Report to the Commission: March 24, 2021
SR-37 Town Hall
Senators McGuire and Dodd will be hosting a 4/15 Town Hall For the SR-37 project, which I will attend. We will report back to the senators on the flooding fixes that have been made on the corridor, our congestion relief project, the multi-modal project, and CalTrans work. It’s a nighttime event at 6:30 p.m.
Equity Bench
On March 10, MTC’s Administration Committee approved the On-Call Equity Bench, a resource for MTC and ABAG staff and our regional partners to connect with equity-focused thought leaders to partner within advancing equity outcomes in our regional workplan. Notably the bench uses “Cooperate Use” clauses, allowing for partner agencies including ABAG members to enlist the vetted equity consultants on the bench. Information on the bench and the qualified vendors can be obtained by contacting Nalungo Conley, Chief of Staff at nconley@bayareametro.gov.
Speaking at Social Equity Forum
On March 17, my Chief of Staff spoke at a Social Equity Forum hosted by Metro Analytics and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program as part of their series "Metropolitan Planning Organizations: Strategies for Future Success.” The project hopes to develop a comprehensive resource to inform and guide the evolving roles and functions of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). This session focused on Regional Equity and the steps that agencies like MTC were taking to address long-standing issues of inequity in our region. It was well attended with over 400 participants live-streaming the event through You Tube.
Commission Orientation Presentation
MTC staff has been working on updating the Commission Orientation presentation for new and current Commissioners. This PowerPoint will be provided to all Commissioners, providing a detailed overview of the various departments at MTC and the major workplans that they carry out. In addition, it highlights the various Committees and their functions in relation to the agency. We will send it out shortly, and please feel free to reach out and ask questions on any of the information contained in the presentation.
Executive Director “Top Five” Focus Areas for 2021
The incoming Commission leadership and Committee assignments provides an opportunity for me as the Executive Director to look back over the last extraordinary year, and look forward with an eye to not only managing the sweeping— and often daunting— portfolio of the agency, but spotlighting a few key areas to rise to the top of that leadership agenda. In particular, this list (presented as an attachment to this report) reflects my charge to lead a combined staff serving both MTC and ABAG, and the commitment of its leadership to govern to the benefit of our shared constituents— the people of the Bay Area. I plan to return periodically to the Commission and Executive Board with reports of how these strategic challenges are being met in the next year. Thank you, as always, for your support of me and our exemplary staff.