Three transit systems — BART, Muni and Caltrain — carried 73% of the region’s weekday transit trips before the onset of the pandemic, yet they currently face the greatest financial uncertainty. Though transit trips are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels for many years, hundreds of thousands of residents continue to rely on these systems every day, and they serve a critical role in meeting the Bay Area’s sustainability, equity and mobility goals. However, despite these systems’ indispensability, there is no current plan for how they will continue to operate once the American Rescue Plan emergency grants supporting transit operations through the pandemic are exhausted — which may occur as soon as 2023. Join a discussion between BART, Muni and Caltrain board members as they discuss what’s at risk, the financial challenges and the potential solutions.
Introduction from:
+ Michael Eiseman / BART
+ Sebastian Petty / CalTrain
+ Jim Morrill / SFMTA
Panel:
+ Rebecca Saltzman / BART
+ Supervisor Cindy Chavez / Caltrain Boardmember and County of Santa Clara District 2
+ Gwyneth Borden / SFMTA
Co-presented by Seamless Bay Area.