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Executive Director's Report

Report to the Commission: January 28, 2026

Personnel

Retirements

  • Kyung Hee Howard — Kyung Hee started in Nov. 2019 as an Associate Financial Analyst. Her last day was Jan. 9 as a Financial Analyst/Accountant III in the Treasury and Revenue section.

New Appointments

  • Jonathan Singh — Jonathan started Jan. 5 as a Transportation Funding Analyst in the Funding Policy and Programs section.
  • Breitling Snyder — Breitling started Jan. 5 as a Transportation Planner/Analyst II in the Regional Planning Program section.
  • SarahJean Harrison — SarahJean started Jan. 20 as a Projects and Grants Specialist in the Regional Planning Program section.
  • Jadie Moar — Jadie started Jan. 20 as a Legislative Analyst in the Legislation and Public Affairs section.

Updates

Next-Generation Clipper Rollout

On Dec. 10, the transition of customers to Next-Generation Clipper began, launching fare payment via contactless credit/debit cards on all Clipper agencies and the free and discounted transfer pilot program. As of Jan. 23, almost 710,000 Clipper cards had migrated to the Next-Generation Clipper back office. These cards represent those that have undertaken “on-demand migration,” which happens when a Clipper customer signs into their account via the Clipper website/mobile app or calls the Customer Service Center. Unfortunately, while the transition to Next Generation Clipper has gone smoothly for many customers, it has created a significant headache for others. I am directing staff to ensure that any customer who temporarily lost access to funds or passes due to the transition is made whole. I will continue to regularly update the Commission on the progress of the transition.

SB 375 Modernization

On the legislative front, we’re continuing our work on SB 375 modernization with the other Big 4 MPOs and former state senator Darrel Steinberg. This includes meetings with stakeholders and state agencies to hear their feedback and starting the search for a bill author. I anticipate staff will bring more details on the proposed bill content to the MTC-ABAG Joint Legislation Committee next month.

Washington State Transportation Commission Virtual Panel

In early Dec., I participated in a virtual panel with representatives from Florida and Washington on corridor urbanism, the concept of focusing development of housing, services and commercial activity along major arterials to create safer and more walkable, transit-friendly communities. These three states were specifically chosen for our success in this area.

California Infrastructure Conference Panel

On Dec. 11, I had the opportunity to speak on the panel “Strategic Transit Planning for CA’s Future” at the California Infrastructure Development Conference along with Deborah Dagang (VTA), Ladonna DiCamillo (CA High Speed Rail) and Mark Vallianatos (LA Metro). The panel was moderated by Joshua Schank, who previously served as the first-ever Chief Innovation Officer for LA Metro. The conference brought together state leaders shaping capital projects to explore how agencies are navigating funding gaps, procurement complexity and risk while accelerating project timelines and strengthening long-term outcomes.

Bay Area Council Board Presentation

Also on Dec. 11, I spoke to the Bay Area Council Board of Directors with Interim President and CEO John Grubb on “Charting the Next Era of Bay Area Growth.” I shared insights on some of the Bay Area’s most pressing issues — from building housing to funding public transit and even exploring how AI could help reduce traffic. The conversation provided a forum to discuss how to keep the region moving forward with innovative ideas and collaborative solutions.

2023 Bay Area Travel Survey Dashboard

Later this month, the Planning Section will release an interactive dashboard for the 2023 Bay Area Travel Study, enabling users to explore travel behaviors such as changes in trip-making, travel modes and commute behavior by county and income group. MTC-ABAG invited 750,000 residents in all nine counties to participate in the survey to help plan for a more efficient and effective regional transportation network.

Celebrate Jersey Day on Feb. 3

To celebrate transit’s role in getting fans to Super Bowl LX-related events, MTC-ABAG and Bay Area transit agencies are encouraging transit riders to wear their favorite jersey on transit on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Agencies such as BART will be handing out prizes to those spotted wearing a jersey during their ride. Any sports jersey counts. Feb. 3 marks the first day of the Super Bowl Experience at Moscone Center and BAHC Live! San Francisco Fan Zone at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco.

BAHFA Helps Preserve Affordable Housing Units

BAHFA closed on two projects in December to preserve affordable homes for residents of the North Bay.

  • Through the Welfare Tax Exemption Preservation Program, up to 99 units will be preserved for families in San Rafael’s Canal District, and the Tesseract Capital Group will convert The Meridian apartment community into long-term affordable housing. At least 60 units in the complex will be converted to affordable homes initially, with the remainder expected to be converted by the owner in the near future.
  • In St. Helena, under the Preservation Loan Pilot, BAHFA is providing a $3 million loan to Our Town St. Helena to acquire an existing, occupied 12-unit building. This project will provide a rare affordable housing opportunity for lower-income households in a high-resource community, with most existing households including two to four residents who work in service-oriented jobs in or near St. Helena.

RHTA Hosts Housing Bills Webinar

MTC-ABAG’s award-winning Regional Housing Technical Assistance (RHTA) Program hosted its fifth annual overview of housing-related bills signed in this legislative session on Dec. 16. Attorneys from Goldfarb & Lipman LLP provided information on the new laws and answered questions from jurisdiction staff. More than 400 staff from the nine Bay Area counties and other communities throughout the state participated.

Bay Bridge Clock on Display in Temazcal

Drop by Temazcal to see the restored clock that stood over the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza from 1956 until approximately 1985. MTC reclaimed the clock last year and contracted CJ Yother of San Leandro to disassemble and rebuild it. The clock and its neon lighting mechanisms weigh 500 pounds without legs. A video of the clock’s history and restoration process is available at The Bay Bridge Clock project.

Toll Increase Went into Effect Jan. 1

Just a reminder that on Jan. 1, the first of five phases of the toll increase approved by the Bay Area Toll Authority in Dec. 2024 went into effect, along with updates to the policies for high-occupancy vehicles on approaches to the state-owned bridges. Tolls for all regular two-axle cars and trucks increased by 50 cents from $8.00 to $8.50 to fund the preservation, rehabilitation and operational needs of the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges. Drivers now need three or more people to qualify for the 50% carpool toll discount at all seven state-owned bridges, including the Dumbarton and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. Communications to the public began in late October and will continue through early 2026 to remind drivers of these changes.