Policy Archives - Transform

Transform’s Legislative Agenda for 2026

March 9, 2026/in Blog, Policy/by Zack Deutsch-Gross

Much of Transform’s policy focus this year is directed at passing the regional transportation measure, which will be on the ballot in five Bay Area counties in November. However, we will still campaign for — and against — legislation in Sacramento that furthers our mission to build thriving, equitable, climate-safe communities where everyone has access to affordable, sustainable housing and transportation.

In fact, we’ve gone national this year, supporting two pieces of federal legislation, including one co-authored by East Bay Congresswoman Lateefah Simon. Here are the bills we’re following this year.

Big win out of the gates

Governor Gavin Newsom has already signed one critical bill. SB 117, the Bay Area transit loan bill, ensures transit providers won’t have to make cuts in advance of the regional transit funding measure this fall. We hope it’s a good omen for the rest of our legislative agenda.

Bills Transform supports

Transform is supporting eight state bills this year. Among these are three measures introduced last session that became two-year bills. We’re also supporting two federal measures.

Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (AB 2560, Schultz): This bill would codify the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI) goals, which are currently unenforceable, into statute. CAPTI sets out worthwhile goals; adding teeth by making those goals statutory would be a big step toward real climate action in California.

Illegal E-Motos (SB 1167, Blakespear): Most of the anti-e-bike sentiment in California arises from vehicles that don’t fit the state’s e-bike classifications, with more powerful motors, throttles, and the capability to drive much faster than regular e-bikes. Unregulated sale of these motorbikes, many of which are not street-legal, often to minors, threatens to negatively impact legitimate e-bikes, which provide a green mobility option for a growing number of Californians of all ages. This bill amends regulations dictating the type of vehicles that are prohibited from being advertised, sold, offered for sale, or labeled as e-bikes. It would additionally make a violation of this provision a misleading statement for purposes of false advertising provisions of the Business and Professions Code.

Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program (CAPP) (SB 1091, Caballero): Preserving existing affordable housing is essential to Transform’s vision for sustainable communities where all families can thrive. CAPP would support this vision, allowing existing renters to stay in low-cost housing while California communities work to build more affordable units. This is an excellent program that will complement other measures to expand the availability of affordable housing in this legislative session.

Infill Infrastructure Grant Program (SB 772, Cabaldon):This bill, first introduced last year, would amend a grant program that provides funding for infill housing projects and the infrastructure needed to support them. The bill would grant credits for walkability, in addition to proximity to transit, and add stormwater parks to the list of fundable infrastructure projects. Infill development is one of the most effective ways to fight climate change, and this bill brings funding for these developments in line with updated state regulations.

The Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act (SB 222, Wiener): This measure to allow individuals injured by climate disasters and extreme weather events to sue oil and gas companies stalled out in committee last year but is back this session, hopefully with a path to pass the legislature.

Connect Bay Area Bill (SB TBD, Arreguin): A bill to amend and clean up the language of SB 63, which passed last year, hasn’t been released yet but is on its way. SB 63 cleared the way for the Regional Transit Measure currently making its way to the November ballot. This bill incorporates changes that happened after the close of the legislative session and permits different ballot arguments to appear in each county. That will allow supporters to appeal to the unique needs and concerns of voters in each county in their ballot materials.

Transit Stop Registry (AB 1599, Ahrens): One of the avoidable obstacles to taking public transit is locating the nearest stop. This bill creates a statewide database of transit stop locations that will list the amenities available at each stop, giving riders access to better data.

State housing bond AB 736 (Wicks) and SB 417 (Cabaldon) are dual measures with a singular goal: to put a $10 billion affordable housing bond on the 2026 November ballot. Introduced last year, they both became two-year bills, but the authors brought them back in this session.

Federal legislation

Transform is taking the unusual step of supporting two bills moving through Congress in Washington, D.C. this year. Both bills will encourage transit-oriented development (TOD) — building homes near transit hubs — something Transform has long campaigned for locally.

Connecting Communities Through Transit Planning Act (H.R.7298, Simon, Jacobs): Transform is among the endorsers for this bill, introduced by East Bay Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, who fills Barbara Lee’s former seat. It extends a national TOD pilot program that’s similar to programs Transform has advocated for in the Bay Area.

Build Housing, Unlock Benefits and Services (HUBS) Act (H. R. 7062, Friedman, Lawler; S. 3636, Blunt Rochester, Curtis): The Build HUBS Act was introduced simultaneously in the House of Representatives by California Congresswoman Laura Friedman, a long-time champion of sustainable transportation in the California legislature, and in the Senate by Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester. It would encourage TOD by cutting red tape and giving priority in HUD funding programs to TOD projects. Transform strongly supports this bill.

Bills Transform Opposes

A lot can (and does) happen as bills pass through committees and get revised, so we generally put bills on our watch list if we’re not sure about them. This year, however, two bills are firmly on our actively oppose list from the start.

E-Bike Registration and License Plates (AB 1942, Bauer-Kahan): Electric bicycles have exploded in popularity in recent years. They provide inexpensive, sustainable transportation for people who can’t or don’t want to drive, as well as mobility for seniors and people who need to transport kids or cargo. This bill targets legal e-bikes in Class 2 and 3, which have top speeds of 20 mph and 28 mph, respectively, requiring owners to register them and get license plates. This adds an expense and hassle that will be a barrier to adopting this healthy mobility option while not addressing the real problem of illegal e-motos (see the e-moto bill we’re supporting, above). In addition, it would lead to more police interactions, which largely target BIPOC riders. We hope lawmakers understand the problem and support the e-moto bill while shutting this one down.

