San Mateo County

pallets of green oil barrels stacked

Big Oil Wins Climate Change Lawsuits

The courts are no place to be deciding on the contribution of fossil fuels to climate change, ruled a Northern California federal district court judge in a "stinging defeat" to San Francisco and Oakland that wanted Big Oil to pay mitigation costs.

June 28, 2018 - The New York Times

Water Emergency Transportation Authority

Dismal Poll Findings for Bay Area: Half the Respondents Want to Leave

To paraphrase Bill Clinton, it's the housing, stupid! In addition to the troubling findings of the Bay Area Council poll, a California housing report found that Silicon Valley had the highest percentage of residents leaving their counties.

June 6, 2018 - The Mercury News

Train Buffs: Do You Know What a ZEMU Is?

In addition to commuter trains hauled by an electric or diesel-powered locomotive, there are EMUs and DMUs, and come 2021, for the first time in North America, there should be a ZEMU thanks in part to a $30 million California transportation grant.

May 1, 2018 - California Assembly Press Release

Waze

Drivers: Beware Following GPS Navigation Instructions Too Closely

For the second time at the same railroad crossing in Atherton, California, a motorist followed his GPS navigation onto Caltrain tracks. In both cases, the motorists fled their vehicles before being hit by an oncoming train.

February 13, 2018 - (Palo Alto) Daily Post

280 Freeway San Francisco

San Francisco Supervisors Cool to Express Lanes on City's Freeways

The county agency that had hoped to do downtown cordon pricing now wants to add express lanes on Highways 101 and 280, but city supervisors are divided on charging solo drivers the option to buy into managed lanes. Both freeways lack carpool lanes.

January 3, 2018 - San Francisco Examiner

Public is Receptive to Plans for Express Lanes on Hwy 101 in Bay Area

Caltrans hopes to build two 14-mile high-occupancy toll lanes on Hwy 101 in San Mateo County, one of the region's most congested corridors that lacks carpool lanes. The $534 million project would begin construction in 2019.

December 16, 2017 - The Daily Journal

San Francisco

Increased Tolls for Bay Area Bridges Headed for a Vote

It is now up to the Bay Area's transportation planning agency to determine when to ask voters to hike tolls on seven Bay Area bridges, by how much, and whether to phase the increase. A bill to allow voters to fund Caltrain was also signed.

October 17, 2017 - SF Gate

BART Train

Three Transportation Ballot Measures Could Be Headed to Bay Area Voters Next Year

The California Legislature approved bills to allow voters to decide on hiking sales taxes and tolls for regional transportation. Gov. Jerry Brown already signed a bill to allow San Mateo County voters to hike sales taxes for transportation.

September 19, 2017 - The Daily Journal

Caltrain Electrification Broke Ground on Friday

Gov. Jerry Brown, Peninsula congresswomen, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and state legislative leaders gathered in Millbrae with shovels-in hands to mark the beginning of a four-year construction project to electrify Caltrain.

July 24, 2017 - The Daily Journal

California Big Sur

California Counties, City Sue Fossil Fuel Industry Over Sea Level Rise

Faced with "mounting costs" due to the impacts of climate change, a collection of coastal communities in California have taken legal action against the fossil fuel industry.

July 23, 2017 - Associated Press via KPCC

BART Station

Why was BART's Ridership Forecast for Millbrae Station So Wildly Off-Base?

In 1995, planners forecasted that the Millbrae BART Station in San Mateo County, where riders can transfer to/from Caltrain, would attract 16,500 weekday riders. Fourteen years after it opened, ridership is 7,000. Planners were off by 58 percent.

July 16, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Caltrain

Three Bay Area Counties May Decide Whether to Support Caltrain with Sales Tax Measure

The oldest commuter rail line west of the Mississippi is also unique in another way—it lacks a dedicated source of operating revenue. Legislation has been introduced to allow Peninsula counties to vote to increase sales taxes by 0.125 percent.

June 26, 2017 - The Daily Journal

Los Angeles

City of Los Angeles Tops 4 Million in Latest State Population Report

As usual, California's fastest growing counties were inland, far from coastal job centers. The big surprise was that the fastest growing city was an affluent Silicon Valley suburb that had been sued in 2012 by affordable housing advocates.

May 5, 2017 - The Mercury News

Caltrain

The County Transportation Authority That Saved the Caltrain Electrification Project

Up against an unexpected federal requirement to produce substantially more funds for a crucial rail project, San Mateo County's transportation authority showed the importance of "self-help" counties that control local transportation sales tax funds.

January 16, 2017 - The Daily Journal

Homeless Encampment

San Francisco Voters Express Frustration with Tent Living

Voters appear to have passed the most contentious ballot measure in San Francisco, Proposition Q, that allows city workers to remove tent encampments if shelter is available. Voters in other Bay Area counties passed taxes for affordable housing.

November 11, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Tenants' Rights

Rent and Eviction Controls on the November Ballot in Six Bay Area Cities

Voters in six Bay Area cities in four Bay Area counties will determine the outcome of eight ballot measures on rent and eviction control. Two of the cities will have city council-sponsored measures competing against voter initiatives.

September 16, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Brisbane, CA

Opposition to Bay Area Housing Exposed

A 660-acre Bay Area brownfield served by commuter and light rail is the latest battleground between suburban communities intent on preserving open space and quality of life and meeting the Bay Area's unmet housing demand.

August 11, 2016 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Legislation Proposed to Ban Sidewalk Tolls on Golden Gate Bridge

If two assembly members from San Francisco and Marin counties have their way, pedestrians and bikers on the Golden Gate Bridge will not be tolled as if they were in a motor vehicle.

December 1, 2014 - San Francisco Chronicle

Court Ruling for Beach-Blocking Billionaire Redeems Public Access

Vinod Khosla, the California billionaire who made news earlier this year for blocking access to a public beach, had his day in court.

September 26, 2014 - San Francisco Chronicle

Closed Beach

Enclosing the Commons: Tech Billionaire Buys Beloved Beach

San Mateo residents sue a Silicon Valley tycoon for buying and closing off a public beach in violation of California Coastal Act.

May 16, 2014 - San Francisco Chronicle

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