Public Transit Archives

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

New Clipper START Partnership Makes Enrollment Easier

March 31, 2026/in Blog, Transit/by Laura McCamy

A new partnership between the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the California Department of Technology will soon make it much easier for riders to qualify for Clipper START, the region’s 50% fare discount program for low-income riders. This partnership was something Transform specifically called out in our latest report: Fair and Accessible Fares: Economic Justice in Transit.

Making it easier to access discounted fares

Transit riders are more likely than the general population to be low-income. Offering discounted fares makes essential transportation more affordable for the people who need it the most. But barriers, such as excessive paperwork or the need to apply in person, can prevent people with limited time and resources from accessing these benefits.

In our report, we suggested that all transit agencies use existing eligibility verification systems, such as those for Medi-Cal or CalFresh, to automatically verify eligibility for discounted fare programs. California’s Digital Identity gateway makes sharing income information easy and secure. MTC’s partnership with the California Department of Technology (CDT) moves this recommendation forward by simplifying and automating the verification process for CalFresh recipients who apply for Clipper START, which gives income-qualified riders half-price fares across Bay Area transit agencies. The automated process means riders already enrolled in CalFresh don’t have to submit as much information and may be approved for Clipper START as quickly as the same day.

The integration is still ramping up, but the slides from MTC below show a steady uptick in rider enrollments.

CDT Pilot Clipper START – Public Download

More ways to boost ridership and enrollment

In our report, we noted the disappointing rollout of Clipper START. The program had low adoption in its first five years. As we noted in the report, only 57,000 out of 1 million eligible riders enrolled during that time.

That’s why, in addition to using existing verification systems to reduce friction in the Clipper START application process, Transform continues to recommend additional ways to boost lackluster Clipper START enrollment:

Partner with social service providers to promote it to the communities they serve.
Extend the eligibility term beyond two years so riders don’t have to reapply as often.
Do outreach at retail locations where riders reload Clipper cards.
Seek additional funding for the program.

In recent months, however, the MTC has given Clipper START a boost with more ads aimed at transit riders. Now, the program is implementing one of the suggestions from Transform’s report, which should lead to greater uptake of this critical program.

New BART Report Shows Drastic Service Cuts if Funding Measure Doesn’t Pass

February 17, 2026/in Blog, Transit/by Laura McCamy

Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART, is the connective tissue of the Bay Area transit systems. Serving residents in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties, BART provides rail service that is often faster than driving and connects to other bus and train systems throughout its network. Communities revolve around BART stations, with homes and businesses creating walkable neighborhoods centered on access to transit hubs.

All that could change next year if Bay Area voters don’t pass a regional measure this November. The measure would shore up funding for public transit by providing a long-term, stable funding solution. A recent report from BART detailed drastic service cuts the operator would be forced to make as it faces a huge funding shortfall.

In this post, we examine the potential effects of a BART cutback and the solution.

The core: BART connects the region

Two-thirds of jobs in the Bay Area are within a 15-minute walk of a BART station. This isn’t by accident; businesses often locate near BART to attract workers from across the region. In addition, 61% of residents live within a 15-minute walk of a station. That’s 800,000 jobs and 670,000 residents in close proximity to BART.

The system serves many more than those who live or work within a short walk. BART has points of connection with over 300 other transit routes. Bay Area transit transfers include a leg on BART 87% of the time.

In the near future, even more residents and businesses will be colocated with BART, as the agency undertakes transit-oriented developments on station property in Oakland, Berkeley, and El Cerrito. BART is a vital resource that knits the Bay Area’s diverse communities together.

The crisis: cuts BART will make without more operating funds

If the regional transit measure doesn’t pass, BART will face immediate and serious budget shortfalls in 2027. This could lead to the closure of as many as 15 stations, the complete closure of two routes (the Red Richmond/Daly City and the Green Berryessa/Daly City), and closing BART at 9 p.m.

Imagine a Bay Area where the last BART train was at 9 p.m., or where there was only one train an hour. Many people would drive instead, slowing down our already congested roadways and increasing Bay Bridge traffic by as much as 73%. Those who have no alternatives would spend more time in transit, have less flexibility, and either curtail their activities or risk being stranded without a way to get home.

Without more funding, BART might have to reduce its service area to what it was in 1976 — four years after it opened. And, if no additional funding becomes available in the future, BART might ultimately be forced to cease operations.

