Transit Priority
MTC is working with transit agencies, Caltrans, cities and counties to plan and implement transit priority infrastructure and transit-supportive policies that improve travel times and the reliability of Bay Area buses and light rail trains.
Transit priority is a toolbox of policies and infrastructure that help transit passengers get to their destination more quickly and reliably. Tools can include roadway design, new traffic signal timing, traffic enforcement and more.
Making transit faster and more reliable improves the customer experience and encourages more people to use transit. Investing in transit priority on Bay Area roadways helps meet the climate and equity goals of the long-range regional plan, Plan Bay Area 2050, and the Transit Transformation Action Plan.
Since 2012, MTC has invested over $150 million in transit priority initiatives through a variety of grant programs.
Transit Priority Actions & Work Plan Activities
MTC’s efforts in advancing transit priority in the Bay Area include the following initiatives:
| Initiative | Anticipated Completion | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Transit Priority Policy for Roadways | Early 2026 | Review of and refinements to draft Policy text underway |
| Transit Priority Roadway Assessment and development of regional Transit Priority Network | Late 2026 | Initial tasks underway |
| Bus Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery (BusAID) | As early as mid-2026 (first round of projects) | First round of projects actively being implemented. Call for next round of projects anticipated after completion of Transit Priority Roadway Assessment |
| Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials Transit Signal Priority (IDEA TSP) | As early as 2027 | Project initiation/set-up underway |
Transit Priority Policy for Roadways
MTC is developing the Bay Area Transit Priority Policy for Roadways to enhance the transit rider experience by supporting implementation of transit priority infrastructure and policies that improve transit travel times and reliability, and promote active interagency engagement necessary to be successful. Overall, the intent of the Policy is to help transit better serve people’s needs and move more people in the Bay Area by:
- Establishing a common definition of transit priority;
- Reinforcing and strengthening interjurisdictional coordination;
- Guiding agencies to consider transit priority when making roadway improvements; and
- Informing prioritization of funding for transit priority projects.
MTC sponsored a workshop in December 2023 to kick off the development of the Policy with staff from transit agencies, cities, counties, Caltrans and transit advocacy groups. Since then, MTC has worked with stakeholder partners to develop draft Policy content:
- Overview presentation
- Draft Bay Area Transit Priority Policy for Roadways
- Draft Primer for Staff Implementing Policy
- Summary of Outreach
Adoption of the Policy is anticipated in early 2026.
Participants at a December 2023 policy workshop.
Transit Priority Roadway Assessment
The Transit Priority Roadway Assessment will build upon Transit Priority Policy for Roadways by evaluating the need for – and guiding future investments in – transit priority projects in the Bay Area.
The Assessment will:
- Conduct an existing conditions baseline analysis of bus and light rail reliability and travel times in the Bay Area;
- Identify transit delay “hotspots” throughout the region; and
- Define a regional Transit Priority Network (mentioned in Policy) of key transit roadways that will be prioritized for transit priority projects through regional discretionary funding (e.g., BusAID).
The Assessment was initiated in August 2025 and is anticipated to be completed in late 2026.
Sample transit speed/reliability analysis to be conducted as part of the Assessment.
Bus Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery (BusAID)
In 2023, MTC implemented the Bus Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery (BusAID) program, which funds the delivery of quick-build transit priority projects. BusAID invests in projects that maximize bus (and light rail) travel time savings and service reliability improvements for the most people as quickly as possible, while centering on the groups of people that depend on transit the most.
The first round of BusAID funds were awarded to eight transit priority projects in spring 2024, followed by an additional project award in fall 2024. These projects may be completed as early as mid-2026. A call for the next round of BusAID projects is anticipated after the completion of the Transit Priority Roadway Assessment.
New passenger boarding islands installed along the Muni K-Ingleside light rail line on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco, funded by BusAID.
Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials Transit Signal Priority (IDEA TSP)
MTC is providing funding and technical assistance through the Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials Transit Signal Priority (IDEA TSP) program to improve transit travel times and reliability. TSP on arterial roadways benefits transit operations, while minimizing impacts to general traffic, by modifying the signal timing to favor transit only when a transit vehicle is present.
IDEA TSP funds were awarded to five transit priority projects in fall 2024. The IDEA TSP-funded projects may be completed as early as 2027.
