TRANSPAC Board Meeting Summary Minutes
Meeting Date: November 13, 2025
Commissioners Present: Carlyn Obringer (Commissioner), Concord; Ken Carlson (Commissioner), Contra Costa County; Sue
Noack, Pleasant Hill; Greg Young, Martinez; Richard
Enea, Clayton
Planning Commissioners Present: Alex Khalfin, Concord; Molly P Clopp, Walnut Creek Staff Present: Matt Todd, TRANSPAC; Tiffany Gephart, TRANSPAC Guests/Presenters: Pranjal Dixit, County Connection; Danielle Elkins, CCTA; Samantha Harris, Contra Costa County; Adam
Dankberg, Kimley-Horn; Monica Tanner, KimleyHorn; Kirsten Riker, 511 Contra Costa, Laurie Talbert, 511 Contra Costa; Cara De Jong, 511 Contra
Costa
Minutes Prepared By: Tiffany Gephart
1. Convene Regular Meeting / Pledge of Allegiance / Self-Introductions Commissioner Obringer convened the regular meeting at 9:01 a.m.
2. Public Comment
Commissioner Obringer opened public comment for items not on the agenda. There were no public comments.
3. Consent Calendar
3a. Approval of Minutes of the September 11, 2025, TRANSPAC Board Meeting.
Action: Approve minutes.
3b. CCTA Executive Director's Report Regarding CCTA Actions-Discussion Items. 3c. Items Approved by the CCTA for Circulation to the Regional Transportation Planning Committees and Related Items of Interest.
3d. RTPC Meetings Summary Letters.
3e. CCTA Meetings Updates and Countywide Information Links. 3f. Transportation Meetings Attended by Staff.
3g. Subregional Transportation Mitigation Program – Development Project Tracking. 3h. TRANSPAC Quarterly Financial Report for the period ended September 30, 2025.
Action: Accept the Quarterly Financial Report for the period ended September 30, 2025.
On motion by Commissioner Noack, seconded by Commissioner Carlson, to approve the consent calendar by unanimous vote of the members present (Obringer, Carlson, Noack, Young, Enea).
4. Youth Transit Programs
4a. Summer Youth Ride Free Program Update
Pranjal Dixit, County Connection, presented results from the Youth Ride Free pilot (June 1-July 31, 2025). The countywide initiative with Tri Delta Transit and WestCAT provided free transit for youth ages 6-18.
The program tested a barrier-free approach with no sign-ups, passes, or IDs required to participate. Ridership showed substantial year-over-year increases with system-wide growth of 6 percent. Survey results (94 responses) revealed significant behavior change: family/friend rides dropped from 44 percent to 18 percent while transit use increased from 42 percent to 59 percent. Youth valued the free cost and independence. Parents reported saving over five car trips per week, with approximately two-thirds saving 11 miles of weekly driving. Post-program analysis showed sustained impacts, with school route ridership reaching the highest level since pre-pandemic in August and September 2025. Lessons learned emphasized that eliminating barriers increased ridership, strong branding proved critical, and early marketing was essential.
The full presentation is available in meeting materials at transpac.us.
Commissioner Noack asked about implementation challenges. Mr. Dixit explained the primary challenge was the abbreviated timeline for operator education about the new program and coordinating marketing outreach to schools during May when students were focused on finals.
Commissioner Obringer inquired about the correlation between summer ridership and increased fall school route usage. Mr. Dixit confirmed that summer program participation appeared to build student comfort with transit, leading to sustained usage when school resumed. The increase occurred specifically on school routes while other routes saw ridership declines, suggesting the summer program directly influenced student travel habits.
Planning Commissioner Khalfin asked about the reliability category in survey results and marketing strategies. Mr. Dixit explained reliability encompasses both on-time performance and service availability, noting many youth rely on printed schedules rather than real-time arrival applications. He discussed expanding outreach platforms to reach youth where they consume information, including TikTok, and gamifying the program with trip tracking and badge rewards to maintain ongoing engagement.
4b. 2026 Draft TRANSPAC Youth Transit Program
Tiffany Gephart presented the draft 2026 Youth Transit Program pilot combining summer youth transit (June-July 2026) with Pass2Class (fall 2026). Building on the County Connection program, the summer component of the pilot would continue pass-free service for youth ages 6-18 in June-July 2026. TRANSPAC Measure J Line 21A funds (approximately $4 million in balance) would fund the TRANSPAC portion of the summer component. County Connection estimates $41,000 for approximately 25,000 trips in the TRANSPAC area (central county) and $10,000 for 6,000 trips for SWAT (southwest area). CCTA would oversee the implementation and coordination of the program and County Connection would deliver the service. Pass2Class continues to be funded through Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA).
