Transit Priority Roadway Assessment

The Transit Priority Roadway Assessment (Assessment) will evaluate the need for – and help guide – future investments in transit priority projects in the Bay Area.

Credit
Sergio Ruiz

The Assessment builds upon the Transit Priority Policy for Roadways and will incorporate data and stakeholder input to help guide transit priority funding decisions. The Assessment focuses on buses, light rail vehicles and streetcars that operate on roadways, and excludes heavy rail (BART, Caltrain, Amtrak, etc.) and ferries. 

Project Outputs

The Assessment will develop several key outputs that will be used by MTC as well as partners including transit agencies, county transportation agencies and local jurisdications. The outputs will be compiled and summarized into a Transit Priority Roadway Assessment Report, anticipated for release in early 2027.

Existing Conditions Transit Baseline Analysis

This “snapshot in time” will look at the Bay Area’s existing conditions for bus and light rail service levels, ridership, delay and reliability issues, and current transit priority infrastructure. The baseline will help MTC and partners better understand current transit conditions throughout the region.

Transit Delay & Reliability “Hotspot” Locations

This analysis will identify where transit delay and reliability issues are most severe, to help determine where transit priority needs are greatest. This information may also be used by MTC to help prioritize where regional discretionary funding should go.

Regional Transit Priority Network (TPN)

The TPN map will show important transit roadways in the Bay Area. Identifying these key corridors will inform which roadway projects should incorporate best-practice transit-supportive design elements. The TPN will also help MTC prioritize where regional discretionary funding should go.

The TPN is an important element identified in the Transit Priority Policy for Roadways (MTC Resolution No. 4739).

Implementation Strategy

This will support near-term actions and recommend how often the Assessment should be updated.

Transit-Supportive Roadway Design Toolkit

The Assessment will also produce a Transit-Supportive Roadway Design Toolkit, anticipated in early 2027.  The Toolkit will be a technical resource for partner agencies that aims to enhance local capacity to incorporate transit-supportive elements into projects.

Agency Partners

MTC is working with and gathering input from a variety of agency partners in developing the Assessment. These include:

  • Transit agencies
  • Local jurisdictions
  • County transportation agencies
  • California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA)
  • California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
  • Transit advocacy organizations

Upcoming Meetings

No meetings are currently scheduled. Please check back.

Staff Contact

Email: TransitPriority@BayAreaMetro.Gov

Project Timeline

The Assessment was initiated in August 2025 and is anticipated to be completed in early 2027. 

Transit Priority Roadway Assessment project stages
Timeline Activity Status
Summer/Fall 2025
  • Project kickoff
  • Existing conditions transit data collection
Complete
Winter/Spring 2026
  • Draft existing conditions baseline analysis and delay/reliability “hotspot” locations
  • Stakeholder outreach on these items
Underway
Summer/Fall 2026
  • Draft regional Transit Priority Network
  • Finalize existing conditions baseline analysis and “hotspot” locations
  • Initial development of Transit-Supportive Roadway Design Toolkit
  • Stakeholder outreach on these items
Not yet underway
Winter/Spring 2027
  • Finalize and adopt regional Transit Priority Network 
  • Finalize Implementation Strategy 
  • Finalize Transit Priority Roadway Assessment Report
  • Finalize Transit-Supportive Roadway Design Toolkit
  • Stakeholder outreach on these items
Not yet underway