Suisun Marsh Preservation Act of 1977 (AB 2059, Wilson): We don’t have the language for this bill yet (it’s a spot bill at the moment — a placeholder for future legislation), but it will become a measure reforming 2013’s SB 743, which set environmental review standards for TOD projects. The bill will undermine mitigation for additional vehicle miles traveled (VMT) currently required of highway expansion projects. This is one of the only ways we can extract good things like affordable housing and transit improvements from highway expansions when we’re not able to stop them entirely.

Bills Transform is watching

We’ve got our eye on four more bills and will advocate for our preferred language in each as they move through committee. Our position may change to supporting some of these, depending on the outcome of those revisions.

Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Bifurcation (trailer bill): The revised Cap-and-Invest Program, passed last year, continues funding for this vital program, which provides affordable infill housing and has already funded projects taking tons of carbon out of the atmosphere. This bill would split the program in two, potentially undermining the invaluable housing and transportation nexus AHSC provides.

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) Reform (trailer bill): Another trailer bill to codify elements of cap-and-trade reform, this bill affects the distribution of funds to certain programs funded by the sale of carbon credits. With proceeds from cap-and-trade well below what was expected, Transform is concerned about shrinking funding for vital housing, transit, and climate programs.

The Road Usage Charge Study Bill (AB 1421, Wilson): This bill would extend California’s study of road pricing options. With gas tax revenues declining as more drivers move to EVs, the state needs to find a new source of revenue to pay for road maintenance. Transform remains engaged in campaigning for an equitable, sustainable funding structure for road maintenance and sustainable transportation investment. We expect this process to take some time and will continue to educate and engage the legislature on this issue.

Sustainable Communities Strategies (SB 1087, Cabaldon): Two decades after the passage of SB 375, which required California’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to incorporate climate targets into their transportation plans, there remains a disconnect between California’s climate goals and its governance of land use and transportation decisions. SB 1087 seeks to reduce the administrative burdens of implementation and secure regionally controlled funding for implementation. Transform believes any reform to SB 375 must strengthen planning requirements to better align with the law’s goals, and prioritize implementation dollars for climate-supportive projects.

Transform Hosts Statewide Transit Convening

February 17, 2026/in Blog, Policy, Transit/by Zack Deutsch-Gross

On Transit Equity Day this year, Transform convened advocates from throughout the state for a two-day gathering in Los Angeles to build the power to fund California transit. Co-convened with our partners at Move California, Climate Plan, Public Advocates, Organize Sacramento, ACT LA, and 350 San Diego, advocates from throughout the state gathered, brainstormed, and organized to chart a path forward for a more equitable, rider-centered transit future in California.

California’s transit systems are at a crossroads. We know we need significant investment and modernization across the state to deliver the transit service our communities and climate need. And with state and federal transportation funding in flux, a new governor on the horizon, and many regions pushing up against the limits of sales tax funding, it’s clear we need a statewide approach to sustainable transit funding.

Connect Bay Area as a model for transit funding

Transform played a key role in the conference, presenting on our Connect Bay Area work to save public transit locally and sharing lessons learned for other advocates throughout the state. We were also thrilled to be joined at the conference by labor leaders from the Bay Area and Los Angeles, whose worker power will be essential to passing a statewide transit funding measure.

By leaning into strategic coordination across transit unions and policy and grassroots organizations, the conference fueled a nascent but powerful movement focused on delivering stable funding in California. It was exciting to see so many participants with deep relationships throughout the state and a proven history of working in coalition with transit unions at the conference, and to hear about how we’re already delivering transit wins at the regional and local level.

While we still have a long way to go, Transform staff left feeling inspired and fired up to pass our own ballot measure. Success in the Bay Area won’t be the end of this campaign. We will continue organizing for statewide solutions that allow everyone to thrive with fast, frequent, and reliable public transit.

MTC Clears the Way for Transit Funding Initiative

January 8, 2026/in Blog, Policy, Transit/by Abibat Rahman-Davies

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) met yesterday to create a five-county transportation district encompassing San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties. These Bay Area counties opted to be part of a regional measure to provide stable funding for public transit under SB 63, passed by the legislature last year. MTC’s action is a necessary precursor to putting the measure before voters.

What will the regional funding measure do?

The measure establishes a half-cent sales tax in the five counties, with money going to fund transit operations and rider-first improvements. Transit operators have struggled to maintain bus and train schedules to serve the people who rely on them to get around, as the pandemic, changing commute patterns, and federal funding cuts have strained resources. The guaranteed revenue from this measure will support the frequent, reliable transit that’s the backbone of the Bay Area’s transportation infrastructure.

Why do we need a new transportation district?

The funds collected will be allocated to transit operations within the five participating counties. The funding district creates a mechanism for collecting and distributing funds, particularly to multi-county operators such as BART.

What’s next for regional transit funding?

