Headlines for January 30, 2024 The Oaklandside 14th Street safety redesign is breaking ground KTVU Oakland breaks ground on safety measures along 14th Street Sonoma Index-Tribune SMART to consider returning gas tankers to Schellville rail lines Mercury News San Jose and Oakland airports both gain passenger trips in 2023 New York Times New Subway Fare Gates and Platform Barriers Fail to Impress New Yorkers Mercury News Historic Burbank Theater might become part of San Jose housing project Berkeleyside Applications open for 75 affordable housing units in South Berkeley Cal Matters Will more outdoor drinking give California economy a buzz? Local News Matters Diversity of local elected officials is focus of Tuesday webinar with Bay Area Equity Atlas San Francisco Chronicle Powerful storm to bring flooding rain and strong wind to California this week. Here’s a timeline San Francisco Chronicle Here’s where California’s snowpack stands with winter half over Associated Press California Gov. Gavin Newsom backs dam removal projects aimed at sustaining salmon populations San Mateo Daily Journal Natural habitat seeing a return around Sign Hill in South San Francisco
Headlines for January 29, 2024 Marin Independent Journal Editorial: San Rafael handled Third Street improvement well Berkeleyside AC Transit postpones bus route changes until at least March 2025 Local News Matters Section of Marin County highway reduced to single lane for construction of retaining wall San Francisco Chronicle HAWK traffic signals on the rise in Bay Area. Here’s what to do when those lights flash The Oaklandside BART’s new ‘hardened’ fare gates get mixed reactions from West Oakland riders San Francisco Chronicle ‘Exactly how I remember it’: S.F. Muni travels back in time with vintage bus, archival photos Mercury News Did VTA mislead the public on start date of BART $76 million tunneling machine in San Jose? Bloomberg Can a National Zoning Atlas Chart a Way Out of the US Housing Crisis? San Francisco Chronicle New home approvals plummeted in downtown San Francisco in 2023 San Francisco Chronicle New housing will add 160 affordable units to S.F.’s Haight — but no parking spots San Francisco Chronicle Rezoning plan sparks backlash in this quiet S.F. neighborhood: ‘We were blindsided’ Marin Independent Journal Mill Valley commission begins rezoning for housing influx San Jose Spotlight Los Gatos struggles to get its housing plan approved Gilroy Dispatch Glen Loma developer responds to city attorney’s letter San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco’s oldest toy store to close after 86 years Cal Matters California gave fast food workers a seat at the table. What comes next? San Francisco Examiner Port looks to bolster San Francisco shorelines against rising tides Mercury News Huge San Jose ranch habitat and preservation effort makes big progress
Headlines for January 26, 2024 San Francisco Chronicle ‘Us versus them’: Cruise’s animosity to regulators led to company’s California suspension, law firm says Mercury News Waymo wants to expand its driverless robotaxis to the Peninsula, opposition rises San Francisco Chronicle Sinkhole forces closure of Marin County road Mercury News Norm Mineta statue unveiled at San Jose airport terminal SF Gate Farewell Muni red and BART blue? Bay Area transit agencies want universal signage San Francisco Standard BART Riders Could Soon Transfer to Muni for Free or Reduced Fare. Here’s How It Would Work San Francisco Chronicle S.F.’s Powell Street has seen better days. Now there’s a push to give it a makeover San Francisco Chronicle California coastal protections versus housing: The battle is on Cal Matters Approaching Bay Area deadline a ‘test case’ for California’s housing crisis San Francisco Examiner Downtown housing measure ‘a Trojan horse,’ Proposition C critics say Mercury News Just how many homeless people are in the Bay Area? Annual census aims to nail down a number Cal Matters How big is California’s homelessness crisis? Inside the massive, statewide effort to find out Napa Valley Register Napa affordable housing project opens soon Mercury News Dragging Bay Area home sales sink to 15-year low in 2023 Cal Matters New California ruling targets pension ‘spiking’ as retirees appeal for relief San Francisco Chronicle Levi’s announces plan to lay off up to 15% of global workforce in 2024 Local News Matters SF 49ers, Levi’s announce proposed stadium naming rights extension for 10 more years Wall Street Journal Salesforce Laying Off 700 Workers in Latest Tech-Industry Downsizing Cal Matters What’s happened since California cut home solar payments? Demand has plunged 80% San Francisco Chronicle How S.F.’s Embarcadero could be transformed by this $13.5 billion proposal Mercury News Biden administration awards nearly half a billion dollars for Northern California offshore wind project
