Blog Archives - Transform

Shared Spaces and Small Acts of Resistance

June 4, 2026/in Blog, Policy/by Zack Deutsch-Gross

As I joined over 150 Transform supporters at All Aboard last month, I couldn’t help but reflect on the role that our shared spaces and small acts of resistance play in fueling our movement.

Transform’s mission is to create vibrant, sustainable communities where people of all incomes and backgrounds can thrive. But in the face of the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on communities at home and abroad, and with Governor Newsom walking back California’s climate goals, it takes active discipline to sustain hope. In these times, I’m drawing inspiration from everyday actions that may seem insignificant on their own, but when taken as a whole, add up to reasons for hope.

The value of our shared public spaces in a time of state aggression

It’s easy to doubt our impact and ability to make change. That makes the shared spaces where we can collectively breathe, nourish, and inspire each other more important than ever.

In many places around the U.S., civic spaces are now two-tiered: who gets to travel the streets undisturbed and who stays inside out of fear of violence because of their skin color or immigration status. More often than not, when I walk around the East Bay or downtown SF, parklets and pop-ups have been replaced by empty planter boxes and hostile infrastructure designed to keep people from gathering.

How we configure our shared space matters. The UC Santa Cruz campus, where I studied as an undergrad, was famously designed without a central gathering spot as a way to discourage student demonstrations. That didn’t stop us when I joined other students in shutting down campus during the Occupy movement.

The reality is that shared public spaces are where we build power and community — places that foster connections and strengthen resistance to state aggression. Shared transportation on buses and trains breaks the isolation of solo car travel, providing the opportunity to see each other and feel our connections. Reclaiming space from parking creates the places we need to share ideas and build movements. Civic space is, at its most basic, space for humans. Reclaiming it is an act of resistance.

Finding hope and inspiration

In these trying times, keeping our movement for sustainable, equitable communities vibrant requires extra nourishment. At All Aboard this year, Transform honored our 2026 Transformitas, people who work every day to improve their communities and inspire others to continue to work for a brighter future.

We honored the more than 1000 people who spoke up for Bay Area transit, giving their time and talent to collect signatures for the regional funding measure. After all, what greater act of hope is there than approaching a stranger and asking them to sign a petition to save transit?

We honored Rachel Paras of Alameda County Health and Kathryn Woolbright of Safe Kids, two champions who go above and beyond to make our streets safe for Alameda County youth, working tirelessly so the next generation of bike riders and climate activists can move freely around their community.

And we honored MTC Commissioner Noelia Corzo, the first Latina and Indigenous person elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, who is a strong advocate for housing and transportation for the Bay Area’s most vulnerable communities.

We’re not called Transform for nothing

Here at Transform, our staff works every day to inspire hope and nurture acts of resistance. Through our Safe Routes to Schools and community empowerment programs and our SPOT SJ and Beyond Highways campaigns, we’re reclaiming public space and lifting up the people who remind us of our shared humanity.

We’re challenging deeply entrenched systems. We’re living through incredibly uncertain times. But we’re not called Transform for nothing. We know structural change is possible, and together we’re nurturing the acts of resistance and collective spaces that are critical to creating lasting, positive change.

Digitizing the Curb

June 2, 2026/in Blog, Parking, SPOT SJ/by Zack Deutsch-Gross

How San Jose Is Using Data to Rethink Parking and Street Space

This post was co-written by Julia Gerasimenko.

Through a SMART Curb grant, the San Jose Department of Transportation (SJDOT) has been piloting new tools to better understand how curb space is used downtown. By combining cameras, digital mapping, and integrations across parking systems, the city is beginning to “digitize the curb” and make parking data measurable, flexible, and easier to leverage for future urban planning decisions.

Building a digital map of the curb

At the core of SJDOT’s pilot program is a San Jose-specific platform that brings together multiple layers of information about how people use curb space.

This includes:

Parking meter locations and rules
Parking time limits and regulations
Pay-by-phone and meter system integrations
Off-street garage occupancy data
Real-time and observed curb activity from cameras and sensors

Instead of scattered systems and manual records, this creates a centralized view of how curb space functions block by block. As SJDOT staff shared with Transform, having a digitized inventory of meters, regulations, and street conditions has already made the department’s everyday work more efficient. Tasks that once required time-consuming field checks can now be done quickly with accurate, up-to-date data. Testing multiple tools in concert helps corroborate results and turn pilots into action.

