About Us
For well over a decade, Silicon Valley Leadership Group member companies have identified transportation and housing as their top one and two public policy issues that need to be addressed in our region. This has guided our organization’s intense effort to deliver solutions.
The Leadership Group is well known for its accomplishments related to transportation policy and funding. We have led or co-led every transportation measure in Santa Clara County dating back to 1984, which kicked-off the self-help movement in California.
Jason Baker
Sr. Vice President, Transportation, Health and Housing
[email protected]
408.501.7884
Stephen Tu
Director, Transportation Policy
[email protected]
408.501.7870
Transportation Committee
About
The Silicon Valley Leadership Group and its Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) advocate for Silicon Valley’s long-term economic health and quality of life by increasing the ease in which Silicon Valley employees, residents, products and cargo move through and within the Valley. The goal of the Transportation Policy Committee is to improve transportation in a manner that minimizes our impact on the environment.
Meetings
Meetings are generally held on the first Wednesday of each month from 11:00AM – 1:00PM. These meetings generally include:
- Speaker presentations from external transportation agencies, companies or government officials.
- Informative briefings about SVLG policy advocacy at the Local, State and Federal levels
- Briefings on Transportation plans for transportation agencies and departments
- Special Announcements
A full agenda packet with location information, previous meeting minutes and policy briefing papers is distributed at least one week in advance.
Co-Chairs
Ron Gonzales, Presencia LLC./Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley
Michael Alba, Facebook
Participating Member Companies
Transportation Workplan
Regional Transportation Initiatives
Staff Lead: Carl Guardino, President & CEO, Jason Baker, Vice President of Transportation, Housing and Community Development, Matthew Quevedo, Director of Transportation, Housing and Community Engagement
Executive Champions: Aidan Hughes, Arup
Priority: Advocate and participate in the development of expenditure plans, policy frameworks and placement on the ballot, of a three-county Caltrain Measure and/or a nine-county Bay Area Transformative Transportation Measure.
Quantifiable Goals:
- Develop a strong coalition and nascent political committee committed to funding and leading a 2020 Caltrain Measure and/or a Potential Transformative Transportation Measure.
- Achieve formal commitment by SamTrans and/or MTC leadership to conduct the formal pre-campaign public outreach effort required ahead of 2020 ballot measure placement.
BART Opening Celebration and Advocacy
Staff Lead: Jason Baker, Vice President of Transportation, Housing and Community Development, Matthew Quevedo, Director of Transportation, Housing and Community Engagement
Executive Champion:
Priority: Plan and execute an event that celebrates the success and opening of BART to Silicon Valley, Phase 1. Continue advocacy at the Federal, State and Local levels for BART funding and desired implementation.
Quantifiable Goals:
- Complete trip to Sacramento/Washington D.C. advocating for BART at the State and Federal level.
- Complete event that celebrates the completion of BART Phase I.
Innovative Mobility Solutions
Staff Lead: Matthew Quevedo, Director of Transportation, Housing and Community Engagement, Jason Baker, Vice President of Transportation, Housing and Community Development
Executive Champion:
Priority: Advocate for projects and service changes that promote transit ridership and reduce traffic congestion along the Peninsula including HOV Toll Lanes and increasing Caltrain Ridership.
Quantifiable Goals:
- Successful completion of the Caltrain Business Plan, and advocate for Highway 101 Managed Lane, Dumbarton Bridge and Diridon Station efforts in 2019.
- Ensure plans focused on the Business Plan, Electrification, Managed Lane Project, Dumbarton Bridge and Diridon Station reflects Leadership Group efforts and priorities to reduce SOV ridership and maximize commuter rail ridership along the corridor (2019).
Caltrain Corridor/Highway 101 Solutions
Staff Lead: Jason Baker, Vice President of Transportation, Housing and Community Development, Matthew Quevedo, Director of Transportation, Housing and Community Engagement
Executive Champion: Paul Lovoi, Woodtoga
Priority: Advocate for projects and service changes that promote transit ridership and reduce traffic congestion along the Peninsula including HOV Toll Lanes and increasing Caltrain Ridership.
Quantifiable Goals:
- Successful completion of the Caltrain Business Plan, and advocate for Highway 101 Managed Lane, Dumbarton Bridge and Diridon Station efforts in 2019.
- Ensure plans focused on the Business Plan, Electrification, Managed Lane Project, Dumbarton Bridge and Diridon Station reflects Leadership Group efforts and priorities to reduce SOV ridership and maximize commuter rail ridership along the corridor (2019).