Headlines for January 25, 2024 Marin Independent Journal Bay Area transportation agency moves $1 billion tax plan to Legislature San Mateo Daily Journal Metropolitan Transportation Commission to put $1B revenue measure on ballot San Francisco Chronicle Bay Area Transportation Project Road Map Local News Matters New ‘more visually prominent’ prototype transit signs to be installed across Bay Area Mercury News Mayor: BART San Jose plans should remain, but revision “should be on the table” Marin Independent Journal Tiburon aims to ease traffic on boulevard San Francisco Chronicle Waymo wants to expand to these Bay Area cities, even as S.F. sues to curtail robotaxis San Francisco Examiner SF sues state regulator, claiming it ‘unlawfully’ permitted AV expansion San Francisco Standard Waymo Robotaxis Appear Set To Invade Bay Area Freeways—and Potentially Airports Gilroy Dispatch Gilroy council agrees to draft parklet policy San Francisco Chronicle Could a new state agency solve California’s housing crisis? Cal Matters Approaching Bay Area deadline a ‘test case’ for California’s housing crisis San Francisco Chronicle Gavin Newsom’s Project Homekey dodges a bullet, but long-term legal threat remains Press Democrat Investigation calls attention to housing discrimination in Sonoma, Marin, Solano counties Marin Independent Journal Marin supportive housing project earns $14M in state grants Marin Independent Journal Belvedere council overrules board on disputed housing project Fairfield Daily Republic Affordable housing bill introduced in Congress San Francisco Chronicle Here’s a look inside the new coworking space above downtown S.F.’s Ikea San Francisco Standard New Management of Downtown San Francisco Mall Vows To Keep It Open, Make Improvements Mercury News These 5 Bay Area cities have the highest minimum wage in the U.S. Mercury News Brentwood takes step to divert food scraps with ‘garbage juicer’
Headlines for January 24, 2024 Bloomberg Public Transit Agencies Join the Fight to Curb Overdose Deaths Railway Age Transit Briefs: Bay Area Transit Marin Independent Journal SMART reports ridership growth of 4.5% over pre-pandemic high San Francisco Chronicle California could require car ‘governors’ that limit speeding to 10 mph over posted limits San Francisco Chronicle First look inside California’s bullet trains: Designs feature bars, play areas, airplane-like seats San Francisco Chronicle Will S.F.’s population grow in the future? New study predicts city may follow a different trend than others San Francisco Chronicle The California exodus continues. Chart shows how unusual the population drop was San Francisco Chronicle S.F. billionaire-backed Telegraph Hill housing project clashes with city’s density controls Mercury News Should California house hunters wait for real estate clouds to clear? Mercury News EBay to cut 1,000 jobs, reduce contractors to sharpen focus Mercury News Tech company layoffs surge in Bay Area with 1,000-plus additional cuts San Francisco Chronicle Why S.F.’s biggest mall continues to see an exodus even as others recover Cal Matters California ranks high worldwide for rapidly depleted groundwater Napa Valley Register Napa County supervisor Ramos named president of Association of Bay Area Governments San Francisco Chronicle California is at higher risk for major earthquakes than previously known. Here’s the new map KQED New Fossils Suggest Kelp Forests Have Swayed in the Seas for at Least 32 Million Years Local News Matters Richmond Ranch acquisition adds to Bay Area Ridge Trail vision plan for expansion