Transit Performance Initiative
Since 2012, the Transit Sustainability Project and Transit Performance Initiative (TPI) has invested over $130 million in transit priority projects and other transit operational improvements to increase efficiency and ridership. The next planned TPI call for projects is anticipated in fall 2025, with funding awards in spring 2026.
Forward Commute Initiatives
MTC is leading the design and delivery of transit priority treatments along key highway and freeway corridors with the Forward Commute Initiatives.
Bay Bridge Forward, Richmond-San Rafael Forward, Dumbarton Forward, and Napa Valley Forward include transit priority infrastructure investments (e.g., transit signal priority, bus queue jump lanes, HOV lane extensions, bus-on-shoulder lanes and interchange reconfigurations) as well as HOV lane policy changes (including occupancy requirements and hours of operation) to make transit faster and more reliable.
Projects such as the West Grand Avenue Bus and High Occupancy Vehicle Lane are actively being implemented. Others are in the planning and design stages.
Staff Contacts
Joel Shaffer, MTC
Transit Priority Project Manager
Phone: 415-778-5257
Email: jshaffer@bayareametro.gov
Britt Tanner, MTC
Principal, Regional Network Management
Phone: 415-778-4414
Email: btanner@bayareametro.gov
Mika Miyasato, AC Transit
Principal Transit Priority Planner
Phone: 510-891-7138
Email: mmiyasato@actransit.org
"Transit Priority" refers to infrastructure and policies that decrease transit vehicle travel times and enable transit to move more reliably by avoiding traffic congestion and minimizing delays. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Transit Lanes: lanes dedicated exclusively for transit vehicles, either full-time or during days/times with peak traffic congestion.
- High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes: lanes dedicated to transit vehicles and other high-occupancy vehicles, either full-time or during days/times with peak traffic congestion.
- Transit Signal Priority (TSP): modified traffic signal timing so transit vehicles encounter a green light or reduced wait times at intersections with traffic lights/signals.
- Queue Jump Lanes: lanes exclusively for transit vehicles and HOVs to bypass traffic queues at intersection approaches or freeway on-ramps. Queue jump lanes are often paired with TSP.
- Bus-on-Shoulder Lanes: a policy, plus supportive infrastructure and ongoing maintenance, allowing buses to use shoulders on limited-access highways as transit lanes, either full-time or during days/times with peak traffic congestion.
- Transit Stop Placement & Spacing: locations for transit stops that minimize delay and optimize stop frequency (to balance convenient stop access with efficient operations). Examples of improved locations might be the far side of intersections with traffic lights, or the near side of intersections controlled by a stop sign.
- Transit Stop Design: designing stops to reduce delays to transit vehicles (such as using boarding islands or bus bulbs/curb so buses do not have to pull in and out of the traffic lane during passenger loading/unloading).
- Traffic/Parking Regulations & Enforcement: regulations to speed transit travel (including turn restrictions for non-transit vehicles, tow-away zones and other curb management along transit routes), paired with automated or manual enforcement to ensure effective transit priority (such as on-bus cameras that can cite vehicles blocking transit-only lanes or bus zones).
- Boarding/Fare Payment Policy: practices such as off-board fare payment and all-door boarding which speed up passenger boarding/exiting, minimizing the amount of time needed for transit to serve stops.
Additional information and design guidance for transit priority elements is provided in the Transit Street Design Guide by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).
MTC collaborates with regional and statewide partners to help make transit priority projects more efficient and effective in the long term. This includes working with transit agencies and local cities and counties to draft the Bay Area Transit Priority Policy for Roadways and develop the regional Transit Priority Network as part of the Transit Priority Roadway Assessment. MTC also partners with Caltrans on its transit-focused efforts:
- Director’s Transit Policy: MTC is engaging with Caltrans and providing feedback on the Director’s Transit Policy, which will provide direction for Caltrans transit strategy and activities throughout the state. It is expected to be finalized by late 2025.
- Caltrans Bay Area Transit Plan: MTC is also a partner on the Bay Area Transit Plan, a first-of-its-kind district-level plan, that will identify transit priority infrastructure needs and access improvements on the state highway system in the region. The plan is anticipated to be completed in late 2025.