass a measure with a citizens’ signature gathering effort. However, none of the options reached the two-thirds threshold that would be needed if a government agency puts a measure on the ballot.

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Public transportation (and clean energy and housing) are held back by chronic challenges that make things take too long and cost too much to build in California and the US.  This fall, Assembly Member Buffy Wicks took the lead in convening a Select Committee on Permitting Reform. The discussions will queue up legislation in 2025 - and has the potential to open the door for more discussion, coalition-building, and potential for larger reforms.

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Increased ridership on electric trains, lower costs for electricity than forecasted, and financial discipline have improved Caltrain’s financial outlook. Going forward, fare policy will play a key role in efforts to regrow Caltrain ridership, with the region’s coordinated fare and payment initiatives posing promising opportunities.

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Looking back on 2024, we’re seeing steady progress toward more seamless transit across the region - a direct result of Seamless Bay Area’s effective advocacy over the last five years. Here’s a summary of what we’ve accomplished this year and the opportunities in 2025 that will need your help and support.

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In December, the MTC forwarded recommendations for regional transit funding to the legislature and to its pollster. The legislature is expected to put its stamp on legislation to authorize regional transit funding, which could take the region toward maintaining and improving transit service with progress toward seamless transit, or toward options that would ask voters to raise taxes and receive service cuts. 

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The Clipper BayPass all agency transit pass pilot will expand from a maximum of 20,000 participants to 80,000 participants, as approved in December by the region’s Fare Integration Task Force. The second phase of the pilot, serving employers and transportation management associations, is being expanded because there is a long queue with over 100 organizations interested in joining.

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The Bay Area is developing a transit priority policy with MTC proposing to have a draft policy by Winter of 2024 and to have a policy approved before the Summer of 2025.  Seamless and allies including sent a letter in support of transit priority with recommendations for policy to be clarified and strengthened and to have a more robust process to refine and adopt it. 

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On November 26, the California Integrated Travel Project announced that low-income Californians who qualify for Medicare can get access to transit discounts when they pay with a credit or debit card. This coming spring, the Bay Area plans to roll out its credit/debit card payment feature. However, when it is first made available, Bay Area residents will not yet be able to access the discounts to which they are entitled when they pay with a credit or debit card.

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The recent statewide Transit Transformation Task Force considered adopting recommendations to support coordination of fares and schedules across agencies within regions and for interregional trips at their recent October meeting. However representatives of transit agencies pushed back.

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