The newly established district could have opted to put the initiative on the ballot but voted not to do so in order to clear the way for a citizen’s initiative. To have the best chance of passing in November, Transform and our allies will collect signatures to put the measure on the ballot as a citizen initiative. Citizen initiatives only need 50% + 1 to succeed; funding measures placed on the ballot by elected bodies must get two-thirds of the vote to pass due to Prop 13.

Look for an announcement in the coming weeks about signature collection and what you can do to help get this critical measure on the ballot. Let’s make 2026 the year we save public transit!

Webinar Delves Into Transit Payment Systems that Benefit All Riders

November 25, 2025/in Blog, Policy, Transit/by Laura McCamy

On November 13, 2025, Transform convened a panel to discuss our report, Fair and Accessible Fares: Economic Justice in Transit. Report author Abibat Rahman-Davies was joined by Carl Sedoryk, CEO and General Manager of Monterey-Salinas Transit, Aaron Hirsh, Principal at Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, and Greg Fair, Director of the California Digital Identity Program.

Watch the webinar.

A better path forward for the Bay Area

Rahman-Davies outlined the main points of Transform’s report, which highlights best practices for transitioning to open payments for fare collection. Paying with a credit or debit card, rather than loading money onto a Clipper transit card, could be a big benefit for low-income riders because they wouldn’t have to pay in advance. However, since MTC’s open payments system can’t currently accommodate fare discounts, many of the most vulnerable users will be faced with a choice of paying full fare or sticking with the prepaid Clipper card.

In addition, those without bank accounts or digital payment options can’t use the new system. Read the full report at the end of this post.

A different model for open payments: Monterey-Salinas Transit

Sedoryk described the path Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) took to adopting open payments, some of which is described as a case study in Transform’s report. The agency serves a four-county area that’s largely rural; it’s a small operator with 160 buses and 3.5 million annual passengers, many of whom are low-income.

Sedoryk described his epiphany of using tap-to-pay at a local taco truck and deciding, if the food truck can do that, it was time for MST to adopt the system. The agency’s system includes a fare-capping feature where costs top out when a rider reaches the number of rides for a weekly pass; 40% of riders reach the fare caps.

MST used multiple vendors and found it easy to add and update fare policies with the new system. This allowed it to do a promotion that gave money back to riders or allowed them to donate to charity. The system has seen an uptick in ridership of 50% since COVID but a 200% increase in contactless payments.

MST has seen additional benefits from open payments. The contactless system has far fewer failures where the system doesn’t properly read the card, reducing administrative costs. One-third of violent incidents with drivers start with a fare dispute; making it easier to pay can reduce this.

Only 13% of MST’s rides are paid for with tap-to-pay; riders still pay mostly with cash. But the machines that accept cash are prone to breaking down and costly to maintain. The operator hopes to go cashless by 2027, a move that will save $100,000 annually — enough to pay for two additional buses and the mechanics to maintain them. Before it does that, though, it needs to provide a closed payment system for those without bank cards or digital payments. MST is in talks to create a card that will work on other connecting systems as well.

The cost of maintaining fare systems is one more argument for free public transit; the savings will offset the lost revenue, and the increased ridership and reduced traffic congestion benefit everyone.

The costs of being unbanked

Hirsh noted the toll that being unbanked takes, including having no safe place for one’s money, the need to use expensive services like check-cashing stores, and difficulty accessing things like transit. He’s been working with transit agencies, including Monterey-Salinas Transit, to connect riders with BankOn-certified bank accounts.

Hirsh has a host of ways that transit agencies can help riders connect with banking services. For example, bank access could be built in to services that connect people with fare discounts. Or transit agencies and banks could offer a rebate where the first $50 someone spends on transit goes back into their new bank account.

Increasing banking is a way transit agencies can improve the financial well-being of their riders while also reducing the burden on their systems.

Technology connects riders with fare discounts

Fair leads the Digital Identity Program at CalITP, which has been making big advances in digital verification for benefit eligibility, while protecting users’ privacy. He said identification shouldn’t be “the star of the show,” but something that people can easily use to access a service.

To make verification easy, the state relies on systems people are already using, so they don’t have to create a new login. It also tries to leverage existing behaviors, because it’s hard to change behavior.

But there are complications. Fair’s department has had to dig deep to find the right data sources to prove eligibility for different programs such as VA discounts. In addition, policies vary around the state for things such as what age makes someone a senior. Transit is a great testing ground to discover and work on these and other issues.

Fair described a move afoot to come up with unified definitions for things like senior discounts at transit agencies across California. CalITP is working to support different programs like the one at Monterey-Salinas Transit as they roll out.

In the end, new open payments technologies will give transit providers systems that are cheaper to build and easier to support while giving users data privacy and control. Transit benefits could even be a gateway to prequalify riders for other benefits, which could be a game-changer for people who struggle with burdensome paperwork.

If you want to encourage the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to add fare discounts and other equity features to its Clipper 2.0 open payments system, sign this petition and read Transform’s report.

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Linking Growth to Regional Goals: MTC Takes Big Step Forward

November 18, 2025/in Blog, Policy/by Nicolay Kreidler

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Transit-Oriented Community Development Threatened in MTC Policy Update

November 11, 2025/in Blog, Housing, Policy/by Julia Gerasimenko

Urgent update 11/18/25:

At the end of October, at a Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) workshop, commissioners took a deep dive into two linked efforts that will shape the Bay Area’s growth for decades to come: implementation of the Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) Policy and development of the next One Bay Area Grant program (OBAG 4) which is set to provide approximately $200 million in funding for regional transportation and housing projects per year over the next four years.

