Table of Contents
- Background
- Obtaining Information From the MTC
- Who Represents Santa Clara County at MTC?
- Who Monitors the MTC?
Background
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is the San Francisco Bay Area’s transportation planning and financing organization. Its office in downtown San Francisco is where decisions regarding Bay Area regional transportation issues are made.
Every few years, Bay Area transit agencies like the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) must submit their long-term plans for transit and highway projects to the MTC to qualify for and receive state and federal funding.
The MTC also serves as the Bay Area’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for state and federal transportation purposes.
Obtaining Information From the MTC
The following contact information below can be used to get onto the MTC’s mailing list. There, information regarding regional transit issues, and meetings to discuss and approve (or reject) projects is distributed. This is the same information seen by the media and used by Bay Area politicians and transportation staff for making key decisions on how your money is spent on transportation in the Bay Area.
MTC mailing address:
Metropolitan Transportation Commission Bay Area Metro Center 375 Beale St. San Francisco, CA 94105 phone (415) 778-6700 fax (415) 778-6757 email info@bayareametro.gov
You can also use this contact to send in your comments regarding Bay Area local and regional transportation issues.
Who Represents Santa Clara County at MTC?
Currently, three (3) officials represent Santa Clara County as Commissioners at the MTC. Here are who they are, and how to contact them:
- Margaret Abe-Koga, Councilmember, City of Mountain View. Email: margaret.abe-koga@mountainview.gov
- Sam Liccardo (San Jose Mayor’s Appointee), Mayor, City of San Jose. Email: mayoremail@sanjoseca.gov – phone (408)535-4800.
- Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara County Supervisor, District 2. (District covers eastern San Jose.) President, Board Of Supervisors. Email: cindy.chavez@bos.sccgov.org – phone (408) 299-5020.
These are just three of the 21 commissioners that are the main decision makers at the MTC. Here is a list of all the MTC Commissioners and how to contact them. All MTC Commissioners are appointed public officials. The general public currently cannot run for an MTC Commissioner’s Seat, nor can the general public vote for or recall any MTC Commissioner.
Who Monitors the MTC?
TransFORM and the Transportation Solutions Defense Fund (TRANSDEF) are just two of the independent grassroots organizations that monitor the MTC and its activites.
Good morning,
It is my understanding that MTC is considering changing our current freeway to toll roads.
I am totally against this thought for the following reasons:
1. Most people who drive to work whether in a carpool or alone drive because public transit is not available to them and driving is their only option.
2. People who commute from far off locations do so because they cannot afford housing locally. I have friends who live in Vacaville, yet they work in San Francisco, Oakland or in one case Union City. Others I know are commuting from Stockton, Mountain House, Lathrop.
3. Public transit. Is not an option for various reasons: Not frequent enough – in some cases, the bus service runs only once an hour; posted time and arrival vary for posted schedule; BART is not safe, though, they have said since prior to the pandemic that would make it safer, it is not; not. to mention the cost of BART – almost $10.00 daily plus if you drive to the station, there is an additional cost.
4. You would be putting additional people into poverty, as they would have to put additional monies out for toll roads that could be used for food and/or housing.
5. This is an elitist option, where those who make more than $150,000 can afford toll roads, while the true middle class cannot.
6. Traffic will migrate to surface streets to avoid having to pay for the roads. People will use El Camino Real and other main arteries to bypass the toll roads
7. Decrease in people going out to restaurants – hurting small business8. We already have the highest cost of living in the country, why, add additional cost to the low-and middle income people living here who make the Bay Area function?
Respectfully,Pamela W.El Cerrito Resident
Joe:
This and other lists will be corrected this weekend. Thank you for letting us know.
–eugene