One step closer to seamless transit: SB 917 passes out of Assembly Transportation Committee

Senator Josh Becker presents SB 917 before the Assembly Transportation Committee on June 27, 2022.

Yesterday, SB 917 (Becker), the Seamless Transit Transformation Act, passed another key milestone on the way to becoming law, passing out of the important Assembly Transportation Committee with unanimous support. The bill sets deadlines for the region to make progress on integrated fares, wayfinding, service planning, and real time travel data.

It was notable at yesterday’s hearing that representatives from transit agencies, including BART and the SF Bay Ferry, spoke up in support of SB 917. The BART board unanimously voted in favor of supporting the bill last Thursday, becoming the first transit agency to do so, led by Board President Rebecca Saltzman.

An earlier version of SB 917 passed out of the California Senate in May and was supported by sponsors Seamless Bay Area, SPUR, Bay Area Council, Transform, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, and Silicon Valley Leadership Group, dozens of community groups and MTC. Since then, transit agencies worked with Senator Becker’s staff and the bill’s sponsors, proposing amendments that have been incorporated into the bill to address agency concerns to prevent unintended financial consequences impacting agency finances and service to riders. .

Here’s a summary of the key provisions and deadlines in the bill based on the most recent amendments:

  • Near-term deadlines for MTC to develop, in consultation with transit agencies:

    • Connected Network Plan - by July 31, 2024

      • Vision plan identifying:  Key hubs, transit corridors of significance, target travel times, service frequencies desired

      • Service vision for future funding measure

    • Universal Wayfinding Standards - by July 1, 2025

    • Universal Real Time Information Standards - July 1, 2023

  • Deadline for transit agencies, to develop and adopt, in consultation with MTC, an Integrated Fare Structure by July 2024, to be updated each year

    • By 2024 must include:  Common definitions for rider categories (youth, adult, seniors, etc.); Three-year pilot of free transfers; 

    • When funding available:  Three-year pilot of a common fare structure for regional services, Three-year pilot of multi-agency passes

  • Transit agencies must comply with integrated fare structure, wayfinding, & real time info standards in order to receive STA funding.

  • Transit agencies may apply to MTC for exemption if they can demonstrate compliance will cause financial burden that would necessitate service cuts.

The next milestone for the bill to become law will be the Assembly Appropriations Committee in early August. Stay tuned for opportunities to support the bill by joining our mailing list - we’re committed to bringing this across the finish line!

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Ian Griffiths