Supporting safer streets with better data

One immediate application of this work has been the implementation of California’s daylighting requirements.

The state’s daylighting law requires 20 feet of clear space near most crosswalks to improve visibility and reduce conflicts between drivers and people walking. With a digitized curb inventory, SJDOT has been able to:

Identify which meters are too close to crosswalks
Measure and apply appropriate buffers, often extending to 30–40 feet in practice
Prioritize updates and ensure compliance more efficiently

Without this data, the process would have required on-the-ground surveys of every crosswalk downtown, taking significantly more time and manual effort. With it, the city can act faster and more consistently to improve safety.

Understanding how the curb is actually used

The pilot is also helping the city respond more effectively to issues on the street.

In areas where cameras are deployed, staff can review activity to understand patterns like double parking or loading behavior. This has been especially useful when responding to public complaints or questions.

At the same time, SJDOT is clear about the limitations of curbside data. Because the current system relies heavily on transactional data and cameras in a limited area, it does not yet capture the full picture across the city. Expanding coverage and improving data quality will be key next steps.

From operations to planning

Beyond day-to-day operations, this work is starting to inform bigger decisions.

With better data on curb utilization, SJDOT can begin to:

Understand where parking and loading demand is highest
Compare on-street and off-street usage
Evaluate how demand changes during events
Support more accurate revenue projections

It opens the door to more dynamic curb management, where space can be adapted based on real needs to inform future planning decisions.

SPOT SJ in collaboration

Supporting the City of San Jose to better utilize curb space and parking is a key part of Transform’s SPOT SJ initiative. We have helped introduce ParkNav’s data portal, a heatmap of available on-street parking spaces compiled through proprietary data and machine learning, as an additional tool available to city staffers.

SJDOT and Transform have been working closely through the SPOT SJ initiative to pilot new tools to grapple with parking concerns using evidence rather than assumptions, thus freeing up urban space and creating more vibrant communities.

For efforts like SPOT SJ and broader planning conversations across San Jose, this work represents an important shift.

When cities can see how the curb is actually used, they can:

Make streets safer
Support local businesses more effectively
Use limited space more efficiently
Ground decisions in real data rather than perception

A foundation for what comes next

While the pilot is still evolving, one thing is already clear: the value of having better data.

SJDOT staff noted that the system is already doing more than initially expected. At the same time, they see significant potential to go further, from expanding camera coverage to strengthening integrations and refining analysis.

Just as important has been the collaboration behind the work. SJDOT has included multiple teams of city staffers, community organizations, regional partners, and other stakeholders in the process. Incorporating the needs and ideas of diverse constituencies leads to better outcomes.

The curb may look like a simple strip of pavement, but it plays an outsized role in how our streets function. San Jose is showing what it looks like to start managing it that way.

Reboot Your Commute Brings Mode Shift to Local High Schools

May 26, 2026/in Blog, Safe Routes to Schools/by Stephanie Jim

In the early morning hours of February and March school days, high school students across Alameda County changed their usual commute. Led by student leaders at 16 schools, the Safe Routes to Schools Reboot Your Commute event encouraged high school students to try something new and use active and shared modes of transportation, including biking, walking, rolling, taking transit, and carpooling.

Opening new avenues of travel to young people

Reboot Your Commute is an annual event coordinated by Transform staff. It’s grown in popularity over time, with more students participating each year.

The goal is to create a countywide conversation about the impact of travel choices on our health, safety, community, and environment. Student leaders facilitate events at their schools by setting up welcome tables and creating spaces for their peers to share how they got to school, plus their thoughts and preferences around active and shared transportation. To generate excitement and draw a crowd, student leaders played a bike and pedestrian trivia game and pedaled up bike-blended smoothies.

Participating students were also entered into a drawing to win a $50 Clipper Card or a scooter and helmet.

Student voices on mobility choices

In talking to students after the event, we learned more about the impact of their transportation choices. Aryana Jamwal, the youth event leader at Granada High School in Livermore, told us, “[Reboot Your Commute] made me more conscious about driving. I tried to drive less by myself, and I’m trying to carpool with friends more to practice what you preach.”

Other insights and concerns we heard from students in Livermore:

When parents were unavailable in the morning, students had to figure out how to walk to school and time their commute to arrive on time.
Livermore isn’t the most walkable city. There were lots of concerns about getting to places like the mall without reliable, safe transportation.
Lack of knowledge about how to get to destinations without a car was a barrier to active mobility.
Commuting with friends in the morning helped students stay positive and open to trying new things that expanded their minds.

