SENATOR JOSH BECKER INTRODUCES BILL TO
TRANSFORM TRANSIT IN THE BAY AREA
Fe b ru a ry 3, 20 22
Le g isla t ion w o u ld re q u ire g re a t e r t ra n sit a g e n c y c o o rd in a t ion le a d in g t o a m o re re lia b le , a p p e a lin g e xp e rie n c e fo r rid e rs SACRAMENTO—Se n a tor Josh Be cke r tod a y in t rod u ce d a b ill t o cre a te a m ore se a m le ss in t e g ra t e d Ba y Are a t ra n sit syst e m t h a t w o rks b e t t e r fo r rid e rs a n d u ltim a t e ly d ra w s m ore m e m b e rs of th e p u b lic b a ck on t o t ra n sit .
Se n a t e Bill 917 w ou ld re q u ire t ra n sit a g e n cie s in th e re g ion t o w ork tog e t h e r t o d e ve lop a n in t e g ra t e d t ra n sit fa re st ru ct u re , cre a te a Co n n e ct e d Ne t w o rk P la n t o su p p o rt sch e d u le coord in a t ion a n d se rvice st a n d a rd s, a n d d e ve lop a sin g le re g ion a l t ra n sit m a p a n d st a n d a rd ize d w a yfin d in g syst e m .
“W e m u st a ct q u ickly to e n t ice rid e rs b a ck t o p u b lic t ra n sit—a n d p u t t h e rid e r e xp e rie n ce fron t a n d ce n te r,” sa id Se n a t o r Be cke r, D-P e n in su la . “W h ile ou r t ra n sit a g e n cie s h a ve m a d e g re a t st rid e s in th e p a st fe w ye a rs w ith th e ir re n e w e d com m it m e n t t o in te g ra tion , t h e re is m u ch m o re w ork t o b e d on e . “Rig h t n ow , rid in g t ra n sit in ou r re g ion ca n b e a d isjoin t e d a n d u n re lia b le e xp e rie n ce .
Th is le g isla t ion w ill h e lp t ra n sform ou r syst e m in t o a w orld -cla ss, se a m le ss e xp e rie n ce for t h e p u b lic, w h ile re d u cin g g re e n h ou se g a s e m ission s a n d im p rovin g a cce ss t o job s a n d h ou sin g for re sid e n t s.”
Cu rre n tly, th e re a re 27 in d e p e n d e n t t ra n sit a g e n cie s op e ra tin g in th e n in e -coun ty Bay Are a . Tra n sit a g e n cie s u se d iffe re n t fa re st ru ct u re s, d isco u n t s, loya lty p ro g ra m s, w a yfin d in g a p p s, m a p p in g , a n d b ra n d in g syst e m s. A la ck of sch e d u le coord in a t ion a n d real-t im e t ra n sit d a t a a cross a g e n cie s ca n m a ke t ra n sfe rrin g u n re lia b le a n d ca n le a ve rid e rs st ra n d e d . Th e fra g m e n t e d n a t u re of se rvice le a d s to a con fu sin g , in tim id a t in g , a n d oft e n ch a otic e xp e rie n ce for Ba y Are a rid e rs.
De sp it e su b st a n tia l in ve st m e n t in t ra n sp ort a tion in fra st ru ct u re ove r se ve ra l d e ca d e s, Ba y Are a t ra n sit com m u t e s h a ve n ot im p rove d a n d rid e rsh ip h a s n ot in cre a se d . Be t w e e n 20 0 1 a n d 20 16, Ba y Are a b u s sp e e d s d e cre a se d b y 9% w h ile com m u te t im e s in cre a se d b y 11%. On ly 12% o f t h e p op u la tio n h a ve u se d t ra n sit to co m m u te sin ce 1970 . Be t w e e n 20 16 a n d 20 18 , rid e rsh ip a cross Ba y Are a p u b lic t ra n sit syste m s fe ll b y 5.2%. In com p a rison , re g ion s w it h h ig h ly in te g ra t e d n e t w orks o f loca l a n d re g ion a l t ra n sit se rvice s, like Se a t tle or Lon d on , h a ve con sist e n t ly h ig h le ve ls of t ra n sit rid e rsh ip .
SB 917 w ill in st ru ct th e Me t rop olita n Tra n sp orta t ion Com m ission (MTC) a n d t ra n sit a g e n cie s t o w ork t og e th e r t o cre a t e a n in t e g ra t e d fa re st ru ctu re th a t w ou ld b e com e e ffe ctive Ju ly 1, 20 24 , a n d a d ju ste d a n n u a lly th e re a ft e r. Th e in t e g ra te d fa re st ru ct u re m u st in clu d e n o-co st lo ca l-loca l a n d loca l-re g io n a l t ra n sfe rs a cro ss th e sa m e a n d m u ltip le t ra n sit a g e n cie s – e n d in g th e cu rre n t “t ra n sfe r p e n a lt y” th a t re su lts w h e n p e op le e n d u p p a yin g for d ou b le or t rip le fa re s n o m a tt e r th e le n g th of th e ir re sp e ct ive t rip se g m e n ts. Th is p olicy b u ild s on th e im p orta n t w ork of th e MTC Fa re In t e g ra t ion Ta sk Force , w h ich re com m e n d e d th is ch a n g e a lon g w ith oth e r im p rove m e n ts t o fa re p olicy in clu d e d in th e b ill.
