Visiting Public Agencies in San Francisco

In December 2023, eight of our student members visited the Bay Area during Winter Recess. While traveling, we visited with public agencies and private firms, bonded with other ITE student chapters, and grew as a team. This article is part of a longer series documenting the trip.

On Monday, December 18th, we made our way towards the Bay Area Metro Center located in San Francisco. Leslie Lara-Enríquez, Dave Vautin, Angela Louie, Barbara Laurenson, and Ryan Jacoby gave presentations about ongoing projects and plans for the future at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments. Their commitment to affordable housing, reliable transportation, and equality were of much interest to us.

Learning about the Plan Bay Area 2050	Learning about planning strategies and best practices
Exploring the MTC/ABAG Library	All smiles in the cartography department!

We then headed to San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), where we heard from representatives of three units: Transit Operations, Livable Streets, and Transportation Engineering. Thanks to Terrill King, Kimberly Leung, Shannon Hake, and Tony Henderson for hosting us! After that, we enjoyed lunch and continued to explore the beautiful city of San Francisco.

Touring the Transit Management Center	Observing Muni light rail vehicle tracking
Discussing Livable Streets initiatives	Group photo at SFMTA

On Thursday, December 21st, we returned to downtown San Francisco toured two last agencies before heading back Southern California. We began at San Francisco County Transportation Authority, where Executive Director Tilly Chang gave an in-depth overview of SFCTA’s projects for the future, as well as their role in the greater Bay Area transportation network.

Learning about SFCTA's ongoing projects	Enjoying a lively conversation
SFCTA Executive Director Tilly Chang	Group photo at SFCTA

We ended our week of tours at the Salesforce Transit Center with a facility tour. Led by Lily Madjus-Wu and Ed Sum, we traversed the property and learned about the history of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, the transit center, and the surrounding community. We also got an exclusive tour of the underground terminal that will one day house California HSR and Caltrain in the heart of downtown San Francisco.

Learning about the TJPA	Exploring the underground area where future train platforms will exist
Discussing unique structural components of the Salesforce Transit Center	Exploring the rooftop park