Commissioner Noack sought clarification on funding shifts. Ms. Elkins explained Pass2Class remains under TFCA while June-July would use Measure J Line 21A funds (previously supporting Street Smarts Diablo and 511 programs). Commissioner Noack expressed concern about the two-year timeline and emphasized expeditious use of the $4 million Line 21A balance. Mr. Todd noted staff will provide comprehensive fund accounting.
Commissioner Carlson discussed TFCA statutory requirements and administrative burden while expressing support for youth transit access. He requested year-round cost projections to inform planning decisions. Ms. Elkins noted Pass2Class under TFCA generates 1,200 survey responses, while the summer program yielded only 48 adult responses, falling short of TFCA evaluation requirements. Planning Commissioner Khalfin asked about SWAT funding commitment; staff indicated meetings scheduled for November 19 and December 1, 2025. Mr. Todd expressed confidence in funding identification and explained alternatives would be developed if needed to maintain the June 1, 2026 start date. Planning Commissioner Clopp asked about branding consistency; Ms. Elkins confirmed CCTA is coordinating for continuity. Commissioner Carlson noted TRANSPAC can adjust programming without losing funds if SWAT cannot participate.
On motion by Commissioner Noack, seconded by Commissioner Carlson, to approve the programming of Measure J Line 21a funds in the amount of $41,000 to fund the TRANSPAC portion of the countywide summer youth transit program for June-July 2026 by unanimous vote of the members present (Obringer, Carlson, Noack, Young, Enea).
5. TRANSPAC Annual Financial Report as of June 30, 2025 and 2024 Matt Todd presented the annual audit as required by policy and Government Code Section 6505. The audit was completed with no specific items to report.
On motion by Commissioner Carlson, seconded by Commissioner Young, to accept the Annual Financial Report as of June 30, 2025, and 2024 with Independent Auditors’ Reports thereon, by unanimous vote of the members present (Obringer, Carlson, Noack, Young, Enea).
6. Measure J Line 20A Funds Program - FY 2024-2025 Progress Report Ms. Gephart presented the Measure J Line 20A Grant Program progress report. The program provides $600,000 annually for Transportation Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities.
The report covers activities for FY 2024-2025, the first year of the two-year cycle. TRANSPAC awarded $1.4 million to nine programs, with 59% expended as of June 30, 2025. A copy of the full progress report is included in the agenda packet materials available at transpac.us.
Key Metrics
• Total Individuals Served (TRANSPAC area): 3,751
• Total Trips (origin/destination in TRANSPAC): 87,168
• Total Trips (entirely within TRANSPAC): 52,822
• Shared Trips (origin/destination in TRANSPAC): 74,999 • Total Programs: 10 programs (9 active, 1 delayed launch) • Ser Types: Door-to-door, Door-thru-Door, curb-to-curb, fixed-route, TNC, volunteer driver, travel training
• Cost Effectiveness: Programs range from $1.10-$60.00 cost-per-trip (below County Connection LINK ADA paratransit at $85.00 per trip)
Planning Commissioner Khalfin asked about travel training status. Ms. Gephart explained the program was awarded in the previous cycle and received an expenditure deadline extension which ended June 30, 2025. CCTA is evaluating the future structure of the program.
Commissioner Obringer noted a significant cost-per-trip difference for Concord shuttle service between 2022 and 2024-2025. Ms. Gephart explained that programs have separated TNC rides from van service in their reporting. TNC rides have flat reimbursement rates yielding lower pertrip costs, while van service requires drivers and has higher costs. Van service data is not yet available since the Concord shuttle launched in August 2025, but future reports will show costs broken out in a similar way to Walnut Creek's services. Mr. Todd added that TRANSPAC improved data tracking by separating van and TNC rides given their different cost structures.
Commissioner Carlson asked about service continuation for programs that expended full allocations before the two-year cycle ends. Ms. Gephart confirmed the requirement is to provide two years of service. Programs like Center for Elder Independence will continue serving members at their Concord PACE center even after expending TRANSPAC funds, though demand exceeded initial projections due to new centers opening. Staff will provide fiscal year 2025-2026 data to the Board. Mr. Todd noted enhanced policies will prevent programs from invoicing the entire two-year allocation in year one while still requiring two years of service delivery.
Commissioner Carlson expressed concern about potential service gaps if funding is exhausted before the next cycle begins. He noted the importance of understanding service levels and funding patterns as the Board enters the next programming cycle to determine whether adjustments are needed. Commissioner Noack noted that TRANSPAC is not always the sole funding source for these programs.
7. Measure J Line 20A Funds Program Policies - FY 2026/2027-FY 2027/2028 Ms. Gephart presented draft policies for FY 2026/2027-2027/2028 to guide the December 2025 call for projects. Ms. Gephart noted timely use of funds policies were added in the previous year based on lessons learned, closing old resolutions and returning unspent funds.