The impact: effects of a BART cutback on commuters and other transit systems

If BART ceases or limits operations, the cutbacks will have a ripple effect on the region’s 26 other transit operators, almost all of which have routes serving BART stations. If BART ceases to be a viable transit option, fewer people will ride the buses and trains that connect with BART, and other service providers may need to cut back on routes and services. An unhealthy BART system could bring down much of the Bay Area’s transit infrastructure with it.

The human cost of reduced or missing BART service will be enormous. The trains that still run will be more crowded, especially during peak times. Missing your train for work won’t mean waiting five minutes for the next one; workers and employers will suffer from the delays this will cause.

A night out on the town could become prohibitively expensive if BART stops running at 9 p.m. Instead of a $7 round trip to San Francisco, people would have to drive and pay $20 or more for parking, or take an expensive ride-share to get home. This could make the trip too costly, especially for young people, with the economic impacts rippling out to bars, restaurants, and other nightlife venues.

People who have never ridden a BART train will feel the repercussions as well. Traffic on the Bay Bridge and other Bay Area roadways will go from sluggish to stagnant as more residents choose to drive, doubling or tripling the time needed to get from one part of the region to another. For example, the round trip from El Cerrito to San Francisco could go from about 1.5 hours to over 4 hours, making it time-prohibitive for many people.

The solution: passing a ballot measure to fund transit

Transit has faced funding issues since everything closed down for the pandemic in 2020. While ridership has returned, lingering revenue shortfalls and a lack of state and federal funding have made it difficult for Bay Area transit operators to maintain robust service.

Transform, as part of Voices for Public Transportation, has worked for several years on transit funding solutions. That has culminated in a regional transit measure headed for the ballot this November. The measure will impose a half-cent sales tax to fund transit operations and improvements in four Bay Area counties: Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, and Contra Costa. The measure provides for a 1-cent sales tax in San Francisco to fund the city’s struggling Muni service.

Signature gathering is underway now to place the measure on the ballot. We’ll be working hard before November to help voters understand why this measure is essential and they should vote yes to fund transit.

View the presentation from BART.

02-12-2026 BART importance to the region slides Download

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.

Transform Helps Kick Off Regional Transit Measure

February 3, 2026/in Blog, Transit, Transportation/by Zack Deutsch-Gross

Last Friday, Transform and our partners at Connect the Bay kicked off the campaign to pass a regional transit measure with events in five counties throughout the Bay Area.

From Pleasant Hill BART to Diridon Station, Redwood City to Oakland, and with an energy-filled kickoff in San Francisco, riders, elected officials, and advocates throughout the Bay Area gathered to rally and begin collecting signatures. The rallies marked the start of a campaign to place a new regional transit funding measure on the ballot this coming November.

As the Alameda County lead for the measure, Transform led the kickoff event in Oakland, which included Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. Mayor Lee gave an inspired speech, drawing connections between public transit, access to opportunity, and economic vitality for the region. Transform’s Abibat Rahman-Davies also spoke at the Oakland rally.

The ballot measure will ask voters to approve a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties and a 1-cent sales tax in San Francisco County. The tax sunsets after 14 years. To get it on the ballot this November, we need to collect over 200,000 verified signatures across the five participating counties.

Want to get involved? Learn more on our website or look for upcoming events here: https://luma.com/connectbayarea?k=c

Regional Transit Ballot Measure FAQs

February 3, 2026/in Blog, Transit, Transportation/by Abibat Rahman-Davies

Transform and our partners in the Connect the Bay coalition are working to put a citizen-led measure on the November ballot to fund public transit. In our FAQs, we break down what the measure does, where the money will come from, why it’s critical to Bay Area transportation, and what you can do to help.

What Is the Connect the Bay ballot measure?

Connect the Bay provides a stable funding source for transit agencies operating in five Bay Area counties. These funds will allow transit agencies to maintain their current level of operations or improve them, providing reliable, sustainable transportation for millions of people.

Why does transit need extra funding?

During the pandemic, transit ridership plummeted as nonessential workers stayed home. As businesses slowly returned to normal, ridership has increased, but so have costs. While federal and state one-time funds kept transit operating, those funds have now run out, leaving many transit services facing a fiscal cliff.

What is a fiscal cliff?

A fiscal cliff is a point of no return, where a transit provider is forced to drastically reduce service because of a funding shortfall. At that point, transit services can go into a death spiral. With longer waits between buses or trains, transit becomes less reliable and less convenient. Riders are forced to find other means of getting to work, school, and other destinations, and declining ridership further reduces revenue. This starts a negative feedback loop that, in the worst situation, can close down an entire transit service.

I don’t take public transit. Why should I support Connect the Bay?

Bay Area traffic is already back to pre-pandemic levels. Without transit, it would be gridlock 24/7. Nearly 1 million people ride transit every day in the Bay Area. Imagine adding a million cars to our roadways every day. Frequent, reliable, appealing transit serves the interests of drivers too.

In addition, robust public transit is an equity, climate, and affordability issue. People who can’t drive, either because of age or ability, rely on transit to maintain autonomy and mobility. Owning and maintaining a personal vehicle is expensive; public transit provides an affordable option for low-income families. Transit-dependent riders are lower-income and more diverse than the general population. Finally, trains and buses have a much smaller carbon footprint than individual cars, even electric vehicles. Supporting transit is a pro-climate position.

What parts of the Bay Area will be affected by the measure?

Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties are participating in the regional transit funding measure.

Which transit agencies will receive funding from this measure?

The funding from the measure will go to support operations at BART, Muni, Caltrain, AC Transit, SF Bay Ferry, TriValley Wheels, County Connect, Tri Delta Transit, Union City Transit, Westcat, and VTA.

How does Connect the Bay raise funds for transit?

The ballot measure asks voters to approve a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties and a 1-cent sales tax in San Francisco County. The tax sunsets after 14 years.

What’s the difference between a citizen-led ballot measure and one placed on the ballot by other means?

The ballot measure language comes from SB 63, a bill passed by the legislature in 2025. The bill gives the Metropolitan Transportation Commission the power to create a taxable district for the five-county measure. However, if MTC were to put the measure on the ballot, it would need a two-thirds majority to pass. In recent years, many funding measures have fallen just short of that supermajority.

When an initiative comes to the ballot through the signature-gathering process, it needs 50% + 1 to pass. By making the regional transportation ballot measure a citizen-led measure, we increase the chance of passage.

How many signatures do we need to collect to qualify for the ballot?

We need to collect over 200,000 verified signatures across the five participating counties. In reality, this means gathering significantly more to ensure we have enough valid signatures.

What’s the deadline for collecting signatures?

We must finish collecting signatures by mid-May.

Who’s behind this measure?

Connect the Bay is supported by labor unions, environmental groups, transit advocates, bicycle coalitions, businesses, and elected officials. A list of individuals and organizations endorsing the measure is at https://connectbayarea.com/endorsements.

If I add my name in support of the regional transit measure, do I have to vote for it?

No. If you’re approached by someone gathering signatures for the regional transportation ballot measure, your signature will only help it get on the ballot so voters can decide. You are free to vote however you choose in November.

What happens if you don’t collect enough signatures in time?

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and transit agencies could use reserve and other flexible funds to reduce the impact, but it would not be sufficient to stop massive service cuts. Muni would be forced to cut over 20 lines, and BART could go down to one train an hour.

What can transit supporters do to help?

There are many ways you can get involved, including gathering signatures. Fill out this form to stay updated on the latest developments and find opportunities to volunteer. Go to connectbayarea.com to learn more.

Transform, Coalition Partners Kick Off Regional Transit Measure Campaign

January 20, 2026/in Blog, Press Releases, Transit/by Laura McCamy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Abibat Rahman-Davies, [email protected] 510-740-930

On Friday, January 23, 2026, Transform will join a broad coalition of transit advocates, business, labor, and environmental groups to kick off a signature gathering campaign for a regional funding measure for public transit.

Media are invited to attend the kickoff for Alameda County near the Lake Merritt BART station at the Alameda County Administration Building, 1221 Oak Street, Oakland, at 12:15 p.m. on January 23, 2026, as part of a broader launch in all five counties.

The measure will go on the ballot in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties. Advocates need 200,000 signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. As a citizen initiative, the measure will pass if it receives 50% + 1 of the vote in November.

The measure will create a half-cent sales tax in the affected counties, except for San Francisco with a 1-cent sales tax. Revenue from this sales tax will fund public transit in the participating counties, ensuring continued operation of the Bay Area’s vital train and bus services. The tax sunsets after 14 years.

“Millions of people in the Bay Area rely on public transit to get to work, school, and essential services,” said Abibat Rahman-Davies, Transform’s transportation policy manager. “Even people who don’t take transit will benefit from cleaner air and reduced traffic congestion. This funding measure will keep our transit system healthy and thriving in the Bay Area.”

