ACEC BBC: Panel Discussion, “Steering Away from the Fiscal Cliff: How Transit Agencies are Closing the Gap”
Transit agencies throughout the country have been hard hit by increasing costs and declining ridership in the wake of changing commute patterns brought on by the pandemic. Although ridership is increasing and some emergency funding has been secured, more work remains to be done to avert the fiscal cliff.
Please join ACEC Bay Bridge Chapter to hear our esteemed transit agency representatives Rebecca Long (MTC), Sam Sargent (Caltrain) and Amanda Cruz (BART) discuss potential long term funding sources as well as policies and programs to increase ridership throughout the Bay Area.
Also joining us virtually for this special event will be State Senator Scott Wiener to deliver our opening remarks.
About The Speakers:
Senator Scott Wiener, District 11 Senator Wiener represents San Francisco and northern San Mateo County in the California State Senate. Elected in 2016, Senator Wiener focuses extensively on housing, transportation, civil rights, criminal justice reform, clean energy, and alleviating poverty. He chairs the Senate Housing Committee and is Co-Chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. He is a past Chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. Before his election to the Senate, Senator Wiener served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing the district previously represented by Harvey Milk. He also chaired the San Francisco County Transportation Authority.
Rebecca Long, Director, Legislation & Public Affairs, Metropolitan Transportation Commission/Association of Bay Area Government Relations Rebecca has been with the MTC for over 20 years and has been a key part of cultivating the San Francisco Bay Area’s public transportation infrastructure. Her previous positions were Government Relations Manager for the MTC as well as the Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst for the California Legislature.
Sam Sargent, Director of Strategy and Policy, Caltrain Sam Sargent serves as Director of Strategy and Policy for Caltrain in the Bay Area. Prior to joining the railroad’s executive team, he served as Director of Strategy, Director of Government Affairs, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Capital Metro in Austin, Texas. A planner and lawyer by training, Sam holds a bachelors and law degree from Boston University. A lifelong lover of transit, he is a Mass Transit 40 Under 40 and Railway Age 25 Under 40 award winner. When he is not working on the railroad, you can find Sam running, reading and exploring California.
Amanda Cruz, Director of Government and Community Affairs
Amanda has more than 15 years of experience in community engagement, legislative affairs, and policy development in the public and non-profit sectors. She joined BART in 2013 and is currently the Director of Government and Community Relations within the Office of External Affairs. In this role, Amanda leads a team dedicated to building and maintaining relationships with local, state, and federal elected officials and communities across BART’s five-county service area. She has been instrumental in leveraging political and community support for key initiatives such as BART’s Transbay Corridor Core Capacity Project and is currently focused on rebuilding transit ridership through BART’s Safe & Clean Campaign.
Program:
CHECK IN/NETWORKING BEGINS 11:30 AM
PROGRAM STARTS 12:00 PM
PROGRAM ENDS 1:15 PM
Sponsorships available!
Gold (4 max): $500 member firm
2 tickets to the event included
60 seconds on the mic to speak about the firm at the beginning of the event
logo on all promotional materials (digital and paper)
Silver (4 max): $250 member firm
1 ticket to the event included
Sponsor acknowledgment at the event
Logo on all promotional materials (digital and paper)