SACRAMENTO – The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) today announced Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin has appointed 25 members to the state’s Transit Transformation Task Force.
Established in the transit recovery package signed by Governor Gavin Newsom as part of the 2023-24 state budget, the task force will develop policy recommendations to grow transit ridership, improve the transit experience and address long-term operational needs.
After receiving more than 70 applications from a wide range of prospective candidates representing state government, local agencies, academic institutions, advocacy organizations and other stakeholders, Secretary Omishakin made the following selections:
| Kome Ajise Executive Director, Southern California Association of Governments |
Rashidi Barnes Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority |
Alix Bockelman Chief Deputy Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission |
| Sharon Cooney Chief Executive Officer, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) |
Ian Griffiths Policy Director, Seamless Bay Area |
Amy Hance Deputy Director General Services, City of Clovis |
| James Lindsay International Vice President, Amalgamated Transit Union |
Eli Lipmen Executive Director, Move LA |
Juan Matute Deputy Director, UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies |
| Kate Miller Executive Director, Napa Valley Transportation Authority/Vine Transit |
Lorelle Moe-Luna Multimodal Services Director, Riverside County Transportation Commission |
Seamus Murphy Executive Director, San Francisco Bay Water Emergency Transportation Authority |
| Laurel Paget-Seekins Senior Policy Advocate for Transportation Justice, Public Advocates |
Michael Pimentel Executive Director, California Transit Association |
Robert Powers General Manager, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) |
| Carl Sedoryk CEO, Monterey-Salinas Transit District |
David Sforza Principal Consultant, Assembly Transportation Committee |
Tony Tavares Director, Caltrans |
| Laura Tolkoff Transportation Policy Director & Interim Chief Policy Officer, SPUR |
Mark Tollefson Undersecretary, CalSTA |
Michael Turner Executive Officer - Government Relations, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority |
| Kari Watkins Associate Professor, UC Davis |
Mark Watts Legislative Advocate, Transportation California |
Melissa White Principal Consultant, Senate Transportation Committee |
| Jim Wunderman President and CEO, Bay Area Council |
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“Public transportation is essential to achieving our state’s world-leading climate and equity goals but is facing an existential crossroads – not just in California but throughout the country,” said Secretary Omishakin. “I look forward to partnering with task force members on ways to put our state’s public transit agencies on a path toward long-term financial stability and delivering a world-class transit system for all people in California.”
The task force will kick off with a virtual meeting on December 19 and aims to meet in person every two months beginning in February 2024. Agendas, meeting materials and other task force information will be available on the CalSTA website.
CalSTA, in consultation with the task force, will prepare a report of findings and policy recommendations based on the task force’s efforts and submit it to the Legislature by October 2025. The report will include a detailed analysis of specified issues and recommendations on specified topics, including, among others, reforming the Transportation Development Act.
The task force was established as part of Senate Bill 125, which also gives transit agencies increased flexibility to use state investments to fund transit operations or capital improvements, along with accountability measures. Just this year, California has invested nearly $3.5 billion in state funding to expand transit and passenger rail service throughout the state.
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