Executive Director Steve Heminger's Report to the Commission Meeting of April 22, 2015
Commonwealth Club
March 31, San Francisco
I participated in a panel discussion sponsored by the Mineta Transportation Institute about public transit governance and coordination along with several Bay Area transit agency chiefs. The discussion revolved around two recent reports on the subject issued by the Eno Transportation Foundation in Washington DC and the regional advocacy organization SPUR. Here are links to the two reports:
- www.enotrans.org/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/downloadables/Transit-Governance1.pdf
- www.spur.org/sites/default/files/publications_pdfs/SPUR_Seamless_Transit.pdf
AC Transit Leadership Change
April 9, Oakland
Kathleen Kelly has been named interim general manager of AC Transit following the unexpected departure of David Armijo last month. Kathleen most recently served a similar role for the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority, after a lengthy public transit career during which she worked at AC Transit, BART, and the San Francisco Municipal Railway.
Stand Up 4 Transportation Event
April 9, San Francisco
Chair Cortese emceed and Commissioners Liccardo, Sartipi and Wiener participated in this very successful press event sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association to emphasize the importance of the U.S. Congress passing a long-term surface transportation bill this year. Many thanks to Randy Rentschler and his staff for all the legwork associated with putting the day together. Video highlights of the event can be found here:
Local Governments Comment on Reauthorization
April 20, Washington, DC
A coalition of local government advocacy organizations-including our own Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) – have written to the House and Senate transportation committee leadership urging greater “suballocation” of federal surface transportation funding to MPOs like MTC whose boards are composed primarily of local elected officials.
New TomTom data reveals rush hour traffic doubles journey times for commuters
According to a recent report released by TomTom – the travel information firm – congestion levels in large metro areas across the world add significantly to the time that drivers spend in their cars. In Los Angeles (Ranked 1st in the U.S. and 10th Worldwide), a 30 minute commute at free flow can be 39% longer in the evening due to congestion. Commuters in the Bay Area are only slightly better off than their counter parts in LA. The measured congestion in San Francisco (Ranked 2nd in the U.S. and 26th World-wide) is at 34%, while San Jose (Ranked 6th in the US and 51st Worldwide) is at 30%. TomTom roadway congestion is measured as an increase in overall travel times when compared to the posted speed limits on roadways. The full report and press release can be viewed here: