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Executive Director's Report

Report to the Commission: May 28, 2025

Personnel

Retirements

  • Denise Rodrigues – Denise started in January 2006 as a Contract Administrator. Her last day with MTC is May 28 as the Section Director in the Procurement, Risk and Property Management section.

Departures

  • Terence Lee – Terence started in September 2020 as a Revenue and Transit Operations Analyst. His last day with MTC was May 14 as an Associate Program Coordinator in the Funding Policy and Programs section.

Promotions & New Appointments

  • Michelle Geldin – Michelle started on May 27 as an Express Lanes Network Planning Coordinator in the Capital Delivery, Asset Management, Roadside Tolling section.
  • Brian Xi – Brian started with MTC on May 27 as a Transportation Data Analyst/Coordinator in the Funding Policy and Programs section

Updates

2025 federal advocacy trip on May 20-22

Chair Noack, Commissioner John-Baptiste and Commissioner Ramos participated in MTC’s 2025 federal advocacy trip on May 20-22. Over the three days, our MTC delegation was able to meet with most of the Bay Area’s Congressional delegation as well as representatives at the Federal Transit Administration and key staff and members of Congress involved in transportation to highlight MTC’s federal surface transportation reauthorization priorities. While it was a contentious week in Washington given House approval of the budget reconciliation bill, it was encouraging to hear that bipartisanship remains a core value among the House and Senate leadership who will be overseeing the drafting of the next federal transportation bill.

Bike to Wherever Day on May 15

Bike to Wherever Day on May 15 brought together tens of thousands of Bay Area residents to celebrate bicycling. Approximately 16,000 riders stopped by 330 Energizer Stations to get free coffee, snacks, swag and the event’s bike-friendly signature tote bag. The San Francisco Bike Coalition held a rally at City Hall, where they presented Commissioner Myrna Melgar with the first-ever District Supervisor Bike Champion of the Year Award for her “unwavering commitment to making streets safer for people who bike and roll.” Commissioner Amber Manfree participated at the Energizer Station in Napa and former Commissioner Rebecca Kaplan biked with advocates and other city leaders to speak at Oakland City Hall. Nearly 900 riders have registered for the Bay Area Bike Challenge, which runs through May 31.

MidPen Housing’s Grand Opening on May 16

Commissioner David Canepa and ABAG Vice President Carlos Romero spoke at MidPen Housing’s grand opening of 147 affordable homes at Midway Village I and groundbreaking of 113 affordable apartments at Midway Village II in Daly City on Friday, May 16. The second phase of the project has Priority Sites predevelopment funding from the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA). This is the third Priority Sites loan that BAHFA has closed.

MTC ABAG Community Advisory Council

Applications are open for the first cohort of the MTC ABAG Community Advisory Council, which will convene in 2026 and replace the MTC Policy Advisory Council and ABAG’s Regional Planning Committee. Please help spread the word to your constituents. The 27-member body will include at least two advisors from each county. Serving on the council presents a unique opportunity to help shape the future of the Bay Area’s transportation, housing and the environmental policies and investments. Applications are open through July 15. For more information , visit the MTC website.

May is Affordable Housing Month

As part of Affordable Housing Month, ABAG and MTC teamed up with our partners at East Bay Housing Organizations for two events. In addition to the May 1 SPUR event with Deputy Executive Director for Housing & Energy Daniel Saver, which focused on strategies for tracking cities' Housing Element progress, BAHFA co-hosted a webinar on May 6 in partnership with the Raise the Roof Coalition, the Stanford Community Law Clinic and All Home on recent and forthcoming research on evictions in the region and opportunities to protect tenants. BAHFA Anti-Displacement Manager Irene Farnsworth shared a preview of the forthcoming BAHFA regional eviction study findings, which are expected to be released later this summer. I also had the opportunity to attend the 29th Annual Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California Affordable Housing Leadership Awards with Daniel and Alix, which celebrates the individuals and organizations leading change in the Bay Area’s affordable housing sector. To see other events throughout the month, visit the Affordable Housing Month website.

Save the Date for the Accessible Futures Conference Disability Summit

On June 16 and 17, MTC and ABAG are hosting Accessible Futures: Sharing. Listening. Learning — a regional gathering of the Bay Area disability community to identify the unmet needs and gaps in policies, services and advocacy for persons with disabilities across the topics of transportation, housing, the environment and other topics of priority for the community. Register at Accessible Futures Conference.