SPUR Transportation Policy Area Header

Transportation

We believe: Walking, biking, and taking transit should be the safest
and best ways to get around for people of all ages and abilities.

Our Goal


• Reduce emissions from transportation.

• Reduce driving.

• Build complete communities around transit.

• Make Bay Area transit work for the 21st century.

• Eliminate traffic deaths.

SPUR Report

A Regional Transit Coordinator for the Bay Area

The Bay Area’s two dozen different transit services would be easier for riders to use if they functioned like a single network. This type of coordination is complex, but that’s not why it hasn’t been done. The real reason is that it’s not anyone’s responsibility.

SPUR Report

More for Less

Around the world, building major transit projects is notoriously difficult. Yet the Bay Area has an especially poor track record: Major projects here take decades from start to finish, and our project costs rank among the highest in the world. SPUR offers policy proposals that will save time, save money and add up to a reliable, integrated and frequent network that works better for everyone.

SPUR Report

Value Driven

Roads and parking are expensive to build, but they’re mostly free for drivers to use as much as they’d like. This kind of free access imposes serious costs on others: traffic, climate change, air pollution, and heart and lung disease. SPUR’s new report Value Driven shines a light on the invisible costs of driving and offers five pioneering strategies to address them.

SPUR Report

The Future of Transportation

Will the rise of new mobility services like Uber and bike sharing help reduce car use, climate emissions and demand for parking? Or will they lead to greater inequality and yet more reliance on cars? SPUR proposes how private services can work together with public transportation to function as a seamless network and provide access for people of all incomes, races, ages and abilities.

SPUR Report

Seamless Transit

The Bay Area’s prosperity is threatened by fragmentation in the public transit system: Riders and decision-makers contend with more than two dozen transit operators. Despite significant spending on building and maintaining transit, overall ridership has not been growing in our region. How can we get more benefit from our transit investments?

SPUR Report

Caltrain Corridor Vision Plan

The Caltrain Corridor, home of the Silicon Valley innovation economy, holds much of the Bay Area’s promise and opportunity, but its transportation system is breaking down. Along this corridor — which includes Hwy 101 and Caltrain rail service from San Francisco to San Jose — the typical methods of getting around have become untenable.

Updates and Events


Funding Regional Transit — and Managing Risk in Uncertain Times

News /
SPUR is serving on an MTC-appointed select committee to explore legislation that would put a regional transit revenue measure on the ballot in a future election. Two other regional funding measure efforts — SB 1031 for transit, and the BAHFA bond for housing — were both paused earlier this year, casting a cautionary light on regional funding measures. Our recent comments to the committee focus on how to set up the current transit proposal for success.

SPUR requests Governor Newsom's signature on SB960 (Wiener), the Complete Streets bill.

Advocacy Letter
SPUR is proud to co-sponsor Senate Bill 960 (Wiener) and respectfully requests Governor Newsom's signature on the bill. Signing the bill into law will signal California’s leading commitment to safety and sustainability, and willingness to tackle stubborn trends in traffic deaths and emissions in the transportation sector.

SPUR requests Governor Newsom's signature on AB 2503

Advocacy Letter
SPUR requests Governor Newsom's signature on AB 2503 (Lee). AB 2503 will streamline the planning and delivery of zero emission rail projects in California to help reduce vehicles mile traveled, greenhouse gas emissions and local particulate matter.

SPUR provides comments on development of potential regional transportation measure

Advocacy Letter
SPUR CEO Alicia John-Baptiste provided extensive written comments to MTC"s Transportation Revenue Measure Select Committee regarding the ongoing development of a potential future ballot measure to fund Bay Area transit. Given uncertainties about the 2024 national election and the future mood of the Bay Area electorate, SPUR is strongly advocating for an approach that keeps multiple revenue measure options on the table.

SPUR comments on the development of first Caltrans transit plan

Advocacy Letter
Caltrans District 4 - the district that covers the nine county Bay Area - is in the process of developing its inaugural transit plan for the state highway network. SPUR serves on the technical working group and provided comments on how Caltrans can measure success and prioritize investments.