[0:09] . >> good morning, colleagues.
[0:15] welcome to the september 15th regular meeting in 2026 of the
[0:20] san francisco county transportation authority.
[0:24] >> happy independence day to all my central american sisters
[0:28] and brothers. >> I am commissioner and melgar
[0:32] chair of this board along with vice chair danny sauder.
[0:36] welcome everyone. Our clerk today is amy sayang
[0:40] and also I would like to acknowledge maturity at a
[0:41] subcommittee for staffing us during this meeting.
[0:45] madam clerk, please call the roll and then make your
[0:48] announcements. >> commissioner chan chan
[0:52] absent commissioner chin chin present commissioner darcy
[0:57] darcy present commissioner fielder field are present
[1:00] commissioner mahmood mahmood present commissioner randleman
[1:04] mandel and absent chair melgar present melgar present vice
[1:08] chair sardar sardar present commissioner cheryl cheryl
[1:14] present commissioner walton walton absent commissioner wang
[1:18] wang absent. Chair we have quorum also the
[1:22] transportation authority welcomes your attendance here
[1:23] in person at the legislative chamber room to 52nd floor city
[1:26] hall when you can't be here the proceedings are streaming live
[1:31] at s.f. Gov tv dot org or airing on s.f. Local cable
[1:36] channel 2670 7178 or 99 depending on your provider
[1:40] written public comment may be submitted by sending an email
[1:43] to clerk at s.f. Cta.org or by mailing comments via u.s.
[1:47] postal service to us of cta 1455 market street 2020 second
[1:54] floor san francisco, california 94103.
[1:57] >> thank you. Thank you.
[2:00] at this time I'd like to excuse commissioner walton from this
[2:05] meeting and also commissioner mandel men from the parts of
[2:08] the meeting that he will miss although we are expecting him
[2:10] at some point before before calling the next item as chair
[2:13] I'd like to invoke rule 3.26 from the rules of order to
[2:17] limit total public comment per item to 30 minutes for today's
[2:20] meeting each speaker will have two minutes to speak on a given
[2:24] item. Madam clerk please call our
[2:27] next item item to approve the minutes of the july 28, 2026
[2:31] meeting. >> this is an action item I
[2:35] don't see anyone with questions or comments so let's go to
[2:39] public comment on this item please.
[2:40] >> is there anyone in the chamber who wishes to speak on
[2:42] item two the minutes there is not okay public comment is
[2:47] closed colleagues may I have a motion in a second to approve
[2:51] the minutes please move by fielder seconded by cheryl.
[2:55] >> madam clerk please call the roll on the motion to approve
[2:59] item two commissioner chan chan absent commissioner chin chin I
[3:06] commissioner darcy darcy I commissioner fielder fielder I.
[3:10] commissioner mahmood mahmud I chair melgar I melgar I vice
[3:15] chair sauder solder I commissioner cheryl cheryl I
[3:22] commissioner wong wong absent there are seven eyes the
[3:26] minutes are approved. >> thank you so much.
[3:29] let's go to the next item please.
[3:32] item three community advisory committee report this is an
[3:33] information item and we are joined by chc chair kat siegel
[3:40] who is here remotely to present.
[3:44] welcome, chair. Siegel thank you.
[3:45] good morning, chairman carr vice chair slaughter
[3:49] and transportation authority commissioner is the cac has met
[3:53] twice since my last report to you in july we received a state
[3:57] and federal legislation update and voted to approve the
[4:01] recommended support position on state senate bill 1246 the ab
[4:08] regulations bill. Members overwhelmingly
[4:10] expressed that while they supported the legislation it
[4:13] didn't go far enough with multiple members focusing on
[4:17] the 30 minute threshold for blocking emergency vehicles
[4:21] being too high and citing recent incidents throughout the
[4:25] city where abs have blocked both emergency vehicles
[4:29] and muni service. The cac also received an update
[4:32] on the san francisco transportation plan 2050 plus
[4:35] member feedback emphasized wanting to see greater emphasis
[4:40] on transit service expansion, major transit improvement
[4:44] projects and reimagining the transit network for changing
[4:48] travel patterns at our september 9th meeting the cac
[4:52] voted to approve the allocation of $22,500,000 in prop l funds
[4:59] to the t j for the portal project engineering phase.
[5:03] members wanted to know whether f t a or state g r f funds are
[5:08] at risk and staff reaffirms the strong partnership with mta for
[5:11] this project while acknowledging the significant
[5:15] risk to t c p funds planned for this project due to recent
[5:18] changes by the california air resources board, the cac also
[5:23] voted to support the bag cycle for project nominations
[5:26] recommended by staff during discussion members expressed
[5:31] surprise at some of the relative project scores
[5:34] particularly the high score assigned to the treasure island
[5:38] electric ferry project compared to the 16th street mission bart
[5:42] station elevator modernization project noting the bart
[5:45] station's high usage and the importance of reliable
[5:49] elevators for accessibility, staff clarified that project
[5:53] readiness was heavily weighted and that prior oberg funded
[5:57] bart elevator projects had experienced delivery issues
[6:00] and remained incomplete. This led to a follow up
[6:04] discussion from members about what key barriers bart has
[6:08] faced in elevator project delivery and how the
[6:12] transportation authority might be able to help bart complete
[6:16] these critical projects more quickly.
[6:17] thank you and I can answer any questions.
[6:20] >> thank you so much at chair segal.
[6:24] madam clerk, I also want to note that we've been joined by
[6:25] commissioner walton. We had excused him but he's
[6:29] very much here so I don't see any questions or comments from
[6:32] my colleagues on the chair's report.
[6:35] >> let's go to public comment on this item please.
[6:37] is there anyone in the chamber who wishes to speak on item
[6:40] three? >> the cac report?
[6:43] >> there's not. Okay.
[6:43] public comment is now closed. >> let's go to item number four
[6:48] please. Item for appoint abigail
[6:51] pantaleon as the district 11 representative to the community
[6:55] advisory committee. This is an action item.
[6:58] >> we have amelia warley here to present on this item.
[7:02] >> good morning chair. Good morning commissioners.