Run of show:

10 a.m. Kickoff at Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco

12:15 p.m. Kickoff at Alameda County Admin Building

12:30 p.m. Kickoff at Pleasant Hill BART in Contra Costa

12:45 p.m. Kickoff at Courthouse Sq. in Redwood City

1:15 p.m. Kickoff at San Jose Diridon Station

ClimatePlan Coalition Statement on Governor’s Proposed Budget

January 13, 2026/in Blog, Climate Change, Press Releases, Transit/by Zack Deutsch-Gross

The ClimatePlan partnership works to improve land-use and transportation planning to protect Californians’ health, communities, environment, and climate. Transform helped found ClimatePlan in 2007 and continues to serve on its advisory board.

ClimatePlan is concerned that Governor Newsom’s proposed 2026–27 budget would represent a step backward, making it more difficult and expensive for Californians to live and get where they need to go.

ClimatePlan identified several areas of concern in the budget, including:

Insufficient funding for transit operations, leaving agencies without enough resources to provide frequent and reliable service
No increase for the popular Active Transportation Program, limiting communities’ ability to deliver safer streets for walking and biking
No restoration of funding for e-bike incentives, a popular and effective program abruptly eliminated at the end of 2025

One welcome development is the inclusion of the Free Transit Pass program, which helps make transit more affordable for students, older adults, and low-income Californians.

More broadly, ClimatePlan had hoped to see greater alignment in the budget with the recent recommendations of the Transit Transformation Task Force, including progress toward stable operating funding for transit, expanded transit priority lanes, stronger last-mile walking and biking solutions, and improved service coordination across transit systems.

Proposed breakup of Affordable Housing program

The governor’s budget proposes to break up funding for the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program, which integrates housing, transportation, and green space planning and has delivered affordable, well-located homes in disadvantaged communities. Under this proposal, transportation and housing investments would be separated across two different agencies. ClimatePlan is working to better understand the implications of this proposal, as it will directly impact projects that deliver meaningful improvements for Californians.

Aligning housing and transportation investments helps Californians live and get where they need to go affordably. They support strong, resilient communities and reduce the air pollution that sickens and kills thousands of Californians every year.

“How California funds and approves transportation and housing projects shapes daily life for millions of people. Funding public transit and safe streets for walking and biking in the budget is essential to connect Californians to jobs, school, healthcare, and their communities by making it possible to get around without relying on a car,” said ClimatePlan Director Lesley Beatty. “ClimatePlan looks forward to working with state leaders and partners in the months ahead to improve the budget and advance solutions that meet Californians’ transportation needs.”

Contact:

Lesley Beatty, Director

[email protected]

510-390-0440

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!

Transform Applauds Bay Area Transit’s New Tap to Pay Option

December 8, 2025/in Blog, Press Releases, Transit/by Laura McCamy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 8, 2025

Contact: Abibat Rahman-Davies, [email protected]

On December 10, 2025, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) will roll out an easier way to pay for transit in the Bay Area, allowing riders to tap any contactless credit or debit card or digital wallet. Previously, tap-to-pay was only available on BART.

Transform applauds this advance in fare collection, which will:

Encourage more people to ride by removing a barrier to using public transit, allowing riders to hop on without loading money onto a Clipper card or having cash.
Make it easier to pay as you go for transit, reducing the financial burden of transit costs.
Adding an easy, efficient, and cost-effective method for transit providers to collect fares.
Provide free and reduced transfers between Bay Area transit providers, providing a more affordable, synchronized transit system.

“Tap-to-pay is a huge step forward for Bay Area transit that will boost ridership and improve the user experience,” said Abibat Rahman-Davies, Transform’s Transportation Policy Manager. “With the free and reduced transfers, riders won’t have to think twice about transferring between systems — they’ll just pick whatever trip gets them there the fastest.”

Abibat Rahman-Davies and Transform Executive Director Zack Deutsch-Gross will be at the press conference for the launch of tap-to-pay on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Embarcadero Station in San Francisco.

More access needed

Unfortunately, riders can’t access discounted fares or monthly passes through the tap-to-pay system — yet. Transform’s report, Fair and Accessible Fares: Economic Justice in Transit, outlines the additional steps MTC should take to help all riders take advantage of the new system.

Rahman-Davies, the report’s author, said, “I hope to see fare discount options for students, seniors, and low-income riders added as soon as possible. Without these additions and features to support people without banking access, tap to pay risks leaving our most vulnerable riders behind.”

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Transform works to ensure that people of all incomes thrive in a world safe from climate chaos. We envision vibrant neighborhoods, transformed by excellent, sustainable mobility options and affordable housing, where those historically impacted by racist disinvestment now have power and voice.

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