I’ve been a dedicated public transit rider for my entire life. Until my son was born four years ago, I had never purchased a car, and took Muni, BART, a cable car or my bike every day. I still do, as often as possible.
Earlier this year, I introduced the Bay Area Seamless Transit Act to integrate our 27 public transit systems in the Bay Area — something hundreds of thousands of transit riders like me have long dreamed of.
When coronavirus struck and our legislature was forced into an emergency recess, most of this year’s transportation bills, including ours, have been deferred to be considered next year. But the fight continues.
COVID-19 has decimated our Bay Area transit systems, as riderships and revenues have dropped precipitously. For example, just this week, Caltrain publicly predicted a long road to recovery from the blow the pandemic has dealt their system — which could even result in a system-wide shutdown if the right changes aren’t made.
In order to rebuild our economy and a stronger Bay Area after the pandemic, we’re going to have to reform our transit systems to make them as safe, reliable, and affordable as possible for millions of riders who depend on public transit every day.
Onward,
David
PS — Want to read more about a Seamless Bay Area? Check out this article from today’s StreetsBlog SF about the importance of this work, and all that the coalition is doing to move it forward!