Transform joined coalition partners from across the region to speak in strong support of keeping the TOC Policy intact and ensuring that local compliance remains tied to regional funding. While the workshop was purely informational, the discussion offered a preview of the debate to come when the commissioners vote on the OBAG 4 framework early next year.

A turning point for the region’s housing and climate goals

The Transit-Oriented Communities Policy is the engine behind the Plan Bay Area 2050 vision of affordable and connected communities. It asks cities and counties to plan for more homes and jobs near transit, adopt tenant protections, reform parking requirements, and improve station access. Together, these four components — density, housing, parking, and station access — form a framework to cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce driving, and enable people of all incomes to live near opportunity.

Yet, as staff described at the workshop, local governments have pushed back on both the pace and complexity of compliance. Smaller jurisdictions cited limited capacity and resources; others objected to density and parking standards they view as unrealistic in the current market. In response, MTC staff have proposed a shift toward an “incentive-based” scoring system that awards partial credit to jurisdictions that show progress, even if they haven’t yet adopted TOC policies. See the slides below from MTC staff for the proposed changes, how municipalities may be scored, and then linked to OBAG 4 funds for the example “Bay City.”

Other proposed changes would grant full points for “work in progress” and reduce the weighting of certain parking and density standards. Meeting these standards will truly reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), an area in which the region is already struggling to meet its targets year after year.

These adjustments may seem technical, but they matter. Weakening one pillar of the TOC Policy undermines the entire structure. The elements are designed to complement one another, and they carry enough weight to meet the ambitious goals of Plan Bay Area only when they work together.

Why MTC’s TOC policy matters

At Transform, we’re making advocacy around the TOC Policy a priority campaign because it touches on our core values: expanding the availability of affordable housing and building infill housing near transit as a climate remedy.

Specifically:

It connects housing, climate, and transportation goals. The TOC Policy turns the vision of Plan Bay Area 2050 into reality by encouraging more homes near transit and fewer long car commutes.
It centers equity. The policy’s housing menu supports the “3Ps” framework — production, preservation, and protection — ensuring residents can stay in their communities as they grow.
It links funding to accountability. By tying OBAG dollars to local compliance, MTC can make sure regional funds reward cities that are moving toward shared goals.

Mixed messages from MTC

During public comment, Transform and partner organizations representing affordable housing, environmental, and community-based groups urged MTC to maintain the integrity of the TOC framework and keep OBAG 4 funding linked to full policy compliance.

Commissioners’ reactions reflected the range of opinions in the room. Several expressed support for the staff’s partial-credit proposal or questioned the inclusion of tenant protection policies altogether. Others — including Commissioners Schaaf, Fleming, and Jean-Baptiste — spoke up to correct misinformation, emphasizing that the TOC does not mandate rent control and that Plan Bay Area 2050 relies on widespread TOC implementation to meet climate targets. The debate revealed both the stakes and the persistent misunderstanding of what the TOC Policy is designed to do: reward jurisdictions that plan responsibly, not punish those that don’t.

Transform’s perspective: stay strong, stay aligned

From our vantage point, the partial-credit scheme risks turning years of planning into a scoring exercise rather than real progress on housing, equity, and climate. MTC cannot meet its own greenhouse gas reduction and affordability targets if it signals that half measures are enough. Linking OBAG 4 funding eligibility to TOC compliance is not a penalty; it is a fair and effective way to ensure scarce regional dollars support communities moving toward California’s climate goals.

Transform’s strategic plan calls for advancing equitable, climate-smart growth that centers the voices of historically underinvested communities. The TOC Policy embodies that vision. As we detailed in our blog, Linking Growth to Regional Goals, and our Parking Revolution: Housing Solution report, aligning funding, housing, and transportation decisions is essential to building thriving, affordable neighborhoods near transit. Diluting the TOC requirements now would undo that progress and erode public trust in regional planning.

What’s next

MTC is expected to vote in January 2026 on the OBAG 4 framework, which will determine how federal transportation dollars are distributed across the Bay Area and whether TOC compliance remains part of that equation. Between now and then, MTC committees will continue refining the framework and responding to stakeholder feedback.

Transform will remain deeply engaged in that process, working alongside partners to ensure that the TOC Policy delivers on its promise: affordable homes near transit, strong tenant protections, and fewer car-dependent commutes.

This is the moment for commissioners to stand by the commitments they made in 2022 and keep the TOC strong, equitable, and accountable to the goals of Plan Bay Area 2050+.

2025 Legislative Recap: A Year of Ups and Downs

October 29, 2025/in Blog, Policy/by Zack Deutsch-Gross

Two of Transform’s three legislative priorities went our way in a year where affordability and abundance were the talk of the legislature. On the plus side, we won a major victory with Cap-and-Trade reauthorization and moved closer to stable funding for Bay Area transit. At the same time, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill allowing Caltrans to ignore endangered species protections, which clears the way for a highway expansion that would be ill-advised even if it didn’t run through sensitive habitat.

Here are the final results for the bills we supported and opposed.

Two big victories

Two of our highest-priority campaigns took significant steps forward during this legislative session.

