CalSTA updates EAC subcommittee on Transit Transformation Task Force, outlines report and recommendations

CalSTA staff described the Transit Transformation Task Force's work, statutory scope and schedule to the Interagency Equity Advisory Committee's Transportation Planning and Program Guidance Subcommittee, saying the task force's final report to the Legislature is due in October 2025.

The presentation, led by Hunter Owens of CalSTA, explained that Senate Bill 125 both provided short-term pandemic recovery funding and created a 25-member Transit Transformation Task Force (TTTF) charged with recommending policies to grow ridership, improve the rider experience and address long-term operational needs. "Our report to the Legislature is due in October 2025," Owens said, describing a three-tranche release of draft materials this summer and fall and a final report to meet the statutory deadline.

Why it matters: the task force will produce a set of recommendations aimed at legislative and administrative changes, and CalSTA staff framed the work as focused on transformational rather than incremental ridership gains. The TTTF's recommendations could influence state funding guidance and administrative practices that affect local transit agencies and regional plans.

CalSTA described the task force's membership and supporting groups: a 25-member task force representing state, regional and local agencies, advocacy groups, labor and academia; a 13-member technical working group for detailed implementation analysis; and subject-matter expert interviews. The presentation said the task force has approved a draft outline organized around four guiding principles — better service, better outcomes, coordination of transit and land use, and operational sustainability — and that appendices will include a data-driven analysis requested by the Legislature and a comprehensive table of strategies and recommendations.

Statutory topics the task force is addressing include fare coordination and integration, coordinated scheduling, transit prioritization, first-and-last-mile access, fleet and asset management, land use and housing, workforce development, Transportation Development Act reform, state oversight of agencies, revenue sources and value capture. Owens said the task force is also advancing recommendations on accessible transportation and paratransit, after outreach and input from experts.

Subcommittee members asked about outreach and implementation. David Acevedo and Michelle Roussey emphasized engaging riders and operators, particularly passengers who use paratransit; Michelle noted that some counties maintain needs assessments that could inform the task force. Peggy Martinez, speaking from lived-experience and advocacy perspectives, urged attention to paratransit eligibility boundaries and service gaps. Hunter Owens said the task force has sought input from both operators and end users and intends to include recommendations on paratransit and accessible transportation in tranche 1.

Members also raised governance and local implementation questions. Howard Wong and others discussed regional coordination and the potential benefits and political challenges of consolidating or better coordinating multiple transit agencies in a region. Anna Gonzales asked how task force appointments were made; Owens said the CalSTA secretary appoints statutorily required members and that the task force has supplemented statutory membership with a technical working group and extensive outreach.

CalSTA staff outlined the tranche schedule described in the presentation: the first tranche (executive summary and guiding principles) was to be rescheduled, the second tranche is slated for release and review on August 4 (meeting in the BART Boardroom, Oakland), and the third tranche on September 30 at SACOG, with the final report submitted to the Legislature before the statutory October 31 deadline. The presentation also noted a range of detailed analyses planned for appendix A, including ridership demographics, funding allocations between capital and operations, 10-year cost projections for transit systems, and the operational impacts of state and federal mandates such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and California Air Resources Board regulations.

Observers and members requested more clarity on how EAC input will be tracked and incorporated. Several members asked for stronger, documented feedback loops so that EAC and subcommittee contributions are visible in the task force record. CalSTA staff said they will incorporate comments received during the tranches and share contact information for staff leads to facilitate follow-up input.

The subcommittee did not take formal action on the TTTF materials at this meeting; members were encouraged to submit written comments during the tranche comment periods and to participate in upcoming task force meetings and public comment opportunities.

The presentation and conversation highlighted paratransit and accessible-transportation concerns and requested more outreach to end users, while also raising regional governance and funding questions that members said will affect implementation on the ground. CalSTA staff said they will circulate materials and dates and accepted offers from members to share local needs-assessment data and stakeholder contacts for further outreach.