More in store next year

Aryana would like adults out there to know that “The chance to walk, scooter, or bike keeps you grounded rather than staying on your phone in the car.” Parents and caregivers can help students by carpooling. “It is a good thing so different kids in our neighborhood can go to school, help the environment, and relieve stress for the adults.”

For students across the county, these fun events are just the start of conversations we will continue with help from the Youth Task Force, high school students gaining leadership skills by supporting active and shared transportation. As we close out this school year, we’re looking forward to next year and the impact these inspiring youth leaders will make on their communities in the years to come.

The Ongoing Fight for California’s Climate

May 26, 2026/in Blog, Climate Change, Housing, Transit/by Zack Deutsch-Gross

Last year, Transform was part of a coalition of environmental justice, climate, transportation, and affordable housing groups that worked with the governor and legislature to ensure California renewed its Cap-and-Invest Program that funds vital housing, transportation, and environmental justice programs. We won.

But our victory didn’t last. Surprise proposed rule changes from the California Air Resources Board in April would drastically cut Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) revenue, taking all funding from the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC), the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), and the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP).

How we got here

In the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers were scheduled to set the terms for reauthorizing California’s Cap-and-Trade Program, which would have expired in 2030. The program charges polluters and continuously reduces the cap on greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of reducing and ultimately reversing climate change.

Instead, under Governor Gavin Newsom’s direction, the program reauthorization was immediate, taking effect in 2026. The new Cap-and-Invest Program assumed roughly $4 billion in annual revenue to the GGRF, allocated in descending priority:

The first $1 billion goes to High-Speed Rail.
The legislature allocates the next $1 billion at its discretion to a variety of emissions-reducing projects through the budget process each year.
The final $2 billion is allocated to so-called “continuous appropriations” programs like AHSC, TIRCP, LCTOP, plus $250 million to CARB for programs to curb air pollution, $130 million for safe drinking water, and $200 million to the Department of Forestry for firefighting.

If Cap-and-Invest revenue falls short, funding disappears from the bottom up. Under CARB’s proposed rule changes, revenue for GGRF is expected to be $2 billion — no money for affordable housing, low-carbon transit, or intercity rail.

Rulemaking bait and switch

CARB oversees Cap-and-Invest and periodically makes rules governing the program. The agency initially proposed amendments to the Cap-and-Invest regulations in January 2026. These changes would have updated allowance budgets through 2045, providing a narrow incentive program to keep manufacturing in the state while keeping California on track to meet its 2030 climate goals.

Then, in April, without warning, CARB issued revised amendments, including a major rule change that would drastically increase the number of free allowances given to polluters, reducing revenue and increasing climate-killing emissions.

California’s green mirage

As of this writing, the price of crude oil sits at around $100/barrel, almost twice its price last fall when lawmakers finalized the Cap-and-Invest legislation. Oil companies are reaping windfall profits, yet CARB is giving them extra carbon credits at the price of defunding programs that effectively decarbonize our environment and improve quality of life for average Californians.

California has a reputation for being a leader on the environment and climate change, and in many respects, that reputation is deserved. However, the same regressive forces push against change in our energy and transportation sectors here as everywhere. Our governmental bodies can fall prey to that pressure, changing rules to shovel more money into the pockets of the privileged while disinvesting in the lives of the majority.

How we fight back

When we first conceived of this post, we expected to talk about the ongoing benefits from last year’s legislative victory. CARB’s actions show how our advances can get reversed; this is why Transform remains connected to coalitions actively working to ensure climate justice in California.

Our state won’t change without pressure from groups like Transform and people like you. Please take action with the letter campaign below. Please note: the letter is somewhat technical to address the CARB rulemaking process; it addresses the Cap-and-Invest funding rules and demands CARB not increase allowances to Big Oil.

Alameda County Students Embrace Bike to School Day

May 26, 2026/in Blog, Safe Routes to Schools/by Adrian Cárdenas

This year’s Bike to School Day was one of the biggest celebrations we’ve seen across Alameda County, with students, families, educators, and community leaders coming together to celebrate the joy of biking, rolling, and active transportation. Transform staff spread out to volunteer and soak in all the happiness on two wheels.

More biking = more joy

Alameda County schools all the way from Livermore to Berkeley joined the celebration, creating an incredible sense of energy and community throughout the region.

Elected leaders supported students

Local leaders joined students and school communities during the morning celebrations.

