TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: February 24, 2025
Subject: Report on Local, State, Regional, and Federal Transportation Relation Legislative and Planning Activities
Submitted For: TWIC
Department: DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT
Referral No: 1
Referral Name: Review legislative matters on transportation, water, and infrastructure
Presenter: Jamar Stamps || Principal Planner | DCD; Mark Watts || Transportation Consultant | MARK WATTS ADVOCACY
Contact: John Cunningham/Jamar Stamps | (925) 655-2917
Referral History:
The transportation, water, and infrastructure legislation and planning report is a standing item on the Committee’s agenda.
Referral Update:
In developing transportation related issues and proposals to bring forward for consideration by TWIC, staff receives input from the Board of Supervisors (BOS), references the County’s adopted Legislative Platforms, coordinates with our legislative advocates, partner agencies and organizations, and consults with the Committee.
This report includes four sections; 1: Local, 2: Regional, 3: State, and 4: Federal.
1. Local
No Report in February
2. Regional
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission voted (unanimously of members present) to pursue legislation for a regional transportation funding measure. MTC will seek authorization for a measure as soon as 2026 with continuing authorization. Other details of the proposal:
• Funding Options: income tax, payroll tax, sales tax, parcel tax, or a charge on vehicle miles traveled.
• Vote Threshold: As discussed at prior TWIC meetings, if MTC places the measure on the ballot, the vote threshold would be two thirds. The MTC proposal allows the measure to be placed on the ballot by a qualified voter initiative which would be a simple majority vote.
• Geography: Option for all nine Bay Area counties or a subset.
• Network Management: A strengthened MTC role in transportation network management including fare integration, schedule coordination, mapping/wayfinding, customer-facing operating policies.
• Highway Capacity: The proposal approved by MTC was silent on the inclusion of highway capacity increases. Leading up to the vote the dialog included pressure to exclude capacity increases, some support for increases, and a staff recommendation limited capacity increases to express lanes or high occupancy toll (HOT)lanes.
• Consolidation: The proposal focuses on coordination and did not broach consolidation as a result of prior conversations at MTC.
Details on MTC’s action are attached and can be found here:
<https://mtc.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6466671&GUID=9D37ED87-E7DC-4B20-9AB3-2B33A7C26EFF&Options=&Search=>
3. State
The County’s legislative advocate’s report is attached. Mr. Watts will attend the February Committee meeting.
4. Federal
No report in February.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
CONSIDER report on Local, Regional, State, and Federal Transportation Related Legislative and Planning Issues and take ACTION as appropriate.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
None.