A local legislator is asking for a plan to consolidate the region’s 27 separate transit agencies to improve financial stability and streamline service for riders.
According to an article by Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle, “A Bay Area legislator proposed legislation Wednesday to combine all of the region’s 27 public transit agencies into one in the wake of ongoing financial challenges to public transportation.”
The legislation asks the California State Transportation Agency to “develop a plan to consolidate all transit agencies that are located within the geographic jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.” This follows a 2021 Bay Area Transit Transformation Plan developed by a Metropolitan Transportation Commission task force that includes recommendations to synchronize schedule changes and standardize maps across systems.
The idea has been around since at least 2013, when a UC Berkeley student survey found support for consolidation among transit officials. “In MTC polling conducted in March, 55% of respondents designated merging BART and Caltrain as a priority. Just over 60% said creating one regional agency responsible for setting fares, coordinating service schedules and creating consistent maps was a priority.”
FULL STORY: Bay Area legislator proposes combining all 27 local public transit agencies
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