Imagine a Bay Area where your school, your job and your friend in the next county are no more than 30 minutes away via convenient, reliable and enjoyable buses zipping along uncongested freeway express lanes throughout the day. In this future, a fast, reliable and coordinated regional express bus network operating on a system of freeway express lanes connects transportation hubs throughout the region and beyond.
This vision is not just desirable — it’s essential to delivering on the region’s transportation and climate goals. The Bay Area already has a growing express lane system and many express bus routes, but they are not operated as a coordinated network — nor are they supported with infrastructure like direct access ramps and freeway-adjacent bus stations that would allow for fast and reliable travel. This report proposes planning, institutional reforms, infrastructure coordination and policies to convert existing freeways into a central part of the region’s equity and climate solutions. SPUR recommends six broad actions to support the development and implementation of a coordinated regional express bus vision.
This publication is a component of the SPUR Regional Strategy, a vision for the future of the San Francisco Bay Area.