Last Friday, we closed out Transit Month with our annual Rider First Awards, recognizing our transit heroes of the year, announcing Ride Contest winners (and dispensing 50+ prizes), and listening to speeches from our guests for the night, including Assemblymember Phil Ting. We had a blast hosting this last Transit Month event with San Francisco Transit Riders at the Bay Area Metro Center!
Read MoreThe Seamless Bay Area blog is usually chock full of content that’s exclusively about transit. But this month (Transit Month!) we’re making an exception, and venturing into the natural world to highlight the fact that transit shouldn’t “just” be your commuting tool, or the connection to the services you need and the people you care about. Transit has the potential to connect us all to the incredible vistas and experiences of the Bay Area’s wild places, and the fascinating natural systems behind them.
Read MoreClipper BayPass - the Bay Area’s successful all-agency transit pass pilot - is taking an important step forward, expanding from the first set of institutional customers - public colleges/universities and affordable housing communities - to employers by the end of this year.
Read MoreFolks, the time we’ve all been waiting for has arrived: Transit Month! This is your quick guide for all that’s happening throughout September from our 30+ events, the Ride Contest, Nominating Transit Heros, and more.
Read MoreHelp the Bay Area develop a frequent, well-connected transit network by taking this quick, online survey. This is an official public input opportunity so your comments in support of a seamless, equitable, and fast transit network are especially important.
Read MoreKey Bay Area transit accessibility initiatives are moving forward, such as a one-seat paratransit pilot program and the creation of “mobility manager” services in each county. These actions are much needed as people with disabilities bear the brunt of our fragmented, inaccessible, and car-dependent transportation infrastructure.
Read MoreAs the Bay Area seeks to pass a transformational regional ballot measure in 2026, the lessons of Switzerland’s 1980s ‘pivot’ could not be more timely and relevant. Critically, the Swiss transit turnaround involved both raising more funding for transit and getting governance right – establishing a transportation network manager with the mandate to oversee coordination at both the national and regional scales.
Read MoreAt full implementation, VTA’s Visionary Network would offer 83% more service compared to current 2023 service, with 77% more service on weekdays and 87% more service on weekends. The service improvements are anticipated to cost 44% above the current operating budget, and to attract 45-70% more riders.
Read MoreThe San Francisco Bay Ferry, operated by WETA, has one of the highest transit ridership recoveries among services providing longer-distance regional trips. Golden Gate Ferry, WETA’s most direct counterpart, has experienced ridership recovery levels consistently between 10-25% lower than that of WETA.
Read MoreIn a bid to make transit more affordable for low-income individuals, MTC staff recommended extending the means-based fare discount Clipper START program for an additional two years till June 2025. MTC is working on ways to expand adoption of the program, which currently serves a tiny share of people who are eligible.
Read MoreA key success factor in Switzerland’s attractive, high ridership system is the principle of "One journey, One ticket": the idea that when you pay a fare, it's for your entire journey, no matter how many times you transfer between modes or operators.
Read MoreThis past Saturday, over 200 protesters in SF and Oakland staged a mock funeral procession for transit agencies mourning the huge loss that’ll occur given no changes in Governor Newsom’s Budget proposal.
Read MoreThe first full day of the study tour of Bay Area transit leaders kicked off in Bern, Switzerland’s capital and fifth largest city, with sessions with senior representatives the federal government and transport associations.
Read MoreIt’s all over the news - transit in the Bay Area is in trouble, and needs immediate funding from the state to avoid massive cuts that would disproportionately hurt low-income transit dependent people - and lead to a huge increase in driving. If there was ever a time to take a hard look at agency consolidations - combining some of our 27 agencies to both improve decision-making, capacity, effectiveness, and efficiency - it is now.
Read MoreI arrived a couple of days early into Zurich before the official start of the delegation visit to get to know transit on my own a bit. Here are my first impressions.
Read MoreThe news on saving California transit over the last week includes a small amount of progress but not nearly enough. Read on for what happened at last week’s state budget hearings, what’s happening next, and what you can do before the budget deadline on midnight of June 15.
Read MoreSeamless Bay Area’s Policy Director will be among eleven Bay Area public transportation leaders who will travel to Switzerland next week to study how the country organizes, coordinates, and funds its world-renowned seamless public transit system.
Read MoreIt’s down to the wire - this week Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, key state legislative budget committees will take critical votes on proposals that could avert or accelerate the transit fiscal cliff.
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