Tilly Chang, Carl Holmes and transit colleague at COMTO awards.

The Conference of Minority Transportation Officials honored the Transportation Authority with the Civic Equity Champion Award at their Northern California Chapter’s 19th Annual Scholarship and Industry Awards Gala in early December. 

COMTO is the leading national advocate for employment diversity, inclusion and contracting opportunities in the multi-modal, multi-billion-dollar transportation industry.

Executive Director Tilly Chang accepted the award on behalf of the Transportation Authority's entire team. She thanked COMTO for their work and for the recognition, noting that the agency’s efforts to reauthorize San Francisco’s half-cent transportation sales tax was centered on equity, from the expenditure plan development process to the investment priorities. “Equity guided our every step from start to finish,” she said.

For example, the Transportation Authority board appointed a 27-person Community Advisory Committee, which included over 50% community based organizations. Equity priority communities held the majority of seats on the CAC, and multilingual outreach focused on equity-based groups. 

San Francisco voters reauthorized the half-cent sales tax through Proposition L in November, directing $2.6 billion in funds over the next 30 years, known as the Expenditure Plan. Two thirds of investments in this plan are allocated to transit, pedestrian safety, and paratransit for seniors and persons with disabilities, which increased by $50 million compared with the previous plan. 

Separately, the American Council of Engineering Companies’ California Bay Bridge Chapter recognized the Transportation Authority as Agency of the Year. The award goes to agencies that “support, educate, connect, and advocate” for ACEC member firms to build a better California and Chapter.” We thank ACEC for this honor and look forward to continuing to engage with the Bay Bridge chapter in the new year!