On March 26, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission unanimously approved the advancement of The Portal project to Level 1 of the Commission’s Major Project Advancement Policy, known as the MAP. The MAP is the Bay Area’s policy framework for prioritizing large-scale transit projects for federal and state funding opportunities.
Transportation Authority Chair Myrna Melgar (District 7) serves as one of San Francisco’s representatives on the Commission. The full Commission’s approval of the updated MAP framework was preceded by a unanimous recommendation by the MTC Programming and Allocations Committee on March 12.
At the Committee meeting, Transportation Authority Chair Melgar spoke about the regional importance of The Portal project and elevating the project's regional priority.
The Portal’s advancement to Level 1 of MAP will allow the project to better compete for critical matching funds, including the State’s Cap and Trade program, as the Transbay Joint Powers Authority works to complete the project's funding plan. The Bay Area’s prioritization of the project aligns the Transportation Authority’s local advocacy with regional efforts to authorize state funding and secure $3.4 billion in federal funding that has been committed to The Portal.
In early March, Transportation Authority Chair Melgar and Vice Chair Sauter (District 3) visited the Salesforce Transit Center and its underground trainbox. The Portal will bring Caltrain and future California High-Speed Rail service to the Transit Center, facilitating connections throughout the Bay Area and the state. Staff from the Transbay Joint Powers Authority joined our board leadership and Transportation Authority staff in touring the facility and discussing both agencies’ shared advocacy priorities to fully fund and advance The Portal to construction.
The Portal will close the regional rail connectivity gap from the Peninsula to downtown San Francisco, enabling the Salesforce Transit Center’s full potential, and is designed to reduce emissions, enhance access to jobs and housing, and expand equitable access to transit across the Bay Area.
The Transportation Authority is a funding partner for The Portal, the single largest capital project in our Prop L sales tax program, and serves as a member of the integrated project team supporting TJPA to implement the project. Previously, the Prop K transportation sales tax program funded related investments in the Salesforce Transit Center and Caltrain Electrification projects.