Bay Area Region

When Public Transit Ceases to Be Public

Editor2 — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:06:41 -0500

By Paul Hogarth

Last week, the BART Board considered whether—given the huge spike in demand, and certain future increases to come—to charge higher fares during rush hour. Yesterday’s SF Chronicle editorialized in favor—deceptively calling it “congestion pricing” (which until now meant charging motorists a fee for driving Downtown.) Never mind that more commuters on BART means less cars on the street. Now that the public is finally taking public transit, why do we want to actively discourage the public from riding it?

Caltrain considers raising fares to cover fuel

Editor2 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

by Rachel Gordon

Caltrain commuters, many of whom were lured out of their cars to save money at the gas pump, may be paying higher fares to help offset the commuter rail agency's own rising fuel costs.

In April 2007, when Caltrain last raised fares, a gallon of diesel fuel to run the trains was almost $2.30; at the end of last week, the price was $3.39. In early July, the cost skyrocketed to $4.25, showing the volatility of fuel prices.

During the last fiscal year, Caltrain spent almost $11 million on fuel; this year's fuel budget was set at $14.4 million - but even that may not be enough, officials say.

Eliminating California's suburban sprawl

Editor2 — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

By Paul Rogers

For 30 years, as California's growing population led to sprawling suburbs, traffic jams and fewer farms, attempts to craft statewide laws to stop it have failed again and again.

City councils worried about losing local control. Property rights advocates bristled. And the ranch house with a backyard — the centerpiece of Sunset magazine and the Brady Bunch lifestyle — proved a powerful symbol.

But now, in what many observers are calling the most significant environmental bill of this year's state legislative session, builders and environmentalists have found common ground on a compromise they hope will limit global warming by changing where homes are built.

BALLE announces new Economic Justice Initiative

Editor2 — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:48:17 -0500

Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) is excited to announce its new Economic Justice Initiative to further address the issue of economic justice in our local communities, and ultimately in North America and the global economy.

BALLE has an ongoing commitment to creating new models of economic development through which communities left out of ownership opportunities in the old industrial economy gain ownership positions in the emerging local living economies.

BALLE will form five task forces of people committed to economic justice with experience in business development and network development, as well as specific experience in the building blocks of local living economies, such as food, fiber, and energy.

First Annual State of the Region: Dec 15

Editor2 — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:18:21 -0500

First Annual State of the Region: Dec 15

Save the date for December 15, 2008, for the Bay Area Social Equity Caucus Inaugural 'State of the Region' convening & 10th Anniversary Celebration in downtown Oakland!

You are invited to join our coalition members and allies from nonprofit, government, labor, and business organizations to evaluate the 'State of the Region' and continue building the movement for an equitable Bay Area.

First Annual State of the Region

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:54:11 -0500

Save the date for December 15, 2008, for the Bay Area Social Equity Caucus Inaugural 'State of the Region' convening & 10th Anniversary Celebration!

On that afternoon we'll invite the Bay Area SEC's non-profit, labor, government, business & philanthropic allies to deepen our coalition's understanding of the macro political, social, economic, & environmental forces impacting low-income people and people of color in the Bay Area.

Bay Area transit agencies to swap ideas

Editor2 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

by Eric Young

Top technology executives at several Bay Area transit agencies have begun a forum to discuss issues of common concern.

The Bay Area Transportation CIO Forum is the first of its kind in the region, bringing together chief information officers from AC Transit, BART, Caltrain, the ports of Oakland and San Francisco, San Francisco International Airport, Muni and SamTrans.

The group said it expects to meet on a quarterly basis to swap ideas on issues such as disaster planning, security and wi-fi.

Foreclosed properties become rentals

Editor2 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

By Eve Mitchell

AS the mortgage meltdown forces more homes into foreclosure in the Bay Area, some of these properties are being picked up by investors who are putting them back into the rental market.

The upshot of this activity is that more single-family houses are starting to show up as rentals in parts of the East Bay — such as Antioch — and in San Joaquin County. In addition, some condo for-sale properties in downtown Oakland — such as the Broadway Grand — are being rented out as apartments because developers are having a hard time finding buyers in today's tough housing market.

Bay Area transit systems creak under new strains

Editor2 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

by Eric Young

With ridership on the upswing, the Bay Area’s transit operators are squeezing more efficient operations from aging fleets.

San Francisco’s Muni is undertaking the most thorough review of its operations in 25 years as it rethinks routes, frequency and boarding procedures. The East Bay’s AC Transit system is timing streetlights to give buses along two major routes the right-of-way and hopes to expand that and other efficiency concepts to more of its lines. Caltrain, which continues to enjoy a ridership boost on its express service, is trying to line up funding so it can switch to more efficient electric-powered locomotives.

Regional: Bay Area Cities Spend 40 Percent More Than Nationall Average

Editor2 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Households in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area spent about 40 percent more than the average U.S. household in 2005 and 2006, according to a survey released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The consumer expenditure survey indicated that the households in those Bay Area cities spent an average of $66,344 per year compared with a national average of $47,421.

Bay Area households also differed in the way they allocated their expenditures when compared with the typical household in the U.S.

While Bay Area residents spend a larger portion of their budget on housing and personal insurance, they spend less on health care and transportation, according to the study.