Tell MTC to Link Funding to Real Housing Outcomes
On Wednesday, January 28, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission will take up critical decisions about how regional transportation funding is allocated through the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) Program.
The January 28 MTC meeting will focus on tying OBAG funding to Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) implementation. A follow-up meeting on February 25 is expected to focus on the TOC Policy itself.
These votes are deeply connected and critically important to the future of sustainable development in the Bay Area.
OBAG is one of the region’s strongest tools for shaping land use, housing, and transportation outcomes. How MTC structures OBAG funding now will either reinforce or undermine the TOC Policy before commissioners even vote on the final details next month.
We urge the Commission to use the January 28 meeting to send a clear signal that:
- Regional funding must advance regional goals.
- TOC compliance is essential to meeting climate, housing, and equity commitments.
- Scarce public dollars should prioritize jurisdictions taking meaningful action toward meeting regional goals.
OBAG funding is one of the few levers MTC has to ensure that local decisions align with regional goals. Decisions the commission makes now will determine whether the TOC policy functions as a meaningful incentive or simply becomes another well-intentioned plan without teeth.
Transform is advocating for a strong policy that uses OBAG funding as an incentive for communities to develop infill housing near transit, reducing car dependency and increasing livability and affordability.
Take action now to send a message to commissioners before their January 28 meeting
The TOC Policy was originally designed to move the Bay Area beyond baseline requirements by encouraging stronger tenant protections, more affordable housing near transit, better station access, and smarter parking policies. While early conversations with MTC suggested strong alignment around linking funding to TOC metrics, there is now a risk that the bar for cities to comply with TOC will be considerably lowered.
Allocating OBAG funding to cities for meeting watered-down minimum requirements will undermine the work of other Bay Area cities that take transit-oriented development much more seriously. Furthermore, the precedent would erode further efforts to hold cities accountable to our climate, transportation, and housing goals.
Email your MTC commissioner today and tell them to fund housing near transit, not more sprawl.
Transform will continue to push for a stronger TOC policy
If MTC is serious about meeting its housing, climate, and transportation goals, it must take a leadership role to ensure that regional funding supports the communities that are stepping up to advance infill housing near transit, reducing car dependency and increasing livability and affordability, not cities that continue to drag their feet and maintain the status quo.
Between now and then, the message is clear: regional dollars should be conditioned on cities implementing policies and programs that support housing and business development that is near transportation, putting public transit in reach for more people and improving the quality of life in the Bay Area.
Transform will be turning out with other advocates and community members in January and February to push for a policy that delivers meaningful outcomes.