Headlines for January 23, 2024 San Francisco Chronicle One way BART, Bay Area transit agencies want to consolidate: their appearance San Francisco Chronicle Car crashes are suddenly soaring on this Bay Area highway Mercury News Opinion: A bigger bureaucracy won’t fix Bay Area’s transit problems Mercury News Recycling and ‘second life’ options keep retired EV batteries out of landfills Government Technology After a Year of Setbacks, Where Do Robotaxis Go in 2024? Mercury News Affordable housing project could sprout near San Jose auto dealerships Mercury News Solano County billionaires’ utopia: Seeking support but picking fights The Oaklandside Maps: Where are the cheapest and priciest places to rent in Oakland? San Francisco Chronicle A year after Half Moon Bay mass shooting, farmworkers still waiting for better housing Cal Matters Cal State faculty ends their strike after reaching a tentative contract agreement Cal Matters Why Cheesecake Factory wage theft case matters for California San Francisco Chronicle Map shows California rain totals from recent storms Sonoma Index-Tribune Sonoma just adopted climate strategies. What are they? Marin Independent Journal ‘Floating landfill’: Abandoned boats pile up in Bay Area Local News Matters Environmental groups sue state water agency to block controversial Delta tunnel project Mercury News Raw sewage in creeks? Sunnyvale and Mountain View argue in court the Clean Water Act should not apply to them
Headlines for January 22, 2024 KQED After Cruise's Implosion, What's Next for Robotaxis? Heat Map Transit Agencies Are Climate Agencies, Too Mercury News Is the Bay Area entering a ‘golden age of ferries’? San Francisco Chronicle Have a S.F. residential parking permit? It could cost you more money this year Mercury News Liccardo says San Jose BART needs to be scaled down, a major admission from project’s biggest champion Marin Independent Journal SMART settles federal lawsuit over bike path Marin Independent Journal San Rafael marks completion of $20.8M Third Street project Marin Independent Journal Editorial: Watershed recreation plan should give e-bike access a test period San Jose Spotlight Cupertino plans safety improvements for major thoroughfare San Jose Spotlight San Jose teacher housing prompts demolition of former youth center San Mateo Daily Journal Broadway plans spur opposition in Burlingame San Mateo Daily Journal Proposed budget cuts hit affordable housing San Francisco Chronicle Boomers aren’t giving up their big homes. Here’s how that plays out in the Bay Area Bloomberg Affordable Housing Gets Boost in Congressional Tax Reform Proposal San Francisco Chronicle S.F.’s unfair redevelopment history colors the Fillmore Safeway drama San Francisco Chronicle This rich Bay Area city is fighting a plan for 40 new homes. The developer’s solution: An even bigger project San Francisco Examiner What blocks dreams of downtown office towers becoming homes? Mercury News San Jose: 93-unit affordable complex opens for formerly homeless seniors San Francisco Chronicle This Bay Area county is considering criminalizing homeless encampments in public spaces Mercury News Solano County billionaires’ utopia: Seeking support but picking fights Local News Matters California Forever files proposed ballot initiative to allow expanded development San Francisco Chronicle Anchor Brewing is getting a new owner soon. Can locals outbid Big Beer Mercury News End of a Bay Area era? Pittsburg’s steel mill idles amid sale to Japanese company SF Gate Regional Planning Agency Swears In Napa Supervisor As President, Berkeley Mayor As Vice President Mercury News Huge San Jose ranch may be preserved as parklands and nature habitat: new deal Marin Independent Journal Novato conflict pits butterfly enthusiast against neighbors
Headlines for January 19, 2024 KQED In Transit: Bay Area Transportation News on Everything That Moves Mercury News Why does a state legislator want to merge all 27 of the Bay Area’s transit agencies together? KQED Drive in the I-880 Express Lanes? You May Qualify for a Cheaper Tollbooth Fee Marin Independent Journal Marin Transit leaders review San Rafael Transit Center relocation plan Mercury News Why Teslas crash more than gas-powered cars San Francisco Standard This Electric ‘Flying Water Taxi’ Might Soon Be Ferrying You to SFO Mercury News VTA officials misled public, governing board on cost for San Jose BART project San Jose Spotlight Sunnyvale considers ride-share service for commuting students Next City America’s Biggest Universal Basic Mobility Experiment Is Taking Place in L.A. KTVU BAHFA featured: Affordable housing lottery: 3-bedroom Bay Area home for $183,000 Cal Matters Dream for All: Down payment assistance for first-time California homebuyers relaunches with new lottery Cal Matters Homelessness is on the California ballot this March. Will conditions change on the street? Fairfield Daily Republic