Discussion about a regional transportation funding measure has resumed with a “Select Committee” created by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission with the goal of developing options and agreement for 2025 legislation to authorize a regional transportation funding measure.
The 2024 effort toward authorizing legislation with SB1031 was halted by Senator Wiener at the end of May, to allow time to address the issues that had come up around the legislation including funding priorities and geographic distribution.
At the first Select Committee meeting, and there was broad agreement on top priorities – addressing the fiscal cliff, improvements for transit riders, and regional coordination.
However, there may be a significant risk to Caltrain, BART, and other regional transit services that depended heavily on fares before the pandemic.
In the discussion about SB1031, major business and labor stakeholders advocating for a measure to have a robust focus on capital, and some stakeholders have been urging for a smaller measure overall as a response to voter caution about spending, despite polls also showing strong voter desires to improve transit service.
If the Select Committee decides on a smaller measure with a smaller share of operating funding, this creates the risk of an amount of operating funding that would still lead to service cuts and a downward spiral that would harm the region.
BART just issued a new report showing how the region depends on BART and regional transit to prevent congestion and pollution, and to provide affordable transportation.
Agencies are starting to talk about “Plan B” options that could include a measure in the three BART counties (SF, Alameda, CoCo) and potentially a separate measure for Caltrain, potentially at the same time that VTA does a separate measure to raise more money for BART Silicon Valley. We spoke representatives of Caltrain and BART – both agencies strongly prefer the regional measure option over mutiple competing measures.
Transit advocates in the Voices for Public Transportation Coalition are encouraging a regional measure that is focused not just on averting a fiscal cliff and filling operating holes – but on providing better, more convenient service.
The Select Committee will hold public meetings through October, and includes MTC Commissioners, legislators, business, labor, and advocates. Your blogger was appointed with hats for the MTC Policy Advisory Council and Seamless Bay Area, which is part of Voices for Public Transportation Coalition which includes Friends of Caltrain. Transit agency and county transportation authorities are providing input into the process with an executive group holding public meetings.