MTC efforts to improve Bay Area transit continue

About one year after the Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force convened by MTC adopted a 27-goal Transformation Action Plan, some efforts have made substantial progress, while others are moving more slowly. This was the assessment made by Seamless Bay Area in a report card they issued on Bay Area efforts to improve and connect transit agencies to make services more convenient and appealing to riders. The San Francisco Chronicle ran a story on the report card noting various aspects of the effort.

MTC remains committed to the timely implementation of the Action Plan. The initiatives outlined below each reflect progress on different elements of the Action Plan.

• Clipper BayPass. The most concrete step forward on integrated fares, this two-year pilot program has launched to study the impact of a single pass that is providing some 50,000 Bay Area residents free access to all bus, rail and ferry services in the nine-county region.

• Regional Mapping and Wayfinding project. A single mapping and wayfinding system for use by all Bay Area transit agencies is being developed. The goal of the project is to design and deploy a fully harmonized suite of maps, signs and transit information in all Bay Area transit locations — from individual bus stops to major hubs
• Network Management Business Case Advisory Group. A multi-stakeholder Network Management Business Case Advisory Group (comprised of transit operators, representatives for equity/social justice, senior/disabled transit riders, business and labor) was established by MTC to provide guidance and input on the Network Management Business Case Evaluation project. The goal of the business case evaluation is to assess and recommend a preferred regional network management framework to achieve near-term and longer-range transit mobility goals.

• Access & Mobility Work Plan. The Transit Transformation Action Plan’s Access and Mobility Work Plan focuses on five actions to improve transportation access for people with disabilities, older adults and people with low incomes in the Bay Area.

Next milestones for the Transformation Action Plan are a connected network plan, continued discussions on the regional funding measure, and the rail partnership and governance assessment report anticipated to be finalized by the end of 2022.

Check out the complete Bay Area Transit Transformation Action Plan here.