For decades, parking in the Bay Area has been both ubiquitous and uncounted. Now SPUR and the Mineta Transportation Institute have produced the San Francisco Bay Area Parking Census, the most detailed assessment of parking infrastructure ever produced for the region. The census helps fill data gaps about parking to inform policy reforms and will help policymakers make better decisions for the future of Bay Area cities.

California’s Proposition 13 is one of the most studied property taxes in the country, but how does it affect the lives of residents in Bay Area cities? SPUR’s research brief Burdens and Benefits explores how the law impacts homeowners in Oakland, with a look at who receives the largest benefits from the state’s unique property tax law and who shoulders the burdens from its constraints on revenues.

SPUR led a coalition of 59 individuals and organizations to call on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to lead on an equitable transition to zero-emission appliances.

More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, BART and other transit agencies continue to suffer depressed ridership as the Bay Area lags behind every other metro in return to in-person work. New funding is urgently needed. SPUR and its partners encourage BART to continue to explore, develop and poll the BART-only (3-county), 5-county and 9-county options. A regional option could help avoid potential downsides to going it alone. Further, we hope that BART takes the opportunity to seek state funding to support the implementation of the Transit Transformation Action Plan along with its other priorities.

The San José City Council discussed the future of activation plans proposed for Guadalupe River Park and Gardens to comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations that mandate no residential uses in the area by June 30th, 2022. While we support plans to develop a prototype park for community benefit and active use, we have concerns that current plans do not center the need for the further identification and allocation of resources for accelerated rehousing of the unhoused community at Guadalupe River Park.

SPUR endorses “Bay Adapt: Regional Strategy for a Rising Bay.” The Bay Adapt Joint Platform is the result of a stakeholder-led process to determine the best ways for the Bay Area to become regionally resilient to rising sea levels.

SPUR, RMI and Sierra Club support Ordinance Number 2022-02 to require new construction in Contra Costa County to be all-electric as part of the county’s climate adaptation efforts.

SPUR joins other transportation and climate justice advocates in supporting a $2 billion augmentation to invest in active transportation infrastructure and programs out of the General Fund, primarily to the Active Transportation Program.

SPUR and a group of partners submitted the following comments for the Strategic Growth Council’s (SGC) consideration for the AB 285 report.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, cities across the country piloted shared public spaces and slow streets. In a matter of weeks, these temporary changes transformed city streets in ways that would otherwise have taken years. The crisis injected the planning process with a sense of urgency and a willingness to experiment. How can San Francisco and other cities make these changes permanent? This report captures lessons learned and offers 18 recommendations for how to build on what's been started.

Many of the challenges Oakland faces are worsened by its unusual government structure, which makes it harder for the mayor, city council and other officials to do their jobs well. SPUR’s latest report diagnoses the problem and offers 10 recommendations for how the city can adapt its governance structure to better serve Oaklanders.

SPUR urges the City Council to support the Planning Department’s recommendations regarding Coyote Valley. These staff recommendations echo those of Envision San José 2040 General Plan Four Year Review Task Force’s recommendations, which were finalized by the Task Force at their meeting on October 29, 2020.