Extending Cap-and-Invest to 2045

The reauthorization of the Cap-and-Trade Program took several unexpected turns. Crucial housing and transportation programs that we thought were safe were put on the chopping block with the Governor’s May Revise, which borrowed Cap and Trade dollars to backfill the state’s general fund.

Transform and our allies ramped up the pressure, and it worked. The final legislation, SB 840 and AB 1207, maintains $800 million in annual funding for the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities Program and $600 million annually for the Transit Intercity Rail Capital and Low Carbon Transit Operations Programs. It also funds $200 million a year for clean air investments in frontline communities. Extending Cap-and-Invest and protecting vital investments is a big win for climate and community.

Finally, authorization for a Bay Area transit funding measure

As the Bay Area’s transit providers faced a fiscal cliff after the pandemic, it became clear we needed to develop a secure funding mechanism to shore up operations and improve the rider experience. Transform, as part of the Voices for Public Transportation Coalition, has been working with Bay Area legislators and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to address this issue. It has been a challenging process, involving many stakeholders with diverse needs.

The final version of the funding bill, SB 63, doesn’t include everything we wanted. The funding mechanism is a sales tax, which wasn’t our preferred funding method. But San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara are all participating in the measure, and there isn’t a single dollar for highway expansion. Importantly, along with a local ballot measure in San Francisco, this measure will solve the Bay Area’s transit fiscal cliff.

This isn’t the last stop for transit funding. The legislation passed by the legislature authorizes a ballot measure for the November 2026 ballot. We still have a big campaign and a lot of work ahead of us. We hope you will step up to support this lifeline for transit.

Big highway steamrolls the environment

If you think spending $500 million to widen a highway that will be underwater due to climate change within a couple of decades is a waste of money, we agree. Unfortunately, the legislature and the governor do not. AB 697 removes one more obstacle to a Caltrans plan to waste taxpayer dollars on this boondoggle project. The bill circumvents endangered species protections, allowing Caltrans to ignore killing endangered birds, fish, mammals, and amphibians in the wetlands surrounding State Route 37.

This isn’t the final word on the SR 37 project. Caltrans still needs to source additional funds to complete the new lanes, and the project may not be eligible for federal funding because those funds require a longer useful lifespan than this doomed highway has. Transform will continue to pull all the levers at our disposal to oppose this and other highway expansion projects through our Beyond Highways campaign.

Housing bond fizzles and road usage charge study stalls

Two bills laying the groundwork for a statewide vote on an affordable housing bond, AB 736 and SB 417, didn’t make it through the legislature. California’s housing crisis is also a housing affordability crisis. We hope the housing bond returns next year, giving voters a chance to support it on the November 2026 ballot.

The Road Usage Charge Study Bill, AB 1421, would extend California’s study of road pricing options. With gas tax revenues declining as more drivers move to EVs, the state needs to find a new source of revenue to pay for road maintenance. Transform remains engaged in transitioning away from a gas tax toward an equitable, sustainable road user charge.

Upzoning near transit gets contentious, but largely gets it right

SB 79, which was signed into law, streamlines zoning near transit stations and high-frequency bus stops, supporting new housing that will increase transit ridership while reducing the traffic, pollution, and emissions that new residential development can cause. While Transform strongly supports affordable infill housing near transit, we initially had this bill on our legislative watch list due to concerns about the lack of anti-displacement and community engagement provisions for disadvantaged communities. As the bill went through the legislative process, equity provisions were added, giving us more confidence in the final bill. The signed version of SB 79 includes minimum affordability standards and cannot require the demolition of rent-stabilized housing with three units or more or multifamily housing that has had tenants in the last seven years. There are also provisions that ensure stronger community engagement and planning in lower-resource areas, so we’re pleased with the end result and excited for the positive impact on infill housing.

Parking reform remains protected

SB 381, which repeals a prior law that unbundled parking spaces from rental units, has become a two-year bill. If passed, this measure would raise rents, forcing people who don’t own cars to pay for parking spaces they don’t need, and hide the true cost of parking from tenants. We strongly oppose the measure as written, but hope we can work with the author to amend it.

Offsetting VMT with affordable housing

Under California’s environmental review law, CEQA, construction projects projected to increase vehicle miles traveled (VMT) must take mitigation measures, but one of the best ways to reduce emissions — affordable housing near transit — is often overlooked.

Originally proposed in Assemblymember Buffy Wick’s AB 1244 and eventually passed as SB 508, put forward by Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares, the legislation creates a statewide VMT bank specifically for affordable housing projects. While we would prefer no new developments that increase VMT, we want to make sure the projects that do get built fully mitigate their VMT increases. This legislation provides a way to do that while also addressing California’s affordable housing crisis.

Three wins for safe streets

Three more of the bills that Transform supported passed the legislature and were signed into law.

Slow School Zones (AB 382, Berman): This new law changes how communities can establish slow zones around schools and improves student safety.
Lower Speed Limits on State Roadways (AB 1014, Rogers): AB 43 is giving local jurisdictions greater ability to lower speed limits, but state routes, many of which run through California cities and towns, were still bound by outdated rules. This bill applies greater speed limit latitude to streets controlled by Caltrans, allowing some of the most dangerous local streets to get lower speed limits.
CEQA Exemption for Transit, Bike, and Pedestrian Projects (SB 71, Wiener): This excellent new law creates a permanent exemption from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review for active transportation planning and construction. It’s a welcome recognition that biking and walking infrastructure have a positive environmental impact.

