MTC Seeks Transportation Policy Advisors
OAKLAND, CA —The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is recruiting 27 individuals to jump into the transportation arena, learn about the complexities of funding, and help identify the connections between transportation and land use, air quality and climate change. MTC is the Bay Area’s transportation planning and financing agency, and there may be a place for you as part of the agency’s Policy Advisory Council that begins a new four-year term in September.
The mission of this panel is to advise MTC on transportation policies in the San Francisco Bay Area, incorporating diverse perspectives relating to the environment, the economy and social equity. Advisors are eligible for a stipend to cover cost of meeting attendance. Some of the issues the group advises the Commission on include:
- Regional planning efforts linking transportation, housing and land use plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Public transit service productivity improvements to produce more efficiency from the region’s existing transit investments.
- Pursuit of new revenues to build a system that could better serve all Bay Area residents.
“MTC strives to make transportation policy and investment decisions that serve all Bay Area residents,” said MTC Chair Amy Rein Worth. “The Policy Advisory Council gives a voice to a range of viewpoints that can enhance the decision-making process. I encourage anyone interested in helping us improve Bay Area mobility to apply for a seat.”
Policy Advisory Council membership is structured around issues relating to the economy, the environment and social equity. A total of nine members will be appointed to represent economic and environmental perspectives, nine members will represent communities of color and issues affecting low-income communities or environmental justice, and nine members will represent the interests of seniors or persons with disabilities.
The application deadline is Friday, May 10, 2013. No specific educational background is needed for most seats, just an interest in transportation and how it affects residents in each of the nine Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma). Experience in working on public policy issues or community-related issues is desirable.
Policy Advisory Council members serve a four-year term beginning in September 2013. Appointees should maintain an ongoing engagement with organizations and individuals from the categories and communities they represent. Committee members are expected to attend monthly meetings held on the second Wednesday afternoon of each month at MTC’s offices in Oakland. While positions are voluntary, committee members do receive a stipend for their attendance at certain meetings. All meetings are open to the public and are audiocast via MTC’s web site.
MTC’s governing board of commissioners will review all applications and make final appointments in June. To apply for a position or to learn more about the Policy Advisory Council, visit www.mtc.ca.gov/get_involved/advisory, phone (415) 778-6757, or visit the MTC offices at 101 Eighth Street in Oakland during regular business hours.
MTC is the regional transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.
Contact:
Pam Grove: (415) 778-6706
Leslie Lara: (510) 817-5813