Seamless Bay Area Summary Sheet

Our mission is to reform Bay Area transportation governance and establish a single lead public entity with the mandate and resources to create an integrated, world-class transportation system that improves mobility for all.

The Problem

Getting around our region is frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive. Congestion and traffic are worse than ever, and our public transit is failing to meet our expectations and needs. Despite investing billions in transit expansion over the past decades, transit ridership has actually decreased on a per capita basis by 11% since 1990. Poor public transportation, characterized by run-down facilities, insufficient service, slow speeds and crowding is exacerbating our affordable housing crisis and taking a toll on our quality of life, the environment, and our economy.

At the heart of the Bay Area's transportation problem is a broken system of fragmented governance. The Bay Area has 25 transit agencies that operate separately with little oversight or coordination. This not only wastes money; it also results in terrible transportation outcomes for Bay Area residents, including poor connectivity, inefficient routes, inconsistent service and separate fare systems.

Today, the future livability of our region is at stake as new mobility services and autonomous vehicles are being added to our roads. These technologies offer an opportunity to improve mobility for all. As a region, we should be proactively leveraging them to create a more sustainable, efficient, and equitable transportation system. However, because of fragmented governance, we are severely limited in our ability to shape our transportation future. Without robust and coordinated regional policy, new mobility services could unintentionally end up reinforcing automobile-dependence, promoting urban sprawl, cannibalizing public transit, and increasing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

With our current system of transportation governance, the Bay Area is set up for failure. None of our institutions are capable of leading the creation of a seamless regional network, or enacting policies to ensure that new mobility services improve our quality of life. As the State seeks to meet ambitious climate goals and advance its vision of the Statewide Rail Plan, bold structural change to create a better transportation system for the Bay Area has never been more urgent. In its 47 years of existence, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has failed to substantively integrate and improve the region's transit 25 separate systems, and it is powerless to influence how new forms of transportation will shape our region.

Our Vision

The Bay Area should have a unified, world-class public transportation system that empowers people to get where they need to go quickly, easily, and cost-effectively. Our fragmented train, bus, and ferry lines should be integrated and expanded into a coherent, seamless network that connects all parts of the Bay Area, and our roads should be upgraded to support sustainable, equitable mobility powered by the latest technology. A single public entity with the mandate and resources to improve mobility for all should lead this regional network.

Making it happen

We believe state legislation is necessary to reform our transportation governance, and should be initiated as soon as possible. 

Potential governance models for the Bay Area include Sound Transit (Seattle), TransLink (Vancouver, Canada), and Los Angeles Metro.

State legislation should empower a future Bay Area lead transportation authority to:
   - Create a seamless, integrated transportation system;
   - Lead key public transit network functions including long range planning, capital and service planning, budgeting, procurement, design, construction, marketing/branding, and customer experience;
   - Have jurisdiction over transportation corridors of regional significance;
   - Pursue innovative forms of infrastructure financing and project delivery; and
   - Raise funds through regional ballot measures.

We recognize that additional state legislation and future ballot measures will be required for the integration and expansion of the transportation system, but governance reform is a necessary prerequisite.

Who we are

Seamless Bay Area is a grassroots group of citizens from across the Bay Area, including transportation professionals in the public and private sectors, and leadership figures within the region's major transportation and urban advocacy organizations. However, we are not officially affiliated with any transit agency, company, or organization.

Seamless Bay Area was established in May 2017. We hold monthly meetings in Oakland and San Francisco that are open to all.

Contact: seamlessbayarea@gmail.com

With reform to our transportation governance, we can create a world-class transportation system that provides: 
   - More transit service for every public dollar spent;
   - A consistent and high-quality customer experience;
   - Effortless, timed transfers between buses, trains, and ferries throughout the region;
   - An easy-to-use website, app, and transit map;
   - A simple fare structure with transit passes that work anywhere;
   - Continuous improvement and expansion of the transit network;
   - Integration of new technologies and forms of transportation as they become available; and
   - Clear public accountability for the delivery of transportation.

The outcome will be less time stuck in traffic, greater access to jobs and housing, and fewer carbon emissions, providing a better quality of life for current and future generations of Bay Area residents.

Join Us
   - Email us at seamlessbayarea@gmail.com to be added to our email list and receive information about meetings
   - We are always looking to partner with other organizations who support our vision for transportation