SB 917 w ou ld fu rth e r re q u ire th e d e sig n of a sin g le re g ion a l t ra n sit m a p , sta n d a rd ize d w a yfin d in g m e ch a n ism s, a n d re p ort in g of re a l-t im e t ra n sit d a t a a cro ss th e re g io n . Th e b ill w ou ld a lso d ire ct MTC a n d t ra n sit a g e n cie s t o cre a t e a Con n e cte d Ne t w ork P la n t o id e n t ify a n e t w ork of re g ion a l a n d loca l corrid ors th a t n e e d se rvice -le ve l st a n d a rd s a n d im p rove m e n t s. Th is Con n e ct e d Ne t w ork P la n w ou ld e ve n t u a lly su p p ort cre a tion of a re g io n a l b u s ra p id t ra n sit syst e m .
Th e Ba y Are a h a s a lre a d y se e n th e t a n g ib le b e n e fits of in itia l a g e n cy coord in a t ion ove r t h e p a st ye a r, a s Ca lt ra in h a s a lig n e d sch e d u le s w ith BART a t Millb ra e st a t ion , a n d Gold e n Ga t e Tra n sit h a s p rovid e d loca l se rvice w ith in Sa n Fra n cisco for t h e first t im e . SB 917 b u ild s on th a t im p ort a n t w ork, a n d th e w ork of th e MTC Blu e Rib b on Tra n sit Re cove ry Ta sk Force a n d Fa re In te g ra tion Ta sk Force , t o a d d re ss lon g st a n d in g ch a lle n g e s a n d p oor coord in a t ion a m on g th e re g ion ’s t ra n sit syst e m s.
SB 917 is sp on sore d b y Se a m le ss Ba y Are a , t h e Ba y Are a Cou n cil, a n d Tra n sForm . It is a lso su p p ort e d b y a b roa d coa lit ion of Ba y Are a t ra n sit a d voca t e s. Asse m b lym e m b e r Bill Qu irk, D-Ha yw a rd , is a p rin cip a l coa u th or of SB 917. Oth e r coa u th ors in clu d e Se n a t or Bill Dod d , D-Na p a , Se n a t o r Scot t W ie n e r, D-Sa n Fra n cisco, Asse m b ly Sp e a ke r P ro Te m p ore Ke vin Mu llin , D-So u th Sa n Fra n cisco, Asse m b lym e m b e r Ale x Le e , D-Sa n Jose , a n d Asse m b lym e m b e r Ma rc Le vin e , D-Ma rin Cou n t y, a n d Asse m b lym e m b e r P h il Tin g , D-San Fra n cisco.
“Th e Se a m le ss Tra n sit Tra n sform a tion Act p rovid e s cle a r d e a d lin e s for com m on -sense p olicie s like in t e g ra tin g t ra n sit fa re s a n d sig n a g e th a t w ill m a ke ou r t ra n sit syst em e a sie r t o u se , m ore e q u it a b le , a n d m ore a cce ssib le , a n d w h ich h a ve a lre a d y b e e n u n a n im ou sly a p p rove d b y th e re g ion ’s Blu e Rib b on Tra n sit Re cove ry Ta sk Force ,” sa id Ia n Griffith s, p olicy d ire ct or of Se a m le ss Ba y Are a . “Th is b ill p rovid e s a cle a r tim e lin e for a ction t o h e lp re -a tt ra ct rid e rs to t ra n sit a s w e re cove r fro m th e p a n d e m ic.” “As w e m ove p a st COVID, it’s critica l w e g e t com m u t e rs b a ck on p u b lic t ra n sit . Ma kin g t ra n sit a s e a sy, a fford a b le a n d con ve n ie n t for e ve ryon e t o u se is p a ra m ou n t in th a t e ffort a n d b e tt e r in te g ra tin g fa re s is on e of th e m ost cost-e ffe ctive , co m m on -se n se t oo ls fo r m a kin g t h a t h a p p e n ,” sa id Ba y Are a Cou n cil P re sid e n t a n d CEO Jim W u n d e rm a n . “Fa re in t e g ra t ion is lon g ove rd u e in th e Ba y Are a a n d th e Ba y Are a Cou n cil is p rou d t o se rve as a sp on sor of t h e Se a m le ss Tra n sit Tra n sform a tion Act , SB 917.” "As th e Ba y Are a 's a fford a b ilit y crisis p u sh e s m ore folks ou t of u rb a n ce n te rs, t h e p e op le p a yin g th e m ost for t ra n sp orta t ion a re th e le a st a b le t o p a y,” sa id Ha yle y Cu rrie r, p olicy ad voc a cy m a n a g e r w ith Tra n sFo rm . “Th is b ill m a ke s fa re s fa ir a n d e n su re s t ra n sit is m o re a cce ssib le a n d e a sie r to u se . Th e Se a m le ss Tra n sit Tra n sform a t ion Act is h e lp in g t o b u ild a syst e m th a t is m o re re lia b le a n d m o re e q u ita b le ." “SP UR st ron g ly su p p o rt s e ffo rts t o im p le m e n t t h e Ba y Are a Tra n sit Tra n sform a t ion Action P la n , w h ich w ill im p rove t ra n sit for a ll w h o ca ll t h e Ba y Are a h om e ,” sa id Jon a th on Ka ss, SP UR's t ra n sp orta t ion p olicy m a n a g e r. “Th e p a st t w o ye a rs h a ve sh ow n w h a t w e a ch ie ve w h e n w e w ork t og e th e r, a n d w e a re g ra t e fu l for th e se n a t or's le a d e rsh ip a n d in t e re st in con tin u in g th a t colla b ora tion .” SB 917 is e xp e ct e d to b e h e a rd in th e Se n a t e Tra n sp orta tion Com m itte e in th e sp rin g . ###
Th e t e xt of SB 917 w ill b e a va ila b le a t : https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/ Me d ia Con t a ct: Le slie Gu e va rra , [email protected], 4 15-298-3404