Lawmakers Launch Bill They Hope Will Make Bay Area Transit Awesome
Can San Francisco look forward to a day when it has a Swiss-style, seamless and fast transit system stitching together the entire Bay Area with frequent, equitable service? Some 30 transit advocates and lawmakers came to Hallidie Plaza Monday to announce the launch of Senate Bill 1031, the Connect Bay Area Act, that's intended to make that happen.
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“Our public transportation systems were experiencing challenges before the pandemic, and the pandemic made those challenges more extreme. The world is different post-pandemic, and we need to reimagine our public transportation network, ensure these systems have stable funding, and modernize them via better integration to ensure they’re meeting the current and future needs of Bay Area residents. This bill represents the start of what’s sure to be a long journey, and I’m excited to partner with Senator Aisha Wahab, our entire Bay Area delegation, and regional stakeholders to perfect and advance this transformational measure.”
"This is an opportunity to not just improve transit," said Wahab, who represents cities of Hayward, Union City, Newark, Fremont, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, San Jose and Santa Clara. "We're setting the stage to assure that top-tier transit becomes the standard."
Wahab envisions the bill leading to fast, seamless, and regular European-style transit service throughout the Bay Area, as far out as Tahoe.