News, Views and Analysis from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency grabbed all the headlines Monday with deep cuts to MUNI service, but in the North Bay the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit Agency cut its service in half. Read More
Ridership on Sonoma-Marin Rail Transit District trains saw double-digit growth in ridership for the second straight month, according to the rail agency. Read More
With the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit trains now connecting to Golden Gate Ferries in Larkspur, the two transportation agencies are seeking to attract more off-peak riders. Read More
The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit system is offering free service beginning Thanksgiving Day, through Sunday, Dec. 1. Read More
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit rail service will offer free rides on weekends this summer for youth 18 and under on weekends and holidays beginning Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Read More
Earlier this month, Caltrain instituted a “Bikes Board First” procedure at all stations. Read More
The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit rail system in the North Bay surpassed the 1 million passenger mark on Thursday. Read More
While Caltrain is working toward installing a key safety system, a North Bay rail line already has the feature. Read More
Last week was a big one for transportation in California, with the state announcing grant award recommendations or winners for four different programs funded by Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the state’s landmark transportation funding law signed in 2017.
The nine-county Bay Area did very well. The region is currently on track to receive a total of $2 billion in funding over the next 10 years to support 23 critical Bay Area transportation projects. These projects range from a host of improvements along U.S. Highway 101, including Express Lanes and express buses through the heart of Silicon Valley and HOV Lanes through the Marin-Sonoma Narrows; a planned BART extension from San Jose to Santa Clara; new rail cars and capacity for SF Muni and BART; Caltrain electrification and expansion; increased frequency for trains along the Capitol Corridor; extending SMART to Larkspur and Windsor; express regional bus service in Solano County; plus improvements at the Port of Oakland, new clean zero-emission buses, and pedestrian projects, among many others.
Continue reading to find out more about the state's grant award recommendations and grant award winners and what it means for the Bay Area. Read More
Several MTC and BATA committees will be meeting this upcoming Wednesday, January 10, at the Bay Area Metro Center, including the MTC Administration Committee, the MTC Programming and Allocations Committee, the BATA Oversight Committee, and the Policy Advisory Council.
Of particular note is the BATA Oversight Committee, which will be voting to place Regional Measure 3 on the ballot for this year’s June 5 statewide election. The measure would raise the toll on the Bay Area’s seven state-owned bridges by $1 in 2019, followed by $1 in 2022, and another $1 in 2025. The Mercury News covered the topic earlier today and a recent poll shows strong support for the measure. Read more about how the money from the higher tolls would be used here. Read More