7/25/25: South Bay Rally for Public Transit + more actions to fund transit in San Mateo and Santa Clara County | $1,000 for your Transit Month event
The deadline for San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties to join the regional measure is approaching - take actions to support!
Plus, applications to receive up to $1,000 for your Transit Month event are open through August 2nd!
Rally for Transit in Santa Clara County (San Jose) | Tuesday, July 29th beginning at 6:00pm
The deadline is approaching for Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties to join the 2026 regional transit funding measure that will prevent cuts and improve service for Caltrain, VTA, BART, and transit agencies across the region.
In order to keep the Bay Area moving and make transit more seamless, please join this Rally for Transit in Santa Clara County to pressure local leaders to “opt-in” to participate in the regional transit funding measure with SB63.
Speak up at board meetings to demand a 5-county measure with San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties
Over the next two weeks, boards in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties will be recommending and deciding whether to participate in the regional funding measure! Your voice is essential to keep transit running and to fund seamless transit.
Click here to sign up to comment and get a text message when the item comes up at the San Mateo and Santa Clara County boards. The page has suggested talking points and instructions to send your comment by email if you can’t make the time of the meeting.
Free transfers and other seamless transit investments are still at risk! Take action now.
Your actions speaking up for free transfers and other seamless transit investments have been heard – the draft expenditure plan released by bill authors Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín kept the funding at the $45 million level supported by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to make transit faster, more reliable, affordable, convenient, and accessible.
So far, the three counties included in the regional measure - San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa - have voted to support the measure with no further changes to seamless transit. But two counties - San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties - are still deciding whether to opt in.
It’s critical for SMC and SCC to join and to support seamless transit funding in the measure. These investments increase ridership and are overwhelmingly popular with voters, helping to get the funding measure passed!
If you haven’t done so yet, please urge counties where you use transit to protect critical funding for free transfers and more rider-focused improvements. San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties are especially important - but all are important to prevent backsliding.
Saving Bay Area Transit: Everything You Need to Know About the Regional Transit Funding Measure
We heard from some of you that staying on top of the news and updates on the planned 2026 regional transit funding measure is difficult when things are moving so rapidly.
That's why we created a new information hub explaining the basics, actions you can take, the latest information, and a FAQ for the questions you may have about the effort. We'll keep this page updated as things change and will continue our advocacy to ensure the measure achieves our vision of a seamless transit experience and includes robust, progressive funding sources.
For instance, we just updated the website with the draft expenditure plan, which was released last week by bill authors Senators Wiener and Arreguín.
Check it out and share with family, friends, and colleagues who want to learn more about the initiative! If you have any feedback, reply to this email with your thoughts.
Up to $1,000 to help fund your Transit Month events!
This September, communities across the Bay Area will celebrate Transit Month with a jam-packed calendar of fun events, rallies, socials, and contests focused on the central role public transit plays in our communities.
We have $5,000 to help community groups and individuals host their very own events! Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until August 2nd, so sooner is better!
Webinar Recording: What can California learn from transit in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan?
The recording from our webinar with Dr. Jason Chang, Seung Lee, and Ian Griffiths is now on our Youtube channel for folks that were not able to attend in person.
In summary, Dr. Chang provided an overview of Taiwan's current transportation landscape, Lee focused on the history of transit in Japan and South Korea, and Griffiths gave his first impressions of transit in both South Korea and Taiwan. All panelists gave their recommendations for what California can learn from the policy successes and history of transit in these countries.
New Report | Against Patchwork Funding: How Multi-Year Investment Frameworks Can Deliver Rail Service
In order to meet the ambitious service and rail electrification goals outlined in the State Rail Plan 2050, California will need to seriously re-think the shape and flow of design and capital investment. High-frequency intercity and regional rail service will require more resources but also more stable and predictable investment.
Our friends at Californians for Electric Rail just released a policy brief Against Patchwork Funding: How Multi-Year Investment Frameworks Can Deliver Rail Infrastructure Cheaper and Faster. Give it a read.
Before July 31st, support our work and get swag!
We are in the home stretch of our Summer 2025 Fundraising Campaign. If you are able, please consider supporting our work by becoming a recurring, monthly donor. Before the end of the month, new donors will receive some new merch we made specifically for you and your transit-enthusiast friends.
