“Our systems are more aligned now than ever”: Local transit CEOs take BART, buses, and even an electric trolley during Earth Day ride-along event

Ride-along attendees and transit riders fill a County Connection Route 14 bus.

On Friday, April 21, ten transit CEOs from across the Bay Area gathered for a multimodal, three-hour-long voyage that carried them from the green hills of Orinda to the dry heat of Pittsburg.  The “All Aboard with Transit CEOs” event was held in celebration of Earth Day as well as the ongoing coordination and collaboration of local transit agencies in the face of immense financial challenges.  Members of the public were invited to join the ride-along to meet and ride with the CEOs.  

Following the success of the first “All Aboard” event in September, which carried the CEOs from Oakland to San Francisco and back, the second ride-along saw the travelers ride a bevy of East Bay transit operators, including BART, Tri-Delta Transit, and County Connection. Leaders in attendance included BART General Manager Robert Powers, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Executive Director Andy Fremier, Bay Area Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman, Director of Transportation for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Jeffrey Tumlin, SamTrans General Manager/CEO April Chan, County Connection General Manager Bill Churchill, Tri Delta Transit CEO Rashidi Barnes, WestCAT General Manager Robert Thompson, Napa Valley Transportation Authority Executive Director Kate Miller, and  Contra Costa Transportation Authority Executive Director Timothy Haile.

The ride-along kicked off with a press conference at BART’s Orinda Station, where regional leaders stressed the importance of securing long-term sustainable funding for public transportation.

“At the heart of any region’s economy is public transit. As goes public transit goes the economy,” said BART General Manager Robert Powers, who noted that regional transportation systems “are more aligned now than ever.”

Bay Area Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman (left), BART General Manager Robert Powers (center), and Director of Transportation for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Jeffrey Tumlin are pictured at Orinda Station. 

MTC Executive Director Andy Fremier urged the state legislature to “pass a new budget that supports transit operations … to keep us going so we have a multi-year transit recovery program we can count on.” (Reference this handy Twitter thread to learn more about the distinction between transit agencies’ operating and capital budgets.) 

“California cannot meet its climate goals unless we do something about getting people on transit,” Fremier added, acknowledging the Earth Day holiday. “Part of that involves advocating aggressively to keep transit operating.”

Upon conclusion of remarks, the CEOs were rearing to start riding. As the cameras got packed up, the leaders and attendees filed through the BART fare gates and made their way onto an Antioch-bound Fleet of the Future train. During the thirty-minute ride, the passengers were treated to gorgeously green scenery that seemed ripped from a Microsoft screensaver. They were joined by BART’s Crisis Intervention Specialists, who were on-hand to answer questions about system safety and progressive policing.

The non-CEOs in attendance were especially excited to be riding transit with their regional transit leaders. Throughout the journey, they asked the CEOs tough, thoughtful questions and put forth their own suggestions for improving local transit.

Tri Delta Transit CEO Rashidi Barnes boards the 201X bus.

“I’m here representing transit riders and the general managers who make transit possible,” said Anthony Nacho, holding tight to a train strap. “This is going to be a great day!”

Aleta Dupree, a frequent public commentator at transit agency meetings, made her way from Las Vegas for the ride-along. Like Nachor, Dupree stressed that the day was a celebration of transit and the people who rely on it.

“This is all about people,” she said. “BART is the people’s system, after all.”

After the six-stop BART ride, the group disembarked at Pittsburg/Bay Point Station. From there, the CEOs had about seven minutes to board their next ride: a westbound Tri Delta Transit 201X bus. Tri Delta CEO Rashidi Barnes personally welcomed every attendee aboard, noting that the 201X bus is entirely electric.  The forty-minute ride wound through Pittsburg and Bay Point before a short trip down Highway 4. The smooth, air-conditioned trip culminated around 4pm at Concord BART Station, where the CEOs immediately boarded a County Connection Route 14 bus.

Though the bus was packed to the gills, that didn’t stop County Connection CEO Bill Churchill from doing an interview – on camera –  with a local reporter as the bus sped through Concord and Pleasant Hill.

BART's Crisis Intervention Specialists joined the ride-along from Orinda Station to Pittsburg/Bay Point Station.

Though the travel day was long, the CEOs’ enthusiasm was unshaken as the clock ticked toward 5pm. At the Walnut Creek BART Station, the travelers eagerly packed onto one of County Connection’s signature green trolleys, which carry riders around downtown Walnut Creek at no cost. One of the coolest aspects of the trolley lies underneath it. At Walnut Creek Station, the vehicles are charged wirelessly using electromagnets embedded in the roadway and on vehicle-mounted receiver plates – a similar concept to a wireless smartphone or electric toothbrush charger.

The trolley zipped around the perimeter of downtown Walnut Creek, occasionally ringing its bell for passersby, for a leisurely twenty minutes. As the sun began to dip, the trolley pulled onto N. Main St. and let its passengers off for their final destination: Stadium Pub, an iconic Walnut Creek watering hole. Drinks were had, bellies filled, and stories swapped before it was time for the well-traveled group to make their way back to BART or the bus.