Lifeline Transportation Network: Project Overview

In the spring of 2001, MTC embarked upon an ambitious effort to identify a Lifeline Transportation Network -- a set of Bay Area transit routes that meet the transportation needs of low-income persons -- for the San Francisco Bay Area. Through this effort, MTC is examining the following questions:

• Where do low-income communities exist in the region?
• What destinations do low-income people need to travel to?
• How well does the existing public transportation network serve the needs of the low-income communities?
• And how can MTC, the region's transit operators and others address any deficiencies in the network?

The genesis of the Lifeline project lies with earlier welfare to work transportation planning studies sponsored by MTC that provided Bay Area counties with transportation planning specific to assisting low-income persons who are entering or re-entering workforce. Until now, no agency has completed a comprehensive analysis to identify which public transit services, on a route-by-route basis, are most vital to disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The Lifeline Transportation Network report documents the findings of MTC's analysis including an identification of routes that comprise the Lifeline Transportation Network and gaps in the Lifeline Network. The report also recommends areas for further analysis (e.g. improving the affordability of transportation for low-income persons, providing assistance in planning programs and services, etc.) that will assist in addressing the transportation needs of low-income persons.