CEO Transit Ride-Along Highlights Importance of StateFunding Support
On April 21, Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman joined 10 transit CEOs from across the
Bay Area for a multimodal, three-hour-long voyage that carried them from the green hills of
Orinda to the dry heat of Pittsburg. The “All Aboard with Transit CEOs” event was held in
celebration of Earth Day as well as the ongoing coordination and collaboration of local transit
agencies in the face of immense financial challenges. Wunderman serves as Chair of the Water
Emergency Transportation Authority, which operates the SF Bay Ferry.
The ride-along kicked off with a press conference at BART’s Orinda Station, where regional
leaders stressed the importance of securing long-term sustainable funding for public
transportation.
“At the heart of any region’s economy is public transit. As goes public transit so goes the
economy,” said BART General Manager Robert Powers.
Metropolitan Transportation Commission Executive Director Andy Fremier urged the state
legislature to “pass a new budget that supports transit operations … to keep us going so we
have a multi-year transit recovery program we can count on. California cannot meet its climate
goals unless we do something about getting people on transit. Part of that involves advocating
aggressively to keep transit operating.”
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