The mayor of Pleasanton celebrated with students at Donlon Elementary School.
The mayor of Alameda joined students and families at Edison Elementary School.

A community of supporters and partners makes Bike to School Day great

We also want to give a huge thank you to our local partners who helped make this celebration even more special. Oaklandish generously donated T-shirts from their collaboration with AC Transit, celebrating 65 years of service in the East Bay, for the school champions who organized celebrations at their schools. Both the Oakland Ballers and Oakland Roots donated tickets for participating schools. Their support helped bring even more excitement and community spirit to this year’s event.

A special shoutout to Bike East Bay for organizing Bike to Wherever Day and continuing to help build excitement around biking and active transportation throughout the East Bay.

Thank you to every school champion, volunteer, educator, parent, and student who helped make this year’s Bike to School Day such a success. Your energy and dedication continue to inspire communities across Alameda County.

Fate of Affordable Housing Linked to Transit

May 13, 2026/in Blog, Housing, Transit/by Laura McCamy

On May 11, 2026, Transform gathered advocates from four affordable housing organizations to talk about why their groups are collecting signatures to put the regional transit measure on the November ballot and training residents to advocate for transit as well as affordable housing. Sophia DeWitt from East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO), Kenneth Javier-Rosales from SV@Home, Ken Chan from the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, and Quintin Mecke with the Coalition of Community Housing Developers in San Francisco were hosted by Transform’s Zack Deutsch-Gross.

Before the discussion, Amourence Lee added the funder perspective for the San Francisco Foundation, and EBHO’s Board President, William Goodwin, framed the importance of Affordable Housing Month as an opportunity to talk about solutions and EBHO’s role as convener of this month’s events in Alameda County.

Affordable housing residents rely on public transit

Public transit provides affordable housing residents with an economical way to get around. DeWitt noted that she’s a “transit-dependent rider,” as are many people in the Bay Area, for whom saving transit is vital. “Transit moves the Bay Area,” she said.

Mecke agreed, noting that transit was foundational to affordable housing residents. “These are folks who do not have remote jobs,” he said. While overall Muni ridership is down, some lines are at 120% of pre-pandemic ridership, demonstrating the lifeline that transit provides for many San Francisco residents.

All the housing advocates reported the enthusiasm among their groups for collecting signatures for the transit measure. It’s clear to housers that transit is key to affordable housing, including its funding.

Affordable housing funding tied to transit

Several of California’s affordable housing funding mechanisms score projects partly on their proximity to rich public transit. If Bay Area transit providers are forced to cut routes or reduce service due to funding shortfalls, affordable housing projects will become less competitive. Put bluntly: without transit, we’ll lose a lot of affordable housing.

Deutsch-Gross noted that the communities all the organizations on the webinar serve are populated by whole people, who need transportation as well as housing. He highlighted the value of signature-gathering, not only as a mechanism to put the regional transit measure on the ballot with a lower threshold to pass, but also as an opportunity to engage and educate the community. “Those conversations are so much more important to the world we want to see than just gathering signatures,” he said.

The conversation included a discussion of advocates’ vision for a future where transportation and housing funding aren’t hanging by a thread every election cycle. Watch the recording for much more.

View the presentation.

Connect Bay Area_ How Housers Are Helping to Save Transit Download

Alameda Bike Festival Brought Sunshine on Two Wheels

May 12, 2026/in Blog, Safe Routes to Schools/by Nia Thompson

The sound of whistles filled the air as kids followed the loops and turns of the Bike Rodeo, and other workshops on the grounds of Ruby Bridges Elementary School. Although the weather was overcast, gloomy skies couldn’t overshadow the joy at this year’s Alameda Bike Festival.

Safety first

The festival — organized each year by Transform, in partnership with the City of Alameda, and with help from many others — offers education, freebies, and a variety of fun activities all in the pursuit of bike safety and encouraging cyclists of all ages and proficiency to get around Alameda.

This year, the festival featured a helmet giveaway, helmet decorating, face painting, and bike repair. There were safe riding classes for riders of all ages, and the Bike Rodeo course helped the youngest riders learn to pay attention to the road while having a blast.

Community support makes a festival

This year, the event was co-hosted with the city’s Electrification Faire, where residents could learn about switching to electric appliances and vehicles. AC Transit brought out a bus bike rack, which people could use to practice loading and unloading their bikes. BORP came through with an adaptive cycling display, and many other community booths featured games and prizes. Alameda’s mayor, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, also came out to join the fun!