[7:06] the transportation authority has an 11 member community
[7:07] advisory committee which members serve a two year term
[7:11] on and the board appoints members to the cac.
[7:14] each commissioner nominates one member to the committee.
[7:18] neither staff nor the cac make recommendations on
[7:21] appointments. Applicants must be san
[7:22] francisco residents and they must appear before the board at
[7:26] least once to describe their interests and qualifications.
[7:29] the district 11 seat is open as the result of the prior
[7:33] representative resigning and commissioner chen has
[7:34] indicated her intent to nominate abigail pantoja for
[7:37] the position who I believe has joined us remotely today to
[7:41] speak about their interest and qualifications.
[7:44] >> thank you. Welcome is pantoja.
[7:50] hello. Thank you.
[7:51] good morning everyone. Let me start with you two.
[7:55] >> yes. Good morning everyone.
[7:58] my name is abigail pantoja. I'm very honored and excited to
[8:02] be considered for the community advisory committee to represent
[8:06] district 11. I have san francisco my home
[8:09] for the past 12 years and muni is my ride.
[8:13] I feel incredibly lucky to live in a city where just outside my
[8:15] doorstep I've had the 49, the 49 and even the 52 bus lines
[8:19] connecting me to so many parts of the city.
[8:22] that connection and mobility is what made me first interested
[8:25] in getting involved in local government and becoming an
[8:29] advocate for my community in the transportation world.
[8:33] throughout my career I've had the opportunity to work
[8:36] in different fields and also work with so many different
[8:39] people from different backgrounds.
[8:40] I've worked at a local nonprofits serving immigrant
[8:44] women and children who are new to the city and I help them
[8:47] connect them with resources all across francisco.
[8:49] >> I've worked in the food service where I heavily relied
[8:52] on muni to get to work even as early as 5 a.m. And today I
[8:59] work at the university of san francisco where area where I
[9:00] interact with students and support them in their day
[9:04] to day experiences. And transportation and mobility
[9:07] has touched every one of these experiences.
[9:10] I ride the bus daily and I've seen the changes over the years
[9:14] throughout my time here and it has been definitely felt when
[9:17] lines are short in frequency slows down and alternative
[9:20] routes need to be considered. Even what may seem like small
[9:24] inconveniences for one person can have a much greater impact
[9:27] on someone who relies on public transportation every day.
[9:31] myself included may be a choice for some people but for many
[9:35] people it's their only option. Public transportation isn't
[9:39] just about getting from one place to another.
[9:42] it connects people to their jobs schools, families,
[9:45] resources and communities. It's a constant reminder of how
[9:49] important accessibility, reliability and connection are
[9:52] to our everyday lives. I hope to bring that
[9:53] perspective to the committee listen to the needs of district
[9:58] 11 residents and do my due diligence to be a thoughtful,
[10:00] engaged and dependable representative of our
[10:03] community. Thank you so much.
[10:06] >> thank you so much, commissioner chen.
[10:11] >> would you like to say a few words about your nominee?
[10:12] great. Thank you, chairman.
[10:15] I've got colleagues. I'm very excited to extend my
[10:16] support for this appointment of abigail pantoja.
[10:19] abigail. >> it's a longtime excelsior y
[10:23] resident, a community worker and a daily transit rider.
[10:26] in conversations with my office.
[10:30] >> abigail emphasized her strong commitment to community
[10:33] engagement and amplifying the voices of transit riders.
[10:37] as a member of the community advisory committee.
[10:39] she looks forward to representing the experiences of
[10:41] working family navigating the city on public transportation
[10:45] and and uplifting themes of affordability, equity
[10:50] and protecting public transportation services.
[10:54] she is rooted in the community and has a big spirit and I look
[10:58] forward to her collaboration as a member of community advisory
[11:02] committee. >> thank you.
[11:04] >> thank you, commissioner chen.
[11:05] madam clerk, let's go to public comment on this item please.
[11:09] >> is there anyone in the chamber who wishes to speak on
[11:12] item for the appointment of abigail pantoja to the cac?
[11:16] >> there is not okay public comment on this item is now
[11:19] closed. Commissioner chen would you
[11:20] like to make a motion? >> yes.
[11:24] thank you, chair. I would like to make a motion
[11:27] to appoint abigail pantoja to the seat representing district
[11:31] 11 on the community advisory committee seconded by fielder.
[11:38] >> and I know we can't take this.
[11:39] can you please take a vote on the motion to approve item
[11:43] four? >> commissioner chan chan
[11:46] absent. Commissioner chin chin I.
[11:50] commissioner darcy darcy I. Commissioner fielder.
[11:54] fielder I. Commissioner mahmud mahmud I.
[11:55] commissioner chair melgar I melgar I.
[12:01] vice chair sardar sardar I. Commissioner cheryl cheryl I.
[12:05] commissioner walton walton I. Commissioner wong wong absent.
[12:09] >> there are eight eyes the motion is approved.
[12:13] thank you. That motion passes.
[12:15] congratulations ms. Patel. Let's go to item number five
[12:18] please. >> item five.
[12:19] state and federal legislation update this is an action item.
[12:23] >> welcome is grab. Great.
[12:27] thank you. Amber crabb, senior public
[12:28] policy manager and I'm joined by martin reyes who's a
[12:31] principal planner for government affairs remotely.
[12:34] so we are recommending support on one federal bill and I'll
[12:39] provide an update on state legislation as well as we near
[12:43] the end of the session. >> so the position we're
[12:46] recommending is a support position on h r ten 033
[12:50] and this is representative mullins ave emergency response
[12:54] coordination act. So it was announced in july
[12:58] and it would require the national highway transportation
[13:02] safety administration to set minimum safety standards for
[13:06] autonomous vehicle interactions with emergency responders
[13:09] and this is currently a gap one of the many gaps in federal
[13:14] policy. So we did work with
[13:17] representative mullin on the legislation and while there's
[13:20] been kind of bipartisan interest in the issue, we do
[13:25] not expect the bill to move forward this year.
[13:26] however supporting it does allow us to continue the work
[13:29] that we're doing at the federal level to educate, build
[13:33] coalitions and help inform the development of federal policy
[13:36] then on the state level so august 31st was the last day
[13:40] for the legislature to act on bills and the bills are now on
[13:43] the governor's desk to either approve, veto or allow them to
[13:48] become law by the end of this month.