Better luck next year

Some of the bills we supported either died in committee or became 2-year bills. Because the California legislature has two-year sessions, bills can be held back in the first year to return the next, as happened with several bills this year.

Whether these measures became 2-year bills or simply died, some of them will return, perhaps with modifications that make them more likely to pass, or in a year when the conditions are more favorable. Here are the bills Transform supported that didn’t pass in 2025.

Transit Passes for LA Community College Students (AB 861, Solache): The movement to give students free transit passes continues, but measures that involve new spending can be hard to pass in tight budget years like 2025. For now, the measure that would have enabled LA Metro to work with the LA Community College District to give free passes to students and create a student ambassador program on LA transit is a 2-year bill.
Caltrans Quick-Build Pilot (AB 891, Zbur): This bill would introduce a pilot at Caltrans to use quick-build to move active transportation and transit improvements through the agency’s pipeline at an accelerated rate. The bill, however, is moving slowly; it’s a two-year bill, returning in the next session for another chance to pass the legislature.
Bicycle Highways (AB 954, Bennett): The bicycle highways pilot would have cleared the way to create connected, off-road bikeways through two major California regions. It has become a 2-year bill and may get more modifications next year.
Transit Board Members Ride the Bus (AB 1070, Ward): This would have prohibited transit boards from providing compensation to any member who couldn’t prove they used the transit system at least a minimum number of times during the prior month. It died an early death in committee.
Transportation Resilience Assessment (AB 1132, Schiavo): A law requiring California’s Department of Transportation to assess and report on the climate vulnerability of community access to our transportation infrastructure seemed like a good idea to us, but it died early in committee.
The Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act (SB 222, Wiener): A measure to allow individuals injured by climate disasters and extreme weather events to sue oil and gas companies died in committee.
Rent Control Preservation Act (SB 522, Wahab): Changes to California’s rent control law, which prohibits local rent control ordinances from applying to buildings built after 1995, is a third rail in state politics. But, as our housing affordability crisis escalates, putting more units under rent control seems like a good idea. This 2-year bill would extend rent control to the units built to replace rent-controlled units destroyed due to disasters.

Although the legislature made some very positive steps toward addressing climate change, particularly with Cap-and-Trade reauthorization, it also rejected several measures that were specific steps toward addressing the climate crisis. Transform will continue to push our state representatives to do more than pay lip service to climate, equity, and environmental justice.

Caltrans Pushes 101 Expansion Through Equity Priority Communities

October 13, 2025/in Blog, Policy/by Abibat Rahman-Davies

Transform is working with a coalition of local and regional advocates, including Rise South City and Sustainable South City, to stop a potential highway expansion project in San Mateo County. The project will likely add a new managed lane in each direction to a segment of Highway 101 stretching north from I-380 through Brisbane and South San Francisco to the San Francisco border. Caltrans has already expanded the highway on two segments directly south of the project area, which has failed to reduce congestion as promised. Fortunately, there’s a better solution: convert a general-purpose lane to a managed lane instead of expanding the highway.

The U.S. 101 project

Caltrans began adding toll lanes to Highway 101 to manage traffic congestion and encourage carpooling in 2019. The first phase of the project, stretching from the San Mateo County/Santa Clara County line to Whipple Avenue, converted existing carpool lanes to express lanes that charged a toll and was completed in 2022.

The second phase, from Whipple Avenue to the junction of I-380, involved building new lanes for the express lanes. Transform unsuccessfully opposed the widening option of the project, but we were able to secure an equity program that was the first of its kind in the U.S., with some of the toll revenues allocated to support low-income residents in San Mateo County. Nevertheless, the widening of 101 in southern San Mateo County will still lead to worse air pollution, congestion, and traffic violence in the lower-income neighborhoods adjacent to the highway.

Read our report about express lanes on Highway 101.

moving_san_mateo_county_forward Download

The next phase, from I-380 to the San Francisco City and County line, is scheduled to start construction in 2028. Caltrans will release an environmental impact report (EIR) in early 2026 to consider three alternatives: no build, convert existing lanes, and build new lanes. The project is sponsored by Caltrans, the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA), and the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG). SMCTA gets its money from Measure A & W sales taxes approved by San Mateo County voters.

An already environmentally burdened, equity priority community

CalEnviroScreen data shows that the neighborhood through which the next Highway 101 project will pass is already among the most burdened by pollution in California, with a heavy toll from diesel, particulate, and traffic pollution. In addition, South San Francisco is among the top 25% on the disadvantaged communities (DAC) index under SB 535. MTC has labeled this as an Equity Priority Community — i.e., a neighborhood with a large proportion of people of color, people with lower incomes, and people who are less likely to own automobiles.

These communities are often underresourced when it comes to fighting a huge, opaque bureaucracy like Caltrans. Transform is partnering with several community groups to lift up their voices and bring their concerns to the table in consideration of the various options for the managed lanes project.

Caltrans has a history of ignoring or downplaying community concerns about the impacts of highway expansion on pollution-burdened frontline communities. A recent example of this is a freeway interchange project in Fresno that is going ahead despite community opposition.

Lane construction vs. conversion

Traffic congestion is a real problem that deserves real solutions. Managed lanes restrict access to high-occupancy vehicles or those paying a toll.

