Transportation 2030: Getting from Here to There

On Saturday, June 14, 2003, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission will hold an all-day summit to discuss the future of transportation in the Bay Area, entitled "Getting from Here to There". The public is invited to participate in planning the 25-year vision for transportation in the region. The meeting is the kickoff of an 18-month process to revise the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) (see April/May 2003 issue). The revised RTP will include transportation policies, investments and projects through the year 2030.

Through presentations from panelists, small group discussions, and electronic keypad voting, summit participants will weigh in on how they feel the region's transportation should change and grow. Concerned about the elderly, a growing segment of Bay Area residents? Worried about truck traffic to seaports and airports? Weighing the difference between a bridge toll increase and a gas tax increase? This is the place to be on June 14.

The summit will be held from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco. Admission is free, but registration is requested; participants will receive lunch. For more information, visit the MTC Website at http://www.mtc.ca.gov, or call 510-464-7841.

Twenty-five Years Ago

In April 1978

• The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) approved a Caltrans proposal to build the Hwy 101 Morgan Hill bypass.
• Lawrence Livermore Lab became the first employer to use the services of RIDES
• The California Air Resources Board was moving to establish a schedule for smog inspections
• Transit operators in the Bay Area were facing deficits and planning to raise fares, particularly AC Transit, Muni and Golden Gate Transit.

In May 1978

• MTC received a preliminary report on goods movement which showed that "public agencies are concerned with regulation, not planning, and with the movement of vehicles, not the movement of goods. There is little or no coordination at the regional level at present."
• Phase IV of the Santa Clara Corridor Evaluation showed that "about 35% of the growth in jobs projected for 1990 has taken place. If the jobs growth rate continues without a corresponding increase in housing, the number of commuters from other counties will multiply."