[13:52] so we wanted to note three bills that we have support
[13:55] positions on that are currently on his desk.
[13:58] the first is assembly bill 2308 and this is assembly member
[14:00] haney's bill related to net tax increment financing authorizing
[14:06] an extension of it hopefully in order to raise additional
[14:09] funding for the portal project. The second bill is senate bill
[14:13] 1167 from senate senator blake spear and this would clarify
[14:17] and revise definitions of e-bikes basically and other
[14:21] devices making it unlawful to label things like e motos
[14:28] and other devices that are not really e-bikes being marketed
[14:29] as such. It also clarifies that kind of
[14:33] existing restrictions on the use of those bicycles with
[14:37] respect to use on pathways and things like that do apply
[14:40] to the bikes that do not meet the e-bike definition and then
[14:47] the final bill that is on his desk is senate bill 1246.
[14:50] this is senator cortez's autonomous vehicle bill that
[14:54] would its related to remote driving and emergency response
[14:58] requirements for commercial hb operators.
[15:02] this is a bill we had to support and seek amendments
[15:05] position on the bill and we were seeking amendments to make
[15:07] some of the data they're collecting regarding response
[15:10] times and other data points we wanted to make them required
[15:14] reporting quarterly to the state and to make them public
[15:18] and the senator did incorporate those amendments into the final
[15:22] version of the bill. So we thank him, we're grateful
[15:25] and we're excited and crossing our fingers that it moves
[15:26] forward. >> so then I also wanted to
[15:29] provide an update on capitol invest and this is something we
[15:33] gave you a detailed presentation in in july I guess
[15:36] it was. >> so the legislature took
[15:40] action in august to finalize the proposal and the remaining
[15:43] budget items that weren't addressed in june.
[15:45] so this does include action on cap and invest and as we
[15:48] reported in july, it's it's still going to be significantly
[15:53] lower revenue levels due to the california air resources board
[15:57] action earlier in the year. So the biggest impact to this
[16:03] unfortunately with respect to transportation is on the
[16:05] transit programs. >> so a little bit of good
[16:08] news. There was a slight increase
[16:11] in revenue for the program due to higher than anticipated
[16:12] auction revenues and some other measures were included that may
[16:19] increase the overall funding in future years such as
[16:20] recommitting interest earned into the program.
[16:24] >> however, I guess one other good piece of news is that
[16:29] there was some transit funding added back and this these were
[16:34] prior year commitments to regional operators or regional
[16:39] planning agencies. So for the bay area these funds
[16:43] were committed to the bart to silicon valley phase two
[16:45] project and bart core capacity. So those were restored which
[16:49] frees up some capacity at the local level that otherwise
[16:53] could have been needed by those projects.
[16:54] >> however the legislature did not restore two important
[17:00] programs in the cap and invest expenditure plan and they
[17:04] remain funded far below the target levels at about 25% is
[17:08] the estimate and that kind of puts at risk important future
[17:12] investments. >> so one program is the low
[17:16] carbon transportation operating program and this provides
[17:19] operating funds directly to transit operators as of mta
[17:23] receives or has received about 17 million a year and uses it
[17:29] for its free muni for seniors, youth and people with
[17:33] disabilities. So its mta is currently
[17:37] exploring how to address that as part of its overall budget
[17:39] process. The lower funding for that
[17:42] program then the other big program that is cut
[17:46] significantly is the transit intercity rail capital program
[17:51] and this is a program that the portal project had been seeking
[17:56] 750 million this year in grants .
[18:00] now with the fy reduce levels it's going to be very
[18:01] challenging to see that commitment even if it's over
[18:05] several cycles. So we are working with tgp
[18:09] and see other transit operators and ctas the basically to
[18:15] figure out how to maybe address this next session either
[18:20] restoring this funding or finding additional funding for
[18:24] transit and it's going to be a key priority in our advocacy
[18:27] program for next year which we'll be bringing to you either
[18:28] in december or january. >> so with that I'd be happy to
[18:32] take any questions you have. I don't see any questions or
[18:35] comments from my colleagues. Miss crabbe, thank you so much
[18:39] for a very thorough overview. I just here hot off the presses
[18:45] that ab 2168 has been signed by the governor so let's get thing
[18:49] so thank you so much let's go to public comment okay thank
[18:54] you thank you on the I'm sorry is there anyone in the chamber
[18:58] who wishes to speak on item five the state and federal
[19:01] legislation update there is just a moment and your two
[19:08] minutes begins now. >> thank you chairman melgar
[19:12] and members dupree for the record, she and her team folds
[19:15] representing skirt vaults. There's a lot here I support
[19:19] reasonable regulations for any transportation system
[19:26] interacting with emergency responders whether autonomous
[19:30] or not. I'm interesting to see what
[19:34] remote driving looks like but automated driving is like 94%
[19:41] safer than human driving. So is it really going to be any
[19:46] different when somebody is driving a car remotely from a
[19:49] screen? >> we have to look at that
[19:52] and I hope we can get our money get our money to build the
[19:56] portal and I think we're going to talk more about the portal
[20:00] later and certainly there has to be clarification ations
[20:04] about e-bikes and I love e-bikes and I don't know how
[20:08] you're going to really prohibit I don't know how good
[20:12] prohibition of sale of some of these bikes is going to be
[20:13] because people can always drive into the next state over
[20:16] and bring them home. So I don't know how that's
[20:19] going to work. It's like we try to ban selling
[20:23] cars in california. There's just going to drive
[20:25] over the state line and drive them back so there has to be a
[20:30] sense of reason in this and I hope we can get more money
[20:34] though it looks like the lc tops it's kind of like it tops
[20:41] it's up the tops as an airplane certification I guess it's very
[20:46] similar in being able to get the money we need to keep our
[20:50] systems going. I'm not happy about the vote
[20:53] that karp took a few months ago with that as far as air permits
[20:58] went so we have to get our money and lastly I'm concerned
[21:04] about publicly available data. I don't want my name out there.
[21:05] thank you. >> thank you for your comment.