Solano Planning Commission moves Housing Element to supervisors Vallejo Times-Herald Community leaders react to California Forever ballot initiative Marin Independent Journal Belvedere gets application for 70 homes at Mallard Pointe San Francisco Chronicle Downtown SF's pop-up businesses are getting a more permanent stay San Francisco Examiner Downtown SF's pop-up businesses are getting a more permanent stay San Francisco Standard Another Store Will Close at Struggling Downtown San Francisco Mall NBC Bay Area California has 95% chance of damaging earthquake in next century, USGS map shows San Francisco Chronicle Several storms to bring heavy rain to the Bay Area. Here’s a timeline of impacts Mercury News Former Apple exec wants to save oceans, lakes with plastic-free products Press Democrat PD Editorial: California should rethink its water conservation plan Berkeleyside Peacing out on plastic: Here’s how some Berkeley residents are reducing their usage
Headlines for January 17, 2024 Railway News BART’s new cars under budget San Francisco Chronicle SFO International Terminal to be renamed after Dianne Feinstein San Francisco Chronicle CHP Instagram videos use humor to drive home Sierra highway-safety message Sonoma Index-Tribune SMART receives federal funds to study eastward expansion through Sonoma Valley Berkeleyside Dueling taxes to fund street paving could be on Berkeley ballot in November Bloomberg NY Congestion Pricing Plan Violates US Constitution, NJ Governor Says San Francisco Examiner Is consolidation — or coordination — key to Bay Area transit's future? San Mateo Daily Journal Transit consolidation gut-and-amend bill replaced Mercury News Oakland college site could become development with hundreds of homes KQED A Safety Net Under the Golden Gate Bridge San Mateo Daily Journal Theft plagues Caltrain electrification updates San Francisco Chronicle Dramatic change in one demographic is happening in California like nowhere else San Francisco Examiner Tiny-home vendor arrives in SF to peddle its wares San Francisco Chronicle It’s official: Tech billionaires are taking their plan for a new California city to voters San Francisco Standard California Forever To Offer $400M in Down Payment Aid for Residents of Proposed City in Solano County Fairfield Daily Republic California Forever prepares to take project to the voters Vallejo Times-Herald California Forever set to announce ballot initiative in Rio Vista Mercury News Cupertino settles YIMBY housing lawsuit, agrees to ‘builder’s remedy’ penalty Mercury News San Jose housing project sites get key financing, more funds are sought Marin Independent Journal Marin jurisdictions face rezoning deadline for housing edict San Francisco Standard Google Slashes Hundreds of Jobs From Advertising Sales Team Mercury News Biotech companies slash hundreds of East Bay jobs in jolt to industry Cal Matters California’s worker shortage has quickly become another existential issue San Mateo Daily Journal Electric energy codes are in legal limbo in San Mateo County
Headlines for January 16, 2024 Berkeleyside Activists vow to keep installing guerrilla benches at East Bay bus stops Local News Matters Parking rates rise at three BART stations, but customers enjoy price cuts at five other sites Local News Matters Bay Area gets a jolt from federal grant aimed at boosting electric vehicle charging stations Local News Matters San Francisco could soon begin installation of 400 license plate readers to deter crime East Bay Times The hottest things to do in Emeryville in 2024, using a free shuttle bus San Mateo Daily Journal Feedback sought for Hillsdale bike lane plans San Francisco Chronicle UC Berkeley is fighting to build housing in People’s Park. Here’s what it would look like Marin Independent Journal Novato approves 130-home development near Buck center Bloomberg To Ease Housing Crunch, Theme Parks Are Becoming Homebuilders San Francisco Chronicle Historic S.F. office tower could become housing and a ‘poster child’ for conversions San Francisco Chronicle These are the California cities where home prices have changed the most Mercury News Tesla electric vehicle and sales service center may sprout in San Jose Mercury News Kelly-Moore Paints halts operations, closes all stores Mercury News As abandoned boats pile up in Bay Area waters, who’s responsible for the environmental damage? Petaluma Argus-Courier Photos: Sonoma County wildlife caught on trail cameras