However, building new highway lanes under the guise of creating space for managed lanes increases vehicle miles traveled, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, it is more expensive than converting existing lanes, so the revenue generated by the tolls is often directed toward repaying the cost of construction rather than supporting alternatives to driving, like transit and street safety.

The existing lanes will still carry a heavy load of cars and trucks, and the new lane will encourage more people to take that route. Caltrans’ own guidance says that “a project that adds a new HOV lane could induce as many vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as a new general purpose lane would.” And a draft report from C/CAG shows traffic volumes on a section of 101 widened in an earlier phase of the project are close to or exceeding capacity. But unfortunately, this reality hasn’t stopped highway widening projects like this one from moving forward.

There is no excuse for highway widening

Imagine if you had water running into your living room because of a leak in the roof. You could patch the living room ceiling, but the water would keep piling up behind the patch and, over time, you’d have to add to the patching to stop the drip. Or, you could simply fix the hole in the roof.

Adding highway lanes to solve traffic congestion is like patching the ceiling instead of the roof. Wider highways only temporarily decrease congestion, while they ultimately lead to more traffic through induced demand.

Traffic congestion isn’t a freeway problem: it’s a housing and transit problem. People are forced into long commutes when there isn’t enough affordable housing near job centers. And even those who live closer are forced to drive when there is no convenient transit service.

The Highway 101 corridor is served by SamTrans, BART (as far south as Millbrae), and Caltrain. Widening the highway undercuts this rich transit capacity. Converting an existing lane to a managed lane and using the savings to boost bus and rail service would be a more sustainable and cost-effective solution. Money always seems to be available to widen highways; meanwhile, Bay Area transit operators struggle to secure enough funding to avoid a fiscal cliff.

Of course, Transform’s Moving San Mateo Forward report found that San Mateo County built only one home for every 19 jobs created between 2010 and 2015. Even higher-income workers have a hard time finding nearby housing because of a lack of housing density to match the density of employment. The California Housing Partnership found that a worker needed to earn at least $62.83 an hour to afford the average rent in San Mateo County without being rent-burdened. The long-term solution to congestion is increasing the supply of affordable housing and pairing it with better transit service.

Building highways while California burns

Transform’s Beyond Highways campaign seeks to move California beyond highway building as the only solution to our transportation problems. New highway lanes bake in decades more of climate-killing car and truck traffic. Caltrans cannot continue to build freeways as if climate change doesn’t exist. Thankfully, Caltrans is not the only decision maker. The SMCTA and C/CAG are also sponsors of the project and have the opportunity to champion a lane conversion instead of more highway expansion.

Transform and our partners will be engaging the community and meeting with San Mateo elected officials in the coming months. When Caltrans releases the environmental impact report in early 2026, we’ll be ready to mobilize strong feedback in response to any alternatives that widen the highway.

In the meantime, please sign our petition to stop the widening. That’s the best way to stay in the loop about upcoming actions and opportunities for this work.

Transportation Advocacy in an Era of Fascism

September 18, 2025/in Blog, Policy/by Zack Deutsch-Gross

For close to three decades, Transform has launched programs, built coalitions, and won campaigns to promote thriving transit, dense, affordable housing, and safe, vibrant, people-oriented streets. While the core of our work remains the same — reshaping housing and transportation to advance equity and combat the climate crisis — the current political environment provides extra challenges and requires a shift in focus.

Here’s how our movement must continue to change as we continue our vital work during an era of unprecedented oppression, polarization, and distrust.

Better stewardship of transportation funds

State and local budgets are under increasing strain as they try to backfill massive federal cuts, from electric vehicle rebates and transportation infrastructure to food stamps and Medicaid. Meanwhile, the climate crisis is upon us, and urgent and unpredictable budget demands like wildfire relief will only become more intense in the coming years. Making better use of existing resources is not only best practice, but a political necessity.

Caltrans’ budget is $20B a year. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s 5-year transportation improvement plan leverages $11.7 billion in already-committed funds. These are giant pots of money to advance equity and combat the climate crisis. We need to make sure every dollar counts.

Unfortunately, the Caltrans budget is currently a black box. The agency has little public oversight for a portfolio that prioritizes highway expansion instead of solutions that actually reduce congestion. That’s why last year, Transform passed AB 2086 to force accountability at Caltrans, a needed step toward government transparency.

Regionally, the Bay Area continues to invest in highway expansion even though it will not reduce congestion and undercuts public and active transportation investments. We will continue to campaign against projects like the proposal to add lanes to State Route 37, even though much of that section of roadway already floods and will be permanently underwater due to sea level rise within a couple of decades.

But there are also bright spots in the Bay Area. SB 63, which authorizes a regional transit ballot measure in 2026, is a model for what better stewardship of our transportation systems could look like. One hundred percent of funds from the measure will be devoted to protecting and improving transit service, with no money for highway expansions. The measure also includes accountability and efficiency provisions that will result in a more effective expenditure of taxpayer resources and more coordination between transit operators.

Inclusive processes build trust and power

The history of housing and transportation decision-making is steeped in racism, exclusion, and opaque bureaucratic processes. We support recent legislation that streamlines affordable housing and green transportation investments. But doing so at the expense of marginalized communities undermines trust in government and prevents us from building power with natural allies.