[21:09] is there additional public comment in chambers?
[21:12] there is not. >> thank you so much and again
[21:16] thank you ms. Crabb for the thorough presentation.
[21:20] I would just ask that my colleagues follow the issue of
[21:25] the cap and invest closely. It is how we fund some of the
[21:29] programs that we are so fond of or have in the past for muni
[21:35] for youth and discounts to seniors.
[21:36] so we need to work with our state delegation and our
[21:40] governor next governor to make sure that that continues.
[21:43] so thank you so much for staying on top of it.
[21:46] >> let's go to an item number six please.
[21:49] oh, before we go there, I just want to acknowledge that we
[21:53] have been joined by commissioners wang and chan.
[21:56] >> I thank you for joining us. We have oh, I'm sorry.
[22:01] yes, it I forgot this is not just an informational we
[22:05] actually have to support the recommendations of staff.
[22:08] may I have a motion please and a second to support the
[22:12] recommendations moved by vice chair sauder seconded by
[22:15] commissioner chen. >> okay.
[22:19] on the motion to approve item five commissioner chan chan I
[22:25] commissioner chin chen I commissioner darcy darcy I
[22:30] commissioner filter filter I commissioner mahmud mahmud I
[22:34] chair melgar I melgar I vice chancellor sauter I
[22:38] commissioner cheryl cheryl I commissioner walton walton I
[22:42] commissioner wong wong I there are ten eyes the motion is
[22:46] approved the motion passes thank you at let's go to item
[22:51] number six now please item six allocate 22,500,000 in prop l
[22:57] funds with conditions to the transbay joint powers authority
[22:59] for the portal project engineering phase activities
[23:02] starting october 1st, 2026 and appropriate 3,500,000
[23:07] and prop l funds with conditions for the portal
[23:08] project oversight engagement and work program for initiation
[23:12] of pre-construction this is an item action item.
[23:16] >> thank you. We have car carl holmes here
[23:20] today. I thank you mr. Holmes for
[23:23] presenting on one of the most important things that are is
[23:25] going on in transportation in our city.
[23:28] >> I also want to acknowledge that the executive director of
[23:31] the te jpa adam van de water is here with us in case there is
[23:35] any questions or comments. Go ahead, mr. Holmes thank you.
[23:39] >> thank you, chair miller good morning to you.
[23:42] good morning to vice chair sauter and commissioners carl
[23:43] holmes deputy director capital projects and please as of gov
[23:50] tv serves slides. >> so as you say to chair
[23:54] mogahed this is there's two items that are part of this two
[23:58] actions that are requested as part of this item.
[24:01] the first is a request to allocate $22.5 million to jpa
[24:04] as they are advancing this project.
[24:08] the second is to request an appropriation for $3.5 million
[24:12] to s.f. City to us as well as to our consultants as we engage
[24:16] in our oversight and other activities that we lead
[24:19] and co-lead. Next slide please.
[24:20] you all have seen this before but just as a reminder overview
[24:24] of the project essentially extending caltrain as the
[24:28] initial operator from the fourth and king station to the
[24:32] salesforce transit center which currently has the train box
[24:36] in the basement of the transit center awaiting rail extension.
[24:41] the second operator is the future operator of california
[24:45] high speed rail. And then the other members of
[24:47] the six agency membership are mtc as another funder and then
[24:53] also the city and county of san francisco.
[24:56] >> next slide our role is captured in four different
[25:01] categories. So funding governance, enhanced
[25:02] oversight in our work program. With regards to funding of
[25:05] course that's what brings us here today.
[25:09] that funding also brings with it oversight and we have
[25:13] increased our oversight over the last several months as the
[25:17] project gets closer to awarding different contracts to to
[25:21] proceed and to advancing design and construction.
[25:27] and then with regards to governance board of supervisors
[25:29] president mandolin serves as vice chair of the jpa board
[25:32] just as an example our executive director tilly chang
[25:36] also serves on the executive working group and then we have
[25:40] staff and consultants that are also part of the integrated
[25:43] project management team with regards to the work program
[25:47] that that pertains to activities that we lead
[25:54] and co-lead with regards to the funding and funding advocacy as
[25:57] well as activities such as ridership forecasting.
[25:59] next slide here you can see the timeline and currently we're
[26:06] in the the dot that shows the 2024 to 2026 as the project
[26:09] again is advancing right now it is in the engineering phase
[26:16] with fta. There's also currently a live
[26:20] procurement right now and one of the largest of the different
[26:24] contracts that will be letting the next year or two if tpa is
[26:32] is successful. And so far it's been going
[26:36] going well if they're successful they plan to take
[26:39] that procurement to their board to request award in early 2027
[26:45] also in the next march shows that right of way acquisition
[26:52] so there's three different three or so tranches of right
[26:53] of way acquisitions that the tgp is is processing and so the
[27:00] first of those is expected to come to the board of
[27:01] supervisors as a separate body early 2027 as well.
[27:07] next slide. >> so here you can see the cost
[27:14] and funding plan the project budget was back in 2023 at
[27:21] $8.25 billion. It has been revised as of 2025
[27:28] to a $7.5 billion project that includes $730 million that is
[27:32] part of expenditure from phase one.
[27:36] again referencing back to that train box that that was
[27:40] constructed ready to receive the extended rail so fta
[27:44] allowed for tgp to gain credit for that.
[27:47] so we're glad that they're able to include that in this process
[27:51] . There is still a $2.2 billion
[27:52] funding gap and you heard from ms. Crabb with regards to some
[27:59] of the funding that we are monitoring.
[28:00] for example the intercept which has been impacted by recent
[28:04] decision of of california air resources board.
[28:08] >> so we know that the funding is not fully restored in in
[28:15] terms of the recently approved fiscal year 2027 budget.
[28:18] but we continue to monitor this and we're working with our
[28:23] stakeholders and continue to advocate for trying to restore
[28:29] or make sure that funding can be provided.
