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TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE
April/May 2000
1999 Annual Report
MTC
Here is a bus

Here are some ferries

Here is a train

Aerial view of a so-called cloverleaf intersection

A cyclist poses in front of the LRT
At the same time as crafting the Blueprint for the 21st Century -- the subject of our cover story -- MTC has been devoting considerable resources to a series of in-depth, "micro" studies that have been feeding into the "macro" Blueprint effort.

MTC planners and consultants have been looking at the question of whether to drill a fourth bore for the Caldecott Tunnel while also exploring other strategies for boosting people- and car-carrying capacity in this key gateway between Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The agency also has been leading a study of replacement alternatives for San Francisco's Transbay Terminal, with the goal of turning the outdated facility into a modern, efficient hub for express bus services, commuter rail and possibly even high-speed rail. In addition, MTC is spearheading an interagency study of the need for runway expansion at the region's major airports. Controversy -- political, financial and environmental -- goes with the territory in all of these high-stakes efforts.

While long-term planning took center stage in 1999, the year also saw significant progress for several customer service projects promising near-term relief for congestion-weary travelers. MTC continued to expand and refine its data-gathering network so as to provide accurate, real-time traffic information via the TravInfo® hotline. Some 60,000 people a month dialed 817-1717 in 1999 in search of up-to-the-minute traffic reports and current transit schedules. The TransLink® universal transit ticket took a giant leap forward when MTC awarded a 10-year, $30 million contract to a private consortium led by Motorola, Inc. Testing of the "smart card" -- brainy enough to handle the complex and varying fare structures of all of the region's bus, rail and ferry systems -- is set to begin in early 2001.
-- Brenda Kahn

MTC REVENUES 1998-99 MTC EXPENSES 1998-99
MTC Revenues 1998-99 MTC Expenses 1998-99
Total Revenues $28,296,043
1 Federal Highway Administration $9,510,037
2 Transportation Development Act $8,308,337
3 State & Local Agencies $5,391,627
4 California Department of Transportation $2,927,454
5 Federal Transit Administration $1,336,313
6 Other $822,275
Total Expenses $28,296,043
1 Consultants $9,911,697
2 Staff Salaries & Benefits $9,049,387
3 Pass-throughs & Contributions $4,510,654
4 Increase in Reserves $2,705,531
5 Office Operations $1,873,865
6 Conferences, Training, Travel $244,909

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