4/30/25: [Action Alert] Seamless transit under threat + actions to take in the South Bay and Peninsula
Urgent action needed in San Mateo County
Three County agencies have recommended eliminating funding for transit coordination initiatives from the upcoming regional transportation funding measure authorizing legislation. This includes cutting funds for wildly popular initiatives like all-agency transit passes, free transfers, schedule coordination, and coordinated paratransit.
The topic of killing transit coordination had not been publicly discussed at either of these agencies’ recent board meetings. In fact, board members and senior staff at SamTrans and SMCTA had repeatedly praised transit coordination initiatives over the years.
At the same time, the San Mateo County letter also suggests having county transportation authorities be in charge of distributing funds, rather than MTC, the regional governing body. This is bad for two reasons:
MTC is already the agency overseeing regional transit funding and coordination. The last thing we need is more fragmentation in our region's already complex web of transit agencies.
It's nearly impossible for members of the public to stay on top of three separate bodies deliberating about whether and how to participate in regional transit funding, plus MTC. It's the opposite of transparency and accountability to add a fifth body to watch.
If you live, work, or travel in San Mateo County, then we need you to speak up TOMORROW in support of seamless transit and against more fragmented governance at the Caltrain and SMCTA board meetings.
Want to see better VTA, Caltrain, and SamTrans service?
San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties have until July 31st to opt-in to the 2026 transit funding measure. We need riders to voice their support at upcoming agency board meetings for both counties joining forces for regional transit funding to usher in more frequent, fast, affordable, and accessible public transit.
Do you have friends and family who don't take public transit often? Get them to hop on board May 6th! We're hoping to break the post-pandemic ridership record on All Aboard Transit Day and show infrequent riders the new service and customer experience improvements transit agencies have made over the last several years!
Transit agencies will offer free stickers and other swag items to riders throughout the day to thank them for riding, while also soliciting their feedback.
Meet your local housing advocates, organizations, and groups at the annual Silicon Valley Housing Advocates Meet Up! Meet and mingle with leaders and volunteers fighting our region's housing crisis, and enjoy some snacks too. Co-sponsored by Palo Alto Forward, Livable Sunnyvale, South Bay YIMBY, and more!
Electric bikes and scooters are a fantastic way to get around your city and the Bay Area! E-bikes and e-scooters are a much more affordable alternative to the high-cost of car ownership, are a sustainable and climate-friendly mobility option, and are a fun way to explore your area! However, they can still prove too costly for many folks.
Join us at Lytton Plaza on May 21st, 2025 from 5-7pm to learn about e-bikes and e-scooters including several programs in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties that can help you cover the cost!
Send a letter to your representative in Sacramento to support $2 billion in state transit funding through our tool here
Over 3,300 people throughout the state have already written to their reps to ask for the state to put $2 billion of its $300B annual budget into transit.
Involved with another organization like a club, non-profit, company, community of worship, etc? Have it join the 100+ organizations who have signed onto the support letter by filling out the form here. Want to help get flyers, stickers, posters about this campaign out to your community? Let us know!