[28:31] next slide this here shows a three year work plan valued at
[28:37] about 600 million. So of course this allocation
[28:41] request is not capture or cover all of these items but it just
[28:45] references the activities and I mentioned the right of way
[28:49] acquisition. I mentioned the engineering
[28:50] phase but as funding becomes available tpa may look at
[28:56] starting some early works construction so an example of
[29:00] that is utility relocation that's needed to help with the
[29:04] civil internal contract. Next slide for context on the
[29:07] funding request for tgp again what we're requesting today is
[29:14] 22.5 million in the past prop l has has provided $21.5 million
[29:20] and of that there was 12.5 that was recently allocated
[29:24] in february and so again this request today is to cover a 12
[29:30] month period with that about 19 million is for program
[29:34] and construction management consultants under tgp and then
[29:38] the remaining three and a half or 3.7 million is for caltrain
[29:42] and there consultants. >> next slide then for context
[29:48] on our appropriation so in the past we have received prop k
[29:54] $3.3 million back in 2020 three and at that time we were
[29:58] expecting it to last 18 months but we were able to stretch it
[30:02] for about three years. So again we are requesting
[30:06] today 3.5 million for us to continue the work that we're
[30:10] doing including our enhanced oversight and things such as
[30:14] the ridership forecasting. Next slide.
[30:18] so to close we are recommending the allocation of $22.5 million
[30:25] to gpa and 3.5 million to s.f. Cta and with that I'll turn it
[30:29] back to you. >> chair melgar thank you.
[30:30] as is very important project is happening in district six at
[30:35] commissioner dorsey. >> thank you chair melgar
[30:38] colleagues I'm really excited to be supporting this.
[30:39] I'm excited to see it being brought forward and I hope
[30:43] you'll join me in supporting it .
[30:46] the portal project formerly known as the downtown rail
[30:47] extension or atx will extend caltrain from fourth and king
[30:53] street to the salesforce transit center and accommodate
[30:54] future california high speed rail service.
[30:57] as chair melgar said, this is san francisco's top rail
[31:02] capital priority and this funding keeps the project
[31:06] moving forward through the engineering phase.
[31:09] just as important, the $3.5 million of our own oversight
[31:10] work is something that will make sure that the
[31:13] transportation authority stays closely engaged on funding
[31:17] strategy risk management and interagency coordination as
[31:21] we head into pre-construction with federal, state and local
[31:24] funding all in motion this package and the work it funds
[31:27] really matters. So I want to thank t.j. Pierre
[31:31] in our own s.f. Cta also colleagues especially chair
[31:35] melgar and president mandel men for all their work in getting
[31:37] the project to the state stage. I'm happy to support it
[31:40] and hope you will all join me. >> thank you commissioner
[31:44] dorsey. Just wanted to chime in.
[31:47] you may remember that last year the mtc on which I represent
[31:51] you recommended the portal for funding to the state to the
[31:59] tune of 750 million and alas the pot that that was coming
[32:02] from is the capital invest that we have spoken about that the
[32:06] governor staff recommended for other things.
[32:10] >> so we it is a little bit of a hiccup and nevertheless we
[32:15] are approving this funding because we believe in this
[32:18] project. We believe in this beautiful
[32:22] vision of a connected san francisco that will be the hub
[32:25] of transportation for someday high speed rail but other you
[32:29] know, regional rail bus that will connect not just san
[32:33] francisco in the bay area but really all of northern
[32:37] california and the rest of the world.
[32:38] so I want to thank director van de water for being here and for
[32:43] the work that he and his staff does every day.
[32:47] I thank you, mr. Holmes. And above all I want to thank
[32:51] our executive director tilly cheng who along with president
[32:55] randleman has been so involved and all of these things.
[33:02] but director chang has always championed this and also jesse
[33:10] kaylor for all of his work. >> thank you so much for
[33:11] everything la. >> let's go to public comment.
[33:17] is there anyone in the chamber who wishes to speak on item six
[33:22] the portal funding item there is your two minutes begins now.
[33:29] >> thank you again chairman guard members will need to
[33:33] debrief for the record she and her team poults.
[33:36] >> this is very important to me as one who goes back and forth
[33:40] between here and the east bay. It's cumbersome getting between
[33:44] embarcadero and forth and king .
[33:47] >> I actually went to a tgp meeting in 2010 might have been
[33:50] them I forget what we've talked about but and it was in this
[33:54] room. So I have some history with
[33:57] this but there is precedent in this project but that's very
[34:01] near to me. You know coming from new york
[34:05] there is this place in new york called grand central madison.
[34:09] >> you know it is part of the grand central ecosystem.
[34:13] >> it's located about 100ft below the historic grand
[34:17] central terminal. It's an eight track terminal
[34:21] that allows for people to go between long island and the
[34:28] east side of manhattan and about 40% of long island
[34:29] railroad users who go in and out of manhattan are using this
[34:36] new grand central madison. >> I have pictures of it on my
[34:38] phone. >> I've used it a number of
[34:41] times and it works really well and it's also really nice you
[34:44] got to see it. >> it's it's kind of like our
[34:45] transbay terminal so it is why is that?
[34:52] we built that train box and I must have spoken on it back
[34:55] in the day so we can be ready. I don't think it's as big as
[35:00] grand central madison. >> I think it's a six track
[35:01] facility but we need to have a world class public
[35:08] transportation facility in the heart of san francisco that
[35:12] will allow for connections between the east bay and and
[35:16] the peninsula. >> this will shorten the
[35:20] distance to about a block and a half between bart and caltrain.
[35:23] so let's keep this work going. >> I'm on it.
[35:28] I'm with it. Thank you.
[35:31] >> thank you for your comment. Is there additional public
[35:32] comment on this item? >> there is not okay public
[35:36] comment is now closed. I think I heard commissioner
[35:39] dorsey make a motion. Thank you chair melgar I would
[35:43] like to at this time move to approve item number six to
[35:47] allocate an appropriate prop l funds as described to advance
[35:51] the portal project. >> thank you.
[35:53] do I have a second seconded by chen?
[35:57] >> let's go. Let's go.
[35:58] I think we can do this same house same call now and let's
[36:01] do that it's same how same call.
[36:05] >> thank you so much. Congratulations.
[36:08] let's go now to item number seven.
[36:11] item seven adopt san francisco's one bay area grant
[36:14] cycle for project nominate. >> and so this is an action
[36:18] item. Okay?
[36:19] another really important action item we have nicolette chen
[36:22] here is your transportation and planner to present.
[36:26] welcome. Thank you.
[36:27] good morning chair vice chair and commissioners as of gov tv
[36:31] I'm sharing my slides here today to present san
[36:34] francisco's one bay area grant cycle for project nominations.
[36:41] >> the one bay area grant program or bag consists of
[36:45] federal funds distributed through mtc through a series of
[36:48] programs that support implementation of planned bay
[36:49] area obike for continues the approach from previous cycles
[36:53] of balancing regional priorities with local needs.
[36:56] mtc divides coburg funds up into a regional bucket and a
[37:00] county program bucket and the subject of today's item is the
[37:01] county program the oberg for county program provides funds
[37:08] over four fiscal years from 2027 to 2030 as the congestion
[37:11] management agency or cma for san francisco.
[37:15] the transportation authority is responsible for conducting a
[37:18] call for projects for the oberg county program and submitting a
[37:23] rank nomination list to mtc. Mtc will then evaluate
[37:27] nominations for the region and select projects for funding
[37:30] . Mtc can fund projects out of
[37:31] the submitted rank order and I'll speak more about that
[37:34] in a few slides. A wide variety of project types
[37:37] are eligible for oberg including transit reliability
[37:42] and access improvements, pedestrian safety and transit
[37:45] and roadway maintenance projects.
[37:49] >> earlier this spring the board adopted a funding
[37:50] framework for san francisco's oberg for county program.
[37:54] since the oberg county program is competitive, mtc requested
[37:57] that cma submit a project nomination list for 120% of
[38:04] available funding capacity to ensure there is a sufficient
[38:07] pool of project nominations to select from san francisco's
[38:11] 120% target is 56.6 million spread over the four year
[38:14] cycle. The framework includes $2.1
[38:18] million to augment our base cma planning funds that we receive
[38:21] from mtc and 5.8 million for the safe routes to school non
[38:25] infrastructure program to continue the program over the
[38:28] next four years. The remaining 48.7 million was
[38:30] used for the oberg county program call for projects
[38:33] and is the subject of today's board action.
[38:38] >> these are the board adopted bag screening criteria most of
[38:42] which come from mtc projects. >> must be all of these
[38:44] criteria to be eligible for object funding.
[38:47] I won't go into detail on these in the interest of time but I'm
[38:51] happy to answer questions afterwards.
[38:54] >> after we screen for eligibility we use these board
[38:58] adopted criteria to prioritize project applications.
[39:01] projects could receive a maximum of 75 points across all
[39:03] the evaluation criteria for the county program.
[39:06] project readiness and deliverability criteria was
[39:09] the most heavily weighted to assess of projects to meet
[39:11] project delivery requirements associated with federal or bag
[39:14] funds since these funds could be lost to san francisco or the
[39:18] region if projects are not able to meet federal and regional
[39:22] deadlines. Mtc also considers this factor
[39:25] in their scoring process after we submit our board adopted
[39:29] project nominations to mtc. Mtc will evaluate and score
[39:33] projects at the regional level. Mtc will normalize the county
[39:37] program scores across the region and they are on up to 25
[39:40] additional points based on delivery and risk regional
[39:44] alignment and federal system performance goals.
[39:48] in addition, cmac eligible projects can receive up to ten
[39:51] bonus points for air quality benefits.
[39:53] >> mtc axioms to submit a ranked project nomination list.
[39:56] however, mtc does have the discretion to fund projects out
[40:00] of rank order to ensure a balanced program of projects.
[40:03] while mtc will aim to get each county close to their 100%
[40:07] target when selecting projects, there is no guarantee projects
[40:11] will be funded as this is a competitive program.
[40:15] we hope to get at least san francisco's 100% target which
[40:18] is 39.2 million if not a bit more.
[40:22] >> in general we found that projects that scored well
[40:23] demonstrated that they would be ready to proceed as proposed
[40:27] in the application with minimal delivery risks provided
[40:30] benefits for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit
[40:33] and automobiles improve safety on the high injury network or
[40:37] in areas where there is a known safety issue and were
[40:38] identified through a community based planning process with
[40:42] documented diverse community support.
[40:45] >> we released our call for projects on april 17th and by
[40:49] the july 7th deadline we received 14 applications from
[40:52] six agencies with requests totaling 89.2 million
[40:56] in comparison to our 48.7 million nomination target.
[40:59] we made applications available to the board and to the public
[41:04] back in july by posting them on our website before reviewing
[41:11] the staff recommendations. I'd like to draw your attention
[41:12] to the fact that we received three applications for projects
[41:15] that have pending grants from other sources.
[41:19] mission street safety has a pending grant application
[41:22] and may receive an award from that source.
[41:23] howard streetscape was awarded federal raise funds in 2022 but
[41:26] as of mta is still waiting for the grant agreement to be
[41:31] executed. Lastly some very exciting news.
[41:33] we were notified last week that caltrans 22nd street ada
[41:37] project received the full funding requested from the fta
[41:41] asap program. We are confirming next steps
[41:42] for caltrans to secure the funds through fta the pending
[41:45] grants for these three projects.
[41:49] total 46.4 million and this means that if these pending
[41:53] grants are secured there bag requests would be reduced.
[41:56] the timelines for hearing about the remaining two pending
[41:59] grants is from later this calendar year to early 2027
[42:03] which is after we submit our back nominations to mtc.
[42:07] this puts san francisco in a unique situation and so with
[42:10] mtc's guidance we plan to submit a contingency list along
[42:14] with the 120% nomination target list so that mtc has enough san
[42:19] francisco projects to choose from in the event that any of
[42:22] these pending grants are secured.
[42:26] >> finally here we have our staff recommendations.
[42:29] we are recommending six projects within the 120%
[42:33] nomination target and as I'll cover in the next few slides
[42:36] we're also recommending seven projects on a contingency list
[42:39] and two projects to be prioritized for funding from
[42:41] other transportation authority administered sources.
[42:44] one of the ways we are able to geographically balance projects
[42:48] is by strategically looking across other funding programs
[42:52] that the transportation authority prioritizes and this
[42:53] includes prop d t.a. Tax and prop two which have
[42:57] upcoming calls for projects. >> and of course prop l.
[43:01] I'll give a very brief description of each project
[43:04] and I'm happy to answer questions after.
[43:07] first up is missing street safety improvements which will
[43:09] construct multimodal safety improvements on mission street
[43:12] from the embarcadero to third street.
[43:15] howard streetscape will construct traffic safety
[43:16] improvements benefiting all modes on howard street from
[43:20] fort sill avenue streets 16th street plaza will redesign the
[43:23] two plazas at the bart 16th street mission station with a
[43:26] focus on improving transit access and rider experience.
[43:29] access for all will construct curb ramps, accessible
[43:33] pedestrian signals and restrike crosswalks at six priority
[43:36] intersections with sub sidewalk basements in downtown north of
[43:40] market street. Bayview caltrain station will
[43:41] advance pre environmental work to restore caltrain access
[43:44] in the bayview neighborhood and treasure island electric
[43:48] ferry pilot will use the requested funds to support the
[43:51] first three years of electric ferry service.
[43:53] >> this is the only project we are recommending at a partial
[43:56] level in order to stay within the 120% target.
[44:00] >> I'll also note that the west portal horseshoe project scored
[44:04] high enough to be included on the 120% target list we are
[44:06] recommending to fund this project with property tnc tax
[44:10] funds which avoids having to federalize the project which
[44:14] brings a lot of additional requirements and allows the
[44:15] project to move forward as soon as it is ready
[44:19] and strategically funding this project with local sources also
[44:22] allows us to get closer to the full amount requested for the
[44:25] treasure island ferry pilot project which is on our 120%
[44:29] target list. >> this table shows the
[44:32] projects we recommend nominating for our contingency
[44:36] list. If any other projects with
[44:37] pending grants mentioned on the previous slides secure funding
[44:41] from those sources we will coordinate with mtc to consider
[44:43] applying those additional funds to unfunded projects and rank
[44:47] order. Treasure island ferry is first
[44:50] on the list to meet the full requested amount.
[44:51] should additional funding become available 22nd street
[44:54] ada improvement will install accessible sensibility
[44:58] improvements at this station which is the only non
[45:01] wheelchair accessible station on caltrans weekday rail line.
[45:05] improvements for this project include ada compliant ramps to
[45:09] access the platform from street level, improve lighting
[45:13] and installing tactile warning tiles to the platform to help
[45:15] low vision passengers board safely.
[45:17] >> gary 19th avenue o assuming the ada grant award is
[45:24] confirmed we will be able to drop this project from the
[45:25] contingency list. Gary 19th avenue subway would
[45:28] advance planning to develop a rail rapid transit subway
[45:32] oriented underneath geary boulevard and 90th avenue.
[45:35] as noted in the recently adopted study.
[45:38] 16th street mission elevator modernization will upgrade the
[45:39] to elevators at the bart 16th street mission station to
[45:43] ensure reliable transit access from the plaza to the platform
[45:47] for the chinatown community based transportation plan.
[45:51] as if mta would work with the cbos and community partners to
[45:54] develop a comprehensive transportation plan to improve
[45:58] multimodal access within and to chinatown, california street
[46:02] transit and safety will construct transit priority
[46:05] and pedestrian safety improvements along the one
[46:06] california bus route from steiner street to 32nd avenue.
[46:09] traffic signal cabinet and fiber communications
[46:13] upgrade program will replace outdated traffic signal
[46:16] cabinets and network devices along the high and dry network
[46:20] to maintain infrastructure in a state of good repair and enable
[46:22] future integration of transportation systems.
[46:25] we have already started identifying other potential
[46:29] funding sources for all projects in case they don't
[46:32] receive back funding and will continue those discussions with
[46:34] project sponsors. >> lastly, we recommend
[46:37] prioritizing these two projects for other transportation
[46:42] authority administered sources .
[46:44] as I mentioned previously we recommend funding the west
[46:46] portal project from the prop dnc tax program.
[46:48] the digital wayfinding and paratransit project will
[46:53] implement digital wayfinding that benefit the visually
[46:56] impaired along five to be determined mini bus lines
[47:00] and all underground muni stations.
[47:01] it is coupled with the procurement of billing software
[47:04] that will track non-emergency medical trips that qualify for
[47:07] reimbursement from managed care providers.
[47:10] this project is not competitive for o bag but this is an
[47:12] important project for disadvantaged groups that we
[47:15] can advance using local prop l funds.
[47:19] sufficient funds are available in the prop l paratransit
[47:22] program to fund the bag request and meet future annual requests
[47:26] for the program. We plan to bring a staff
[47:27] recommendation to program these property and prop l funds later
[47:31] this fiscal year. >> next steps in the o back for
[47:35] schedule are shown on this slide.
[47:38] mtc will announce awards in early 2027 and after project
[47:42] selection mtc requires sponsors to provide local resolutions
[47:46] committing sponsors to comply with mtc project delivery
[47:50] and other requirements. We will work with sponsors to
[47:53] support those resolutions going to their respective boards
[47:57] and support our mtc representatives as oh beg for
[47:58] county program nomination. Go through the mtc process.
[48:05] with that happy to answer any questions.
[48:06] project managers are in attendance for all from all
[48:10] the agencies that submitted applications.
[48:13] and lastly I would like to send an appreciation to all our
[48:14] sponsors efforts in preparing the applications and fielding
[48:18] questions from us over the last couple of months.
[48:21] thank you for listening. Thank you.
[48:25] >> commissioner dorsey thank you chair melder.
[48:26] I am really thrilled to see several district six projects
[48:29] scoring high in this and I strongly support the
[48:33] recommendations for the mission street safety improvements
[48:36] howard streetscape and the treasurer island electric ferry
[48:40] pilot mission and howard are key arterials connecting
[48:43] growing residential areas, affordable housing offices,
[48:45] small businesses and transit the maintenance
[48:49] and improvements of these corridors is crucial to
[48:52] supporting both downtown recovery and continued
[48:53] residential growth. I want to especially
[48:56] reemphasize my strong support for the treasurer island
[49:00] electric ferry request. We need to keep investing
[49:01] in the transportation options that will meet and support the
[49:05] growth of this neighborhood especially as we work on plans
[49:08] to expand the number of housing units on fraser island.
