Council CEO Jim Wunderman Named to MTC Network Manager Advisory Group

The rubber is about to meet the road on our way to a more integrated Bay Area transit system. Bay Area Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman has been appointed to serve on an advisory subgroup of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)’s Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force, which concluded their work in July 2021 approving several recommended actions that make up the Transit Transformation Action Plan aimed at streamlining the Bay Area’s transportation systems. One critical aspect of the plan: a designated network manager to oversee an entirely integrated regional system.

Wunderman and the advisory group began working last week to decide the outcome of this aspect of the plan, recommending the extent to which the network manager will have decision-making authority on issues like scheduling, fare structures, wayfinding and other key areas that would help create a transportation system that functions as a single system rather than several disconnected agencies. Wunderman will represent the overall business community in the Bay Area, working with business groups and regional organizations throughout the nine counties to ensure the myriad voices of our community are heard. The advisory group will provide a recommendation to MTC in June 2022.

The Council has long advocated for regional coordination across transit agencies beginning with the founding of BART over 60 years ago. We’ve expanded that advocacy to include regional coordination across the 21 megaregion counties and more recently have advocated for Caltrain and BART to explore the feasibility of sharing services. The Network Management Business Case provides one of the most poignant ways in which our region’s transportation system can synchronize transit schedules. To engage in our Transportation policy, please contact Senior Vice President Gwen Litvak.