At Transform, our vision starts with the community voices that have been left out. This stems from both our strategy and values. The reality is that we’re not going to build the diverse movement we need without centering those who have been left behind. But more fundamentally, we all win when we center these voices in policymaking. This thinking is called the Curb Cut Effect, a term coined by Angela Glover Blackwell, founder of PolicyLink, who illustrated how the success of disability advocates in requiring streetscape improvements actually benefits everyone, from parents pushing strollers to travelers carrying luggage.

Transform’s Mobility Hubs in Affordable Housing pilot is a great example of what an inclusive process can achieve. A mobility hub is a strategically located site within a community that integrates multiple transportation options and services — such as EV carsharing, transit passes, bike storage, ride credits, and educational resources — designed to make sustainable, affordable mobility more accessible to residents. But rather than simply providing a set of transportation services, Transform’s Mobility Hubs pilot began with a community needs assessment, centering community leadership, tailoring solutions to local needs, and ensuring we were providing clean mobility benefits that people would actually use.

Beyond the bus: health, economic justice, and democracy

The Trump regime’s scapegoating of immigrants and trans communities is an intentional tactic to divide and disorient us and to erode the very systems that allow people to build power together and speak up for change. In Trump’s America, we need to reconceptualize collective acts like walking school buses or celebratory gatherings like Transit Month as acts of resistance that are vital to strengthening our social fabric and reaffirming community. The streets where families walk to school, where neighbors gather, where youth speak up for change — these are the places where democracy needs to live and breathe.

So let’s move beyond transportation as lines on a map and start talking about why limited access to public transit is associated with lower employment. About the fact that biking supports healthy lifestyles and personal autonomy. Or why high-frequency transit is one of the best tools to help struggling downtowns recover and get out the vote.

The fierce urgency of now

Transportation advocacy under a fascist regime requires a much more expansive view, one that centers our most vulnerable communities, makes connections with more than just our traditional allies, and holds government accountable for how it spends taxpayer dollars. It won’t be easy, but we’re not called Transform for nothing.

Affordable Housing and Transit Are Smart Climate Investments

August 20, 2025/in Blog, Climate Change, Housing, Policy, Transit/by Jeanie Ward-Waller

This post was written jointly by Transform and California Housing Partnership.

California has a reputation for being at the vanguard of environmentalism and climate change. The state’s creation of the Cap-and-Invest Program (formerly Cap-and-Trade) is a prime example. It sets limits on the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and uses market forces to achieve those limits in the most cost-effective way. The proceeds from the sale of emission licenses are then invested in proven GHG reduction strategies that benefit all Californians.

The evidence shows that California’s Cap-and-Invest Program has been a huge success to date and has become a model elsewhere in the United States as well as internationally. The only catch is that the program is currently authorized only until 2030, and uncertainty over its continuation is decreasing program funding and effectiveness. To address this, state leaders have proposed to extend the program through 2045 and signaled that they may want to make some changes in the process.

As Governor Newsom and the California Legislature move to extend the Cap and Invest Program and reprioritize the investments, three programs in particular deserve continued priority support. The Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program, the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), and the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) have collectively reduced GHG emissions by over 36 million tons in the last ten years, equivalent to the annual emissions of the entire country of Sweden.

AHSC makes housing affordable: By building affordable housing near transit, AHSC saves low-income households over $10,000 in rent per year, plus more in transportation costs, which is enough to pay for food for a year to help a low-income family stay out of poverty.

AHSC is a good investment: Every dollar invested in AHSC from cap-and-invest revenue is matched by four dollars from other public and private sources, and 70% of the affordable housing approved under this program has already been built or is under construction. Fifty-six percent of the funds have been invested in communities most in need of environmental protection and economic opportunity.

AHSC reduces traffic for everyone. A new report from California Housing Partnership and Enterprise Community Partners found that AHSC alone has led to 512 million fewer miles driven since its inception by enabling residents to live close to public transit and avoid driving for most of their trips.

Public transit investment is vital to our regions. Cap-and-Invest’s transit programs, TIRCP and LCTOP, provide crucial funding to improve service and expand public transit systems that are still recovering from the decline in ridership they experienced during the pandemic. Many Californians don’t regularly ride public transit, but everyone benefits from reduced pollution and congestion on our roadways. The BART system in the Bay Area saves 1.2 million miles of driving every day. Without public transit, our roads would be endlessly clogged, and people who can’t afford to drive would be left without a way to get around.

Public transit creates jobs and affordable travel options. Major investments in public transit also provide high-quality jobs throughout the state and provide essential benefits to disadvantaged communities. Each dollar invested through TIRCP provides five times the value thanks to federal matching funds, while 94% of LCTOP dollars are invested directly in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

We call on Governor Newsom and the California Legislature to continue long-term commitments to these critical and successful programs. We further encourage the Governor and Legislature to improve the Cap-and-Invest Program by eliminating free emission allowances for the fossil fuel industry that are counterproductive to the program’s goals and harm sensitive communities.

Climate, housing, and transit are three of the most critical challenges facing California. By preserving continuous funding for AHSC, TIRCP, and LCTOP, the governor and legislature have the opportunity to address all three simultaneously and comprehensively. That sounds like a perfect trifecta to us.

Email your legislators now and tell them you want Cap-and-Invest to fund housing and public transit.