Launching the West Alameda Mobility for All project

The Alameda Bike Festival is one of the ways Transform has grown deep roots in Alameda, building relationships with community and governmental organizations and working together with Alamedans to make their island city more bikeable, walkable, and transit-rich.

So the festival was the perfect place to launch our new project, funded by the California Air Resources Board, to assess community needs for better transportation options in West Alameda. We had a station staffed by Site Level Team members, stipended West Alameda residents who inform the project plan and support with outreach, to collect input on people’s transit modes and mark unsafe spots on the street grid.

Thank you to everyone who made the Alameda Bike Festival a huge success. We’re looking forward to continuing our work with the community in the West Alameda Project and beyond.

Alameda County Schools Went for the Gold

May 8, 2026/in Blog, Safe Routes to Schools/by Sheila Islam

Every spring, our Safe Routes to Schools team puts on one of the most anticipated events of the school year, the Golden Sneaker contest. Classrooms compete to see who will walk, roll, bike, carpool, or take transit to school at the highest percentage during the two-week contest. The winners get the coveted trophy: Golden State Warriors’ sneakers donated by the Warriors Foundation, painted gold. The school with the highest percentage of participating students gets the Platinum Sneaker award.

Transform staff making the Golden Sneaker trophies.

A big year for Golden Sneakers

This year, more than 15,000 students from 88 schools participated in the contest. During the contest, caregivers and school staff organize walking school buses, bike trains, assemblies, and other activities to create excitement around the contest.

Our Safe Routes team supports the event with prizes, like special sparkly golden shoelaces, and, of course, the famous golden sneakers. Our sneaker painting party was lots of fun!

And the Golden Sneaker Award Goes To…

While the Golden Sneaker goes to the winning classroom for participating school, the Platinum Sneaker goes to the school with the best overall participation during the Golden Sneaker Contest. For the first time ever, the Platinum Sneaker goes to a middle school: Christensen Middle School in Livermore. It’s also the first time a TriValley school has taken the prize in five years.

Three-quarters of Christensen students walked, rolled, carpooled, or took transit to school during the contest, an impressive level of participation. Big shout-out to these up-and-coming sustainable transportation users!

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Smart Parking, Stronger Business Districts

April 15, 2026/in Blog, Parking/by Julia Gerasimenko

How Parknav is Working for San Jose

Transform developed the SPOT SJ initiative to improve the use of existing parking and reduce the need for additional parking in San Jose. The initiative includes a pilot of Parknav as a tool to better understand and use existing on-street parking. It combines real-time data, predictive modeling, and a user-friendly app to help drivers find available parking while giving cities and business districts insight into how curb space is actually used.

What is Parknav?

Parknav operates on two levels: a data dashboard for planners and a navigation app for drivers.

Parknav processes real-time and historical data from car sensors, cell phone towers, car-sharing companies, mapping providers, satellite imagery, traffic patterns, insurance companies, and other proprietary sources.

The dashboard portal provides block-by-block data on parking availability, including the probability of finding a space at different times of day and on different days of the week. This helps answer key questions:

When is parking actually full and when is it underused?
Where are the highest-demand blocks?
How does availability change over time?

This kind of data is critical for city planners. It grounds their decisions about curb management and street space allocation in real conditions instead of assumptions, helping them to avoid overbuilding parking or missing opportunities to repurpose curb space.

A tool businesses can use right now

The Parknav app guides drivers directly to blocks where parking is likely available. Instead of circling the block, customers can go straight to a spot near their destination.

For businesses, this opens up simple, low-cost ways to improve access:

Add “Find parking with Parknav” to their website or social media
Include parking guidance in event promotions
Share links or screenshots showing nearby parking availability

This shifts the narrative from “parking is impossible” to “here’s exactly where to go.”

Supporting better planning in San Jose

As San Jose plans for growth, tools like Parknav can play an important role in shaping smarter, more balanced streets.

Along corridors like Santa Clara Street and neighborhoods like Five Wounds, the question is not just how much parking to provide, but how to balance space for housing, transit, small businesses, and community life.

Parknav data has helped:

Show where parking demand is truly high versus perceived to be high
Identify opportunities to convert underused space into parklets, bike lanes, or loading zones
Support more flexible, dynamic curb management strategies

Just as importantly, the app can help shift conversations with business owners and customers. Instead of debating whether there is “enough” parking, we can look together at how existing parking is performing and where improvements can be made.