Key Policy/Program Updates
• New applicant criterion: Evaluation of prior fund use and compliance • Expenditure pacing requirements: Adherence to application expenditure timelines; deviations require reports
• Scoring committee; members will be selected in January 2026 Schedule
December 2025: Request Board approval of call for projects release; Late January 2026:
Applications due; Spring 2026: Application Review; June 2026: Program approval.
Commissioner Obringer asked whether the policies addressed Commissioner Carlson's service continuation concerns. Mr. Todd explained the pacing requirement formalizes year-one and year-two funding allocations in agreements with CCTA to prevent programs from exhausting resources while providing only one year of service.
Commissioner Young asked whether any funding sources are tied to federal dollars given current uncertainties. Mr. Todd noted program sponsors range from large organizations to small nonprofits, with various programs having received Federal Transit Administration grants
including Section 5307 paratransit vehicle grants. The call for projects will collect information about federal funding included in the delivery plan to inform evaluation metrics. Ms. Gephart added that applications assess service dependency levels and contingency planning, with programs like Mobility Matters serving riders for whom the program may be the only transportation option. Mr. Todd suggested adding questions about federal funding sources to the call for projects.
8. Contra Costa Transportation Authority Integrated Transit Plan Ms. Elkins introduced the Integrated Transit Plan (ITP) update. The ITP is a comprehensive planning document providing a transit-first vision for a coordinated network connecting major activity centers and regional hubs throughout Contra Costa County. Adam Dankberg presented the update, which included proposed transit priority corridors, mobility hubs, and access improvements with evaluation results and cost estimates for capital and operations.
The presentation addressed two issues from the previous TRANSPAC meeting: bus-on-shoulder operations (Caltrans District 4 is evaluating based on San Diego experience with tentative recommendation to include pending evaluation) and volume-to-capacity ratio analysis for transit priority corridors to assess congestion impacts. The evaluation process used ten criteria including network benefits, regional priority alignment, equity, ridership potential, travel time benefits, volume-to-capacity analysis, and economic development.
For central county, implementing transit priority corridors would significantly increase job accessibility for residents, with analysis showing substantial employment access gains within 45 minutes by transit. Central county corridors including Ygnacio Valley Road, Treat Boulevard/Geary Road, Monument Boulevard, Willow Pass Road, and Concord Avenue/Clayton Road scored relatively high across evaluation categories. Among 36 proposed mobility hub locations, Concord BART station scored highest. Cost estimates include transit corridor improvements (stop upgrades, signal priority, intersection improvements, dedicated lanes), mobility hubs (bus stops, intersection improvements, amenities), and access improvement zones (crossings, curb ramps, bicycle facilities, bike share stations), with total capital costs approaching $6 billion and operating costs requiring an 80 percent increase over current annual costs. Implementation would be phased over time with various funding opportunities.
Commissioner Enea asked whether Ygnacio Valley Road to Geary Road would have a lane repurposed for transit. Mr. Dankberg explained that is one potential option among many that could be considered. Commissioner Enea expressed concern that Walnut Creek representatives would likely oppose removing a lane given the road serves multi-passenger vehicles and individuals traveling to medical facilities. Mr. Dankberg emphasized the plan is conceptual and aspirational at a high level. Any individual project would require detailed analysis before
implementation. Commissioner Carlson noted projects would return through multiple approval processes including CCTA, regional transportation planning committees, and specific jurisdictions for local planning integration. This is a visioning plan, and individual projects would undergo separate detailed review.
Mr. Todd recalled a Technical Advisory Committee discussion about the volume-to-capacity ratio analysis, noting some Ygnacio Valley Road segments are highly impacted with limited options due to existing high congestion levels. Commissioner Carlson compared the planning process to bus-on-shoulder implementation, noting some projects are already in progress while others remain in scoping or visionary stages. He requested projections for year-round youth free transit to inform planning decisions before any expenditure plan. Staff indicated they would develop cost estimates for expanded youth transit programs. Next steps include CCTA Board adoption which is scheduled for early 2026, followed by preparation of a final report.
9. 511 Contra Costa/Street Smarts Diablo Program Update Due to time constraints, this item was continued to December 11, 2025.
10. TRANSPAC CCTA Representative Reports
No report was given.
11. Metropolitan Transportation Commission Report
No report was given.
12. TAC Oral Reports by Jurisdiction
No reports were given.
13. Board Member Comments
No comments were made.
14. Managing Director’s Report
No report was given.
15. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 10:46 a.m. The next meeting is December 11, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at Pleasant Hill City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill.