Senator Aisha Wahab Moves to Consolidate Bay Area Transit Agencies

Sacramento, CA — Senator Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward) amended SB 397 to direct the California State Transportation Agency to develop a consolidation plan for the 27 official public transit agencies across the nine Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.

“There is no reason for there to be 27 public transit agencies for just the Bay Area,” says Senator Wahab. “The poor fiscal outlook demands consolidation. We must prioritize the needs of riders by increasing speed, cost savings, technology, and environmentally-friendly policies.”

The Bay Area will receive a portion of the $5.1 billion state transit relief funds (to be distributed over four years) provided in the 2023-2024 State budget to stave off the widely reported fiscal cliff. As recently as October 2023, BART Board President Janice Li—who represents San Francisco—stated during a Board of Directors meeting that consolidation is something to consider, especially given the fiscal concerns across the region.

SB 397 will be presented to the Senate Transportation Committee during the January 9th hearing. If the bill passes its committee hearing, it will then go to Senate Appropriations. SB 397 has until January 31st to pass the Senate.