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Executive Director’s Report

Report to the Commission: November 18, 2015

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“Big 4” MPO Meeting · House Approves Reauthorization Bill · Roadmap for Economic Resilience · U.S. 101 Corridor Initiative · Bay Area Planning Directors Association · MTC is MPO of the Year

Report to the Commission: October 28, 2015

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Silicon Valley Leadership Group Trip · APTA Annual Meeting · Bay Area Partnership · Assemblyman Levine Briefing · UCLA Lake Arrowhead Conference · CTC Regional Forum · CMA Director’s Association · Rail~Volution Conference

Report to the Commission: September 23, 2015

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Fix the Roads Roundtable · Eno Technical Assistance Award · Assembly Select Committee Hearing · Sacramento Seminar · San Mateo 101 Forum · Megaregion Partnership · Beyond Traffic Forum

Assembly Transportation Committee Sacramento, July 6

I testified before the Assembly Transportation Committee on the transportation funding issues pending before the special session of the Legislature called by Governor Brown. I presented a letter co-signed by the executive officers of the “Big 4” metropolitan planning organizations Commissioner Liccardo made a similar appearance before the Senate Transportation Committee on July 2nd.

Silicon Valley Forum Mountain View, May 29

I joined Commissioner Baker in a panel discussion on transportation and housing issues at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s annual Regional Economic Forum.

TRB Executive Committee Meeting Washington DC, June 11-12

I attended the biennial meeting of the executive committee for the Transportation Research Board. While in the nation’s capital, I briefed Senator Feinstein about the bolt troubles on the new east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

CMA Directors Meeting

April 24, Cordelia

I met with the directors of the Bay Area’s congestion management agencies to discuss the upcoming second cycle of the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) program.

Governor Sets 2030 GHG Target

April 29, Sacramento

Commonwealth Club

March 31, San Francisco

I participated in a panel discussion sponsored by the Mineta Transportation Institute about public transit governance and coordination along with several Bay Area transit agency chiefs. The discussion revolved around two recent reports on the subject issued by the Eno Transportation Foundation in Washington DC and the regional advocacy organization SPUR. Here are links to the two reports:

Field Poll on Transportation

February 27, San Francisco

Secretary Foxx Visit

February 2, San Jose

BART OAC Ribbon-Cutting

November 21

Election Results 

November 4

Goods Movement Roundtable

July 23, Oakland Along with Commissioners Haggerty, Sartipi and Spering, I attended this series of panel discussions jointly hosted by MTC and the Alameda County Transportation Commission.

Obama Signs Bailout into Law

August 8, Washington DC

TRB Executive Committee

June 26-27, Washington DC

I attended the regular biannual meeting of the Transportation Research Board’s Executive Committee in Washington. The major news is on the personnel front: long-time executive director Bob Skinner is retiring, and his replacement is scheduled to come aboard by the time of the TRB Annual Meeting in January 2015.

Richmond Bridge Briefing

July 1, Sacramento

House Proposal on Highway Funding

May 30, Washington DC

In a sign of how far we have traveled away from a user-fee financed transportation system, the House Republican Leadership has proposed that the beleaguered Highway Trust Fund be replenished with savings from the elimination of Saturday mail delivery. The conservative Heritage Foundation likened this idea to bailing out one trust fund with savings from another.

FTA Guidance on MPO Board Representation

June 2, Washington DC

Lobby Day

April 30, Sacramento

Chair Worth led a gaggle of MTC commissioners, staff, and partner agency representatives in a series of visits to the Bay Area’s state legislative delegation. The focus of our visits was the long-term Cap and Trade funding framework proposed by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, with whom we also met that afternoon. Thanks especially to Randy Rentschler and Rebecca Long for arranging the most upbeat visit to Sacramento that I can recall in many years.

TBPOC Meeting

May 6, Oakland

Commission Workshop

March 26-27, Sonoma

On behalf of the MTC staff, I’d like to thank the commissioners who attended the workshop and offered us your candid and thoughtful responses to the issues we presented.

Oakley Named DOT Director

April 7, Columbia

Meeting with new VTA General Manager

San Jose, March 7

I had a lengthy and cordial lunch meeting with Nuria Fernandez, the new general manager of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Nuria and I have known each other for some time due to our joint service on the Mineta Transportation Institute Board of Directors.

APTA Legislative Conferenc

Washington DC, March 10-12

CARB Briefing on SB 375

Sacramento, January 23

Governor’s Budget Release

Sacramento, January 10

Buoyed by the strong state economy, Governor Brown released his budget proposal for FY 2014-15 that contained good news across many fronts, including transportation.

TRB Annual Meeting

Washington DC, January 13-16

Bay Area Council Transportation Committee

San Francisco, November 22

BART General Manager Grace Crunican and I made presentations before the Bay Area Council’s Transportation Committee on the current state of the region’s public transit networks and plans for their improvement.

Mayor’s Transportation Task Force

San Francisco, November 25