News
CEO Rashidi Barnes Selected To Serve On The CalSTA Transit Transformation Task Force
December 8, 2023
Secretary Omishakin Appoints 25 Members to Transit Transformation Task Force
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
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
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
“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.
