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Executive Director's Report

Report to the Commission: June 24, 2026

Personnel

Retirements

  • Caitlin Sweeney – Caitlin started in 2011 as Section Director of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership. Her last day with MTC was June 5.

New Appointments

  • Mei Collins – Mei started on June 8 as the Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program Data Analytics and Outreach Coordinator in the San Francisco Estuary Partnership Section.
  • Rachael Hartofelis – Rachael rejoined MTC on June 8 as a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Administrator in the Funding Policy & Programs Section.

Updates

Next-Gen Clipper (C2)

  • As I reported last month, adoption of the new system and the volume of C2 transactions continue to grow. To date, 2 million Clipper cards have migrated to the new system. As of early June, 48% of systemwide trips are in C2 — 34% on Clipper cards and 14% on contactless credit/debit cards.
  • Call volume to the Customer Service Center in May was steady in relation to April, with callers experiencing an average wait time of just over 5 minutes. Once calls were answered in May, the average call handling time was around 11 minutes. As we prepare for migration at scale, we are taking a structured, requirements-based approach that includes close coordination with transit operators, Cubic leadership and the Customer Service Center contractor to ensure accountability, measurable progress and reliable customer experience.
  • Earlier this month, a major back-office upgrade was successfully deployed, advancing the system toward meeting the prerequisites required to initiate bulk migration. The region’s transit infrastructure is experiencing heightened demand due to the FIFA World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium. As a result, the Clipper Executive Board elected not to convene in June. Additional updates on the progress and status of Next-Gen Clipper will be provided in the staff report to the Clipper Executive Board at the July 27 meeting.Throughout the remainder of June, Cubic will focus on maintaining system stability, particularly on game days. System health updates will be provided hourly for several hours before and after each match.

Plan Bay Area 2050+ Approved by CARB

  • On Friday, June 19, MTC and ABAG received formal approval of Plan Bay Area 2050+ from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), concurring that if implemented the regional plan would achieve its state-mandated 2035 greenhouse gas emission reduction target, as required by Senate Bill 375 (Steinberg). This marks the final approval step required for Plan Bay Area 2050+ following its adoption in March 2026, given recent approvals by Caltrans and FHWA/FTA. A major update to the long-range regional plan, Plan Bay Area 2060, will kick off this fall, synchronized with ABAG’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Cycle 7 process.

State Loan on Track to Fund by July 1

  • An emergency state loan is on track to fund by July 1, consistent with Assembly Bill 117, which authorized a $590 million loan for Bay Area transit agencies to avert major service cuts at AC Transit, BART, Caltrain and San Francisco Muni during the 2026–27 fiscal year beginning July 1.
  • A major milestone was reached on Monday, June 22, when all loans were executed and a loan closing was held with all parties. This clears the way for the state to fund the loan, slated for June 30, and for MTC to transfer funds to the four operators that day or the following day as outlined in the loan agreements. These actions follow the Commission’s late May action authorizing loan agreements with the State of California and the transit operators through MTC Resolution No. 4782.

Final Phase One Financial Efficiency Report Transmitted to the Legislature

  • As shared in an email to the Commission on May 28, the final Phase One Financial Efficiency Review (FER) report was approved by the Independent Oversight Committee on May 22, 2026, pursuant to Senate Bill 63. Following the Committee’s action, MTC staff and the consultant team incorporated the minor revisions directed by the Committee as part of its approval motion, including the addition of one Early Action Strategy. The approved final report has now been posted to the MTC website at: MTC SB 63 webpage
  • As required by SB 63, MTC formally transmitted the Final Phase One report to:
    1. The California Legislature
    2. The subject transit operators
    3. The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA)
    4. The participating county transportation authorities
  • Each of the four operators — AC Transit, BART, Caltrain, and SFMTA — has identified the Early Action Strategies it commits to implementing and adopted those strategies through formal actions in advance of the July 1 statutory deadline.