A new way to talk about parking

Parking remains a key consideration for all cities, but it does not need to constrain better outcomes made possible through accessible data and civic engagement. With more information and tools, San Jose can:

Make it easier for customers to reach local businesses
Use existing parking more efficiently
Unlock space for the things that make neighborhoods vibrant

Parknav is one piece of that shift. And through SPOT SJ, we are continuing to explore how data and real-world tools can support both businesses and community-driven planning.

12 Places to Enjoy on Foot This Spring

April 14, 2026/in Blog/by Transform Staff

The Bay Area is blooming, and it’s a fabulous time to slow down, take a walk, and smell the (metaphorical) roses. Here are some of Transform staffers’ favorite places to explore on foot, plus a bonus list of fun events where you can also volunteer to collect signatures for the regional transit measure — double the fun!

Birds and play structures

Berkeley’s Aquatic Park has 2.3 miles of accessible trails that circle two lagoons that are home to a variety of seasonal and year-round birdlife. Watch Caspian terns dive for fish in the lagoon, play a round of disc golf, or let the kids loose on the extensive play structure. The paths are bikeable as well as walkable.

Temescal at night

Telegraph Avenue in the Temescal is great to visit on foot. It’s a quick walk from Macarthur BART with so much to do and amazing places to eat. Staff favorite spots include Pizzaiolo, Tall Boy, Curbside Creamery, and Temescal Ally.

Family-friendly redwood forest

Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park offers a mile of paved, flat trail through a redwood forest, without leaving Oakland. The Stream Trail is a 2-mile round-trip that’s a great place to spend a hot day under the cool redwoods. The trail is bike-friendly for all ages.

Precita Eyes murals

San Francisco’s Mission District is home to many beautiful murals. Some are easy to find, and some are tucked away down alleys, painted across homes and garage doors. Take a walking tour with the Precita Eyes Muralists and discover San Francisco’s outdoor art museum.

Volcanoes in Oakland

You may need a car to get to Sibley Volcanic Regional Reserve on Skyline Boulevard in Oakland, but you’ll find many lovely hiking trails to explore Oakland’s own extinct volcanoes. The park contains a hidden gem for mindful walkers: a labyrinth.

San Pedro Square in San Jose

Downtown San Jose has a growing number of inviting, walkable spaces — all easily accessible by bus or light rail. Stroll the pedestrianized block of San Pedro Street next to the market to explore colorful murals, outdoor dining, and a wide variety of nightlife. Visit the Gonzales/Peralta Adobe, the oldest building in the city, or walk a few blocks to the SAP Center to take in some Sharks hockey.

One park; many attractions

Golden Gate Park has museums, botanical gardens, a Japanese tea house, a windmill, and bison, as well as ponds, meadows, and many miles of walking trails. Most destinations are easily accessible by public transit. The park’s central roadway, JFK Promenade, is car-free every day, providing walking and rolling access the length of the park.

History by the lake

The Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt is free and open to the public every day but Monday. The garden, which calls itself a “living art museum,” has nearly 200 bonsai trees and suiseki viewing stones. The garden is home to the oldest known bonsai in the U.S., the Daimyo oak tree, which was a gift from the Japanese government during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency. Redwoods aren’t the only historic trees you can see in the Bay Area!

Stretch your legs and save transit at the same time!

Connect Bay Area and our allied organizations are coordinating signature gathering to put the Regional Transit Measure on the November ballot at a host of fun locations. They’ll be collecting signatures at farmers markets around the Bay as well as these fun events.

Friday Nights at OMCA

OMCA Friday Nights are back, with food trucks, music, performances, and half-price admission to the museum. Easily accessible by BART and bus, the Oakland Museum of California offers eclectic art, history, and special exhibits. Make it a date and gather signatures for the regional transit measure.

415 Day

On April 15, explore a night market in downtown San Francisco to celebrate 415 Day in honor of the city’s area code. Enjoy food, music, and vendors at the Crossing at East Cut in SoMa — and help save transit by joining the fun group gathering signatures for the ballot measure!

Earth Day at Ocean Beach

People will gather at Ocean Beach in San Francisco around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, to form a human banner celebrating Earth Day. Meet up with the San Francisco Transit Riders at the event and collect signatures for the Regional Transit Measure while you take part in the banner.

Of course, this just scratches the surface. There are beautiful places to walk in all corners of the Bay Area — maybe right around the corner from where you live. We hope you’ll get out and enjoy the art, nature, and fun your community has to offer on foot. And let us know your favorite places to walk.