[49:12] the city is holding firm in its commitment to making treasure
[49:15] island a transit friendly neighborhood.
[49:16] I think we are seeing some very promising trends in new
[49:20] residents use of ferry service so we need to continue
[49:23] investing in that. This package has my strong
[49:24] support and I hope the mtc will support it as well.
[49:28] and thank you to everybody who has supported and worked on
[49:31] this. >> thank you commissioner
[49:34] dorsey. I'm also very excited about the
[49:35] electric ferry service to treasure island.
[49:39] looking forward to it. It's a great list of projects.
[49:42] >> I do wish there were more west side projects but that
[49:46] will come as we progress on our plans.
[49:49] I'm excited to support. I just wanted also my
[49:51] colleagues to know that the old bag policy has been worked on
[49:57] by mtc commissions over the years.
[50:01] >> it hasn't always been easy to align nine counties into you
[50:04] know, a policy that makes sense for everyone and it has evolved
[50:08] and incorporated climate change and transit oriented
[50:12] communities and also preservation of existing
[50:20] residents. So it's all been, you know, a
[50:21] collaborative effort with all our neighbors and I'm so
[50:25] excited to be presenting and moving forward these
[50:28] recommendations. I think I heard commissioner
[50:31] dorsey make a motion right now .
[50:36] >> we'll move and we'll we'll take your motion after public
[50:37] comment but it is very exciting.
[50:40] let's go to public comment. Is there anyone in the chamber
[50:44] who wishes to speak on item seven the one bay area grant
[50:46] cycle for project nominations? There is your two minutes
[50:52] begins now. >> thanks again chair myrna
[50:56] and members alida dupree for the record she and her team
[50:57] foltz. >> there's a lot here when I
[51:00] read it all on my phone some of this is very near and dear to
[51:04] me. >> the the 22nd street ada
[51:10] program is especially important to me.
[51:11] all of our stations should be accessible.
[51:15] I remember the days when virtually every new york city
[51:19] subway station was only accessible by stairs
[51:26] and there's still about 200 something of them that are
[51:27] still only accessible by stairs.
[51:30] >> so we really have to work on that.
[51:34] and I would like to ride that electric ferry here.
[51:35] they have lots of them up in norway and something
[51:41] different as I've never been on an electric ferry before.
[51:45] I've never even been on like one of those electric trolling
[51:48] motor bass boats. So that's a big thing for me
[51:52] and this bayview station sounds interesting.
[51:55] >> I think I've only been a baby once but in new york there
[52:00] are lots of people who use commuter rail to travel within
[52:03] the city of new york. >> they use that I think it's
[52:07] still called the city ticket. I do it all the time because
[52:09] it's faster than the subway even though it costs a little
[52:15] bit more. So this will help help people
[52:16] to use caltrain to get to that southeast neighborhood much
[52:20] more easily than making lots of stops on light rail or busses.
[52:26] >> so there's a lot here I'm interested in this geary
[52:30] subway. Maybe it'll look like the
[52:33] second avenue subway in new york.
[52:34] it's a two track line. >> maybe we could put some
[52:40] artwork in there or some historical mosaics and tiles
[52:41] like they do over in new york because I want to get across
[52:45] the city more quickly and easily.
[52:48] >> thank you. Thank you for your comment.
[52:51] >> is there additional public comment on this item?
[52:55] >> there is not capable of coming this no close.
[53:00] >> commissioner dorsey thank you chair melgar.
[53:01] at this time I would move to adopt item seven adopting san
[53:04] francisco's o bag cycle for project nominations.
[53:07] >> I have a second please. Colleagues seconded by chen
[53:11] and I think we can take this same house same call.
[53:15] >> it's approved. Thank you.
[53:18] let's go on to our next item please.
[53:20] item eight introduction of new items.
[53:23] >> this is an information item .
[53:25] >> I do not see anyone on the roster with new items to
[53:30] introduce so let's go to public comment please.
[53:33] item nine public comment. Is there anyone in the chamber
[53:37] who wishes to speak on item nine?
[53:38] >> there is and your two minutes begins now.
[53:44] >> thanks again chairman and members as needed to brief
[53:49] the record she and her team folds representing skirt
[53:52] faults. Good meeting today.
[53:53] brief and succinct. You can go out and get my lunch
[53:58] . >> I don't actually live in the
[53:59] city of san francisco though. Back in 2010 I stayed in the
[54:03] outer sunset for six months, had a temporary census job
[54:10] here. I worked in the office.
[54:11] I didn't have to go out on the road.
[54:13] >> it was fun. But I advocate that we should
[54:18] be regional in our thinking. I went to a symposium at mtc
[54:25] and we had some honored guests there in transportation and a
[54:29] special visit from former speaker emerita nancy pelosi.
[54:36] I heard the word reasonable. So how can we be reasonable?
[54:41] >> so I'm learning more about that word because this should
[54:42] not just be about the city and county of san francisco.
[54:45] I come over from the east bay all time today.
[54:49] >> I came from pleasanton. That's a long bart ride.
[54:52] I've never used that part of the park before.
[54:56] >> and bart is very important to me.
[54:57] I like bart almost as much as I like the new york city subway.
[55:01] >> but bart has has a very unique distinction of being the
[55:05] people system. >> so I come here in wanting to
[55:11] enjoy san francisco transportation in its fullest.
[55:15] >> I can't claim real technical expertise.
[55:19] >> I just I just barely made it out of high school.
[55:23] you know, when people were doing their subjects and doing
[55:24] well in school I was skipping fare on the subway.
[55:28] now I pay for the subway with with armani.
[55:31] that was 45 years ago. So san francisco is an
[55:35] important part of this region. Which is my beloved bay area,
[55:39] my second home. >> thank you.
[55:42] >> thank you for your comment. There is no additional public
[55:47] comment. Public comment is closed at
[55:50] madam clerk. >> let's go to the next item.
[55:54] item ten. Adjournment we're adjourned.
[55:55] thank you