Brighter Bay Area future demands transforming transit network

• Fares and payment: Simpler, consistent and equitable fares and payment options;

• Customer information: integrated mapping, signage and real-time schedules;

• Management: services are equitably planned and managed as a unified, efficient and reliable network;

• Accessibility: efficient and coordinated services for seniors, people with disabilities and people with lower incomes are coordinated efficient; and

• Funding: more efficient use of existing money plus new dedicated revenue for both capital investments and operations.

This doesn’t mean the end of BART, Caltrain, SamTrans, Muni or other agencies. But it must mean the end of business as usual.

We need to reform the way our transit network is managed from stem to stern. Whether it’s planning, prioritizing projects or collecting data, we need a new approach based on cooperation, collaboration and customer service rather than power, politics or protectionism.

We need a transit network that protects the safety and health of all riders. We need a fare integration policy for all Bay Area agencies, building on cooperative current efforts like the Clipper card and the Clipper START program. We need bus priority lanes on state highways and local arterials alike to make travel faster and more reliable. We need to build on the Regional Transit Connection platform to take the hassles out of paratransit for disabled riders and to incorporate paratransit into the next generation of Clipper. We need uniform mapping and wayfinding standards; uniform mobile and technology standards; and coordinated marketing and public information efforts. And we need to zero in on cost-saving efficiencies before putting a new transit funding measure on the ballot.

All told, the Task Force identified 27 actions that can be taken in the next one to three years to begin putting Bay Area transit on a new trajectory. Each can be achieved through a combination of existing resources, increased efficiency and new money. Polling conducted this spring shows overwhelming support for the Task Force’s recommendations:

• 80% want dedicated travel lanes for buses and carpools along key transit routes;

• 88% want a regional network that can set fares, and align routes and schedules;

• 89% want a single set of fares, passes, discounts and transfer policies;

• 90% want a single mobile app for planning, schedules and information;

• 91% want more direct service, fewer transfers and shorter wait times;

• 92% want real-time information on wait times and vehicle locations; and

• 92% want uniform and easy-to-use maps and transit station signs.

As elected officials, we know these are the kinds of poll numbers that demand attention. The Blue Ribbon Task Force’s action plan is ambitious yet achievable. And as with Plan Bay Area 2050, the question is not whether we can afford to transform the Bay Area’s regional transit network. The real question is whether we can afford not to.

David Canepa, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, and Millbrae Councilmember Gina Papan both serve as members of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Ms. Papan also served as a member of the Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force.