MTC Invites Comments on Draft Public Participation Plan

  • Please help spread the word that public comment is open for MTC’s Public Participation Plan (PPP). The PPP seeks to provide residents with information on how to participate in and influence the regional policy development and decision-making processes.Visit the website to read the draft report and submit feedback. The comment period closes at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 23. Public Participation Plan

Transit and FIFA World Cup 26™

  • FIFA World Cup 26™ fans are encouraged to use public transportation to attend the games, and MTC is providing all the information fans need through a dedicated webpage: FIFA World Cup 26™ transit information
  • MTC is partnering with Bay Area transit agencies on a coordinated digital media campaign to promote transit to the games and fan fests, as well as coordinated wayfinding. MTC also partnered with FIFA to provide Clipper BayPasses to about 1,000 FIFA volunteers. BART, Caltrain, Muni, and VTA are offering limited after-midnight transit service so fans can return to locations on the Peninsula, San Francisco, and the East Bay after matches starting at 8 and 9 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium. VTA, BART, and Caltrain transported more than 37,000 passengers to and from the June 16 opening FIFA World Cup match between Qatar and Switzerland, setting a new ridership record for a major event at Levi’s Stadium. Following the match, VTA once again surpassed industry expectations by clearing light-rail platforms serving the stadium in less than 90 minutes. The benchmark for clearing crowds after a major event at Levi’s Stadium is two hours.

Pride Month at MTC

  • MTC is celebrating Pride Month with our sister agency, the Bay Area Air District, at the 56th Annual San Francisco Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28. Family and friends are welcome to participate and support the LGBTQ+ community. The agency has also partnered with local transit agencies on the “Moving the Bay Area with Pride” campaign to encourage people to take transit this month and highlight the inclusivity of public transportation. MTC is supporting the event with paid digital promotion and giveaways for parade attendees.

FTA to Finalize Triennial Review

  • This month, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will finalize its second Triennial Review of MTC. FTA conducts a review of every direct recipient of federal public transit funding to ensure compliance with federal funding laws and regulations. Due to the use of federal formula funds for Clipper and the pass-through of funds to subrecipient agencies for purchasing transit vehicles, MTC undergoes a review every three years.
  • The draft review resulted in three findings related to Clipper asset maintenance and inventory and the conduct of subrecipient risk assessments. While maintenance and inventories of assets such as card readers and ticket vending machines are regularly performed, the FTA requires MTC to develop more explicit procedures and gather regular evidence of their implementation. Subrecipients are also direct recipients of FTA funding, and additional risk assessments may be redundant. However, MTC will develop a procedure to ensure subrecipient risk assessments are conducted regularly in accordance with FTA rules.
  • MTC is committed to working with the FTA to ensure our procedures are first-rate and meet all regulatory requirements.

SB 79 Updated Maps Posted

  • MTC recently released an updated map of the areas where Senate Bill 79 applies in the Bay Area. Pending any final revisions, the map will become official on July 1 when SB 79 goes into effect. Staff is available to support local jurisdictions seeking to use this data to implement SB 79. For more information, visit: SB 79 Regional Map

MTC Hosts Workforce Development Partnership Collaborative

  • On June 22, MTC hosted a collaborative workforce development event at the Bay Area Metro Center in partnership with Growth Sector, a local Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Pathway (EDAP), five Bay Area community colleges, the Contra Costa Workforce Development Board, and transportation industry partners representing COMTO, WTS, CTF, LIT, and CMAA. The event connected more than 40 engineering students with transportation and engineering professionals to support mentorship, career exploration, internship opportunities, and the development of a diverse future workforce for the transportation industry. This event reinforces MTC’s commitment to regional workforce development, equity, and cultivating the next generation of transportation and civil engineering professionals.

Active Transportation Workshop, San Mateo County

  • Thank you to Commissioner Papan for joining staff and kicking off a workshop on June 23, 2026, in Redwood City. This event, under MTC’s Active Transportation and Vision Zero Program, supported local agency staff in San Mateo County as they addressed key challenges identified during a Peer Exchange hosted by MTC in December 2025. A second workshop is planned for this fall in Sonoma County.

Looking Ahead / Save the Date

  • Public Transit Revenue Measure District meeting (if needed): July 24
  • Commission Workshop: October 28–29