MTC Chief Touts Transit Wins, Concedes Clipper Pain Before November Vote
Executive Committee • Metropolitan Transportation CommissionAugust 26, 2026
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The Metropolitan Transportation Commission's executive director used the Aug. 26, 2026, Executive Committee meeting to make the case for the agency's record ahead of a November regional transit measure. The case included SB 63 on the ballot in five counties, Clipper Bay Pass reaching about 130,000 riders, and a candid admission that the Clipper 2.0 rollout went badly. Commissioners asked no questions on the informational update, then went behind closed doors to evaluate the executive director and emerged with nothing to report.
- SB 63 heads to voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties
- Clipper Bay Pass reaches about 130,000 people; BAHFA has issued $28 million in pre-development loans
- Clipper 2.0 "took far longer than we expected," but it now handles about 60% of transactions
- Open-road tolling is under way at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge; the Bay Bridge is several years out
- Public commenter urges a 50-year private rail franchise after decrying "wasted billions" on megaprojects
The Pitch Before the Ballot
Why it matters: The strategic update was MTC's most complete public accounting of its priorities before the November vote on SB 63 and the launch of the next long-range regional plan. It also sets the agenda for an October commission workshop and a November executive retreat.
Where things stand: The MTC Executive Director built the presentation around three pillars: regional leadership, operational excellence and a healthy workplace. The headline accomplishment was SB 63, the transit measure that will go before voters in five Bay Area counties.
Fare integration was a close second. The executive director said Clipper Bay Pass is "now providing essentially unlimited transit to some 130,000 people." Staff also cited:
- Regional mapping and wayfinding
- Transit Priority Initiative quick-build projects
- Transit 2050 Plus, the transit element tied to the adopted Plan Bay Area 2050+
Housing on the transportation agency's ledger: BAHFA, the region's housing finance authority, launched the Doorway Housing Portal and issued $28 million in pre-development loans. The housing work sits alongside transit in MTC's pitch. That pairing signals how tightly the agency links land use and mobility, as planning begins for Plan Bay Area 2060.
Highway 37: Work on the flood-prone corridor is moving toward construction. The executive director said crews expect to "break ground in early 2027 on the first set of projects in Sonoma County." The project involves coordination with Caltrans and the California Transportation Commission.
New voices at the table: MTC's new 27-member Community Advisory Council is now in place. It gives residents a formal channel into decisions that until now were shaped mostly by commissioners, staff and partner agencies.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No action was taken, and no commissioner asked a question. For transit riders and agencies in the five SB 63 counties, the November outcome is the single biggest variable in the agency's plans. Housing developers seeking early-stage capital are the most direct beneficiaries of BAHFA's loan program. North Bay commuters on Highway 37 now have a target window for the start of construction.
What's next: The October commission workshop will "identify priorities for using MTC's strategic framework to move toward the vision of the adopted Plan Bay Area 2050+," the executive director said. A November executive retreat follows. The staff summary and presentation are posted.
Clipper Mea Culpa, Tolling Momentum
Why it matters: Clipper is the fare card connecting the region's transit systems, and its troubled upgrade has frustrated riders and operators. Toll changes at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge target one of the Bay Area's worst bottlenecks.
Where things stand: The MTC Executive Director did not soften the Clipper history. "While the transition has taken far longer than we expected and has caused way too many headaches for our riders and our transit agencies alike," the executive director said, before turning to the numbers.
"More than 3 million accounts have now moved to Clipper 2, and the new system is handling about 60% of all the Clipper transactions," the executive director said. Free and discounted transfers enabled by the new system have saved customers more than $10 million.
Open-road tolling: The change removes the need for drivers to slow at toll plazas. It was approved in 2018 and is now under way at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, with other bridges to follow. The Bay Bridge conversion is several years away. A replacement for the FasTrak back-office system is in procurement, a contract worth watching as it moves toward an award.
Other operational work: Staff also cited:
- I-80 express lanes
- US 101 adaptive ramp metering
- Bike share
- A new operating reserve policy
- A new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for internal finance and administration
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: This was informational only. Roughly 40% of Clipper transactions still run outside the new system, so riders and transit agencies remain in a split environment until migration finishes. Bridge commuters stand to gain the most from tolling changes, but most crossings, including the Bay Bridge, will wait.
What's next: Watch for the FasTrak back-office procurement and the rollout schedule for open-road tolling at the remaining bridges.
From the Podium: Megaprojects, Values and Fares
Where things stand: Three members of the public addressed the committee, offering sharply different takes. Commissioners did not respond to any of them.
The megaproject critique: One public commenter, who also submitted written correspondence, praised BART's transformation but argued that the region's big projects have squandered money. "We basically wasted billions of dollars that could have gone towards affordable housing or something else," he said.
His alternative is a private franchise with about $5 billion in private capital. It would fund a new Transbay tube and a higher-speed line, and he cited Beijing-Wuhan service as a model. "That franchise has got to be 50 years," he said.
Support for the framework: A second public commenter, who identified herself with Team Volt, backed the agency's direction and said she looks forward to Clipper and open-road tolling progress. "I support these values, values of inclusion, of diversity and equity," she said.
The fare-complexity diagnosis: After the chair moved to adjourn, a third commenter rose and said he hoped there had been no Clipper bashing in closed session. He argued that "all these different fares and discounts and whatever is what really was the root cause of the problem."
Why it matters: The last comment points to fare policy as the source of Clipper's troubles, not just technology. That puts responsibility with the commission and transit operators, which set those fares, rather than with the vendor.
- February minutes approved: The consent calendar, which included only the Feb. 11, 2026, minutes, passed by unanimous voice vote with no public comment (For: unanimous; Against: 0; Abstain: 0; Absent: Vice Chair Moulton-Peters, Commissioner Fleming). An unidentified commissioner moved the item; Commissioner Alicia John-Baptiste seconded.
- Agenda reordered: "We are going to flip-flop the agenda," said Chair Sue Noack, moving the strategic update ahead of closed session.
- Executive director review behind closed doors: The committee met under Government Code 54957 on the executive director's performance and on compensation for non-represented employees. Chair Noack and Vice Chair Moulton-Peters were the designated representatives. "There's nothing to report out at this time," Noack said afterward.
- Workforce push: Staff cited a third-party recruitment audit, a new human resources director, equity training and the national Equity Infrastructure Pledge. The next focus areas are succession planning and staff retention.
Looking ahead: The commission's October workshop and November executive retreat will set priorities for Plan Bay Area 2060. Voters in five counties decide SB 63 in November. The Executive Committee's next meeting date will be noticed.