Past Wins
Recently, the Silicon Valley Competitiveness and Innovation Project, produced by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and Silicon Valley Community Foundation, found that the average Silicon Valley worker spends an hour and 10 minutes commuting per day (both ways), second only to New York City workers, who spend an hour and 14 minutes commuting. Workers stuck in traffic lose hours of productivity, and daily congestion threatens on-time delivery of products and equipment.
With the recent success of the No on Proposition 6 Campaign in November of 2018, Regional Measure 3 in June of 2018, VTA’s Measure B in 2016 and the passage of SB 1 in 2017, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group is committed to addressing our traffic crisis.
Legislation Timeline
| Category/Title | Summary |
| 2016: Measure B - Better Commutes, Better Roads | In 2016, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group led “Measure B” on the November 8 ballot, which passed with 71.74 percent of the vote. The 30-year, half cent sales tax (which started revenue collection on April 1), includes:
CEO Carl Guardino had this to say after the win, “Measure B’s success is a tribute to the vision and values of Silicon Valley voters. We don’t whine about traffic problems; instead, we find winning solutions to our traffic problems. The component parts of Measure B are like a jigsaw puzzle, in which each individual piece is important, but how it fits together leads to countywide congestion relief, meaningful transit alternatives and greatly needed improvements to repair and resurface our streets and roads.” |
| 2015: Connecting Silicon Valley with the World | A new red and gold, state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner is now in the skies above the Mineta San José International Airport. Hainan Airlines started a five-day weekly service between Beijing and San Jose on June 15, 2015. Hainan Airlines joins All Nippon Airways as the second major international flight the Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s CEO Airport Task Force helped secure. The Leadership Group formed the CEO Airport Task Force in 2010. It was the brainchild of former San José Mayor Chuck Reed and Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino who discussed it while they were on a flight from Tokyo back to San Francisco. The City of San José had just finished its modernization of the Mineta San José International Airport and turned the facility into the world-class airport it is today. The centralized location of the airport is convenient and allows employees to spend less time traveling and more time in the office and with their families. The problem was lack of flights to top business destinations. Two years ago, the Task Force had its first victory in landing ANA and a direct flight between San José and Tokyo. The success of this flight has led to expanded service, from five days a week to seven days a week. In addition to Tokyo, surveys also showed Beijing as a top business destination. |
| 2012: BART to Silicon Valley - Phase 1 to Berryessa, San Jose | BART: A day to celebrate jobs well done, written by two Silicon Valley Leadership Group members who helped lead the BART sales tax campaigns, Mike Splinter, CEO of Applied Materials, and Godfrey Sullivan, CEO of Splunk.The BART Extension’s $900 million grant agreement with the Federal government was conveyed on Monday, March 12th, 2012. |
| 2008: Measure B for BART | With the federal government instituting new policy requiring a dedicated source of local operations and maintenance revenue for any funding agreement, the region's back was against the wall to identify $50 million a year in new money. In the depths of the great recession and with billions of dollars on the line, the Leadership Group took a bold step and championed the effort to go back to the polls to save the project. 2008's Measure B, a 1/8 cent sales tax passed the 2/3's hurdle needed and guaranteed that BART to Silicon Valley would stay on track. |
| 2007: Cool Commutes Competition | 200 members of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group convened to advance a different type of innovation – programs that make employees more effective anytime and anywhere. The Cool Commutes Competition began in 2007 with the goal of encouraging Bay Area employees to use alternative modes of transit such as taking public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, walking, and teleworking rather than driving solo to work. The response was successful with Bay Area companies and other employers participating in the competition to reduce their carbon footprint. Cool Commutes was one of a dozen initiatives the Leadership Group initiated in the past with the goal to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen our dependence on foreign oil. |
| 2006: Smart Parking Conference | The Leadership Group hosted 160 public officials, transportation/planning professionals and others to discuss innovative parking policies and technological strategies to facilitate better land use. |
| 2000: Measure A: BART to Silicon Valley | Realizing a grand vision of a rapid rail system ringing the Bay Area, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group partnered with regional leaders to begin bringing BART to Silicon Valley. The success of 2000 Measure A BART to Milpitas and Berryessa (North San Jose) is delivering under budget and ahead of schedule. Projects also included extending light rail from downtown San Jose to the East Valley, increasing the level of Caltrain service and improving service in major bus corridors. For the report card on Measure A, please visit VTA here. |
| 1996: Measure A/B: The Two Measure Solution | The Leadership Group followed up the success of the 1984 Measure A , with Measure A/B. Measure A created a list of transportation projects recommended for funding while Measure B raised the revenue for Measure A. Both measures passed and funded transportation projects in Santa Clara County from 1996 - 2006 , such as Highway 17/880 improvements, Highway 101 improvements, the Highway 85/87 Interchange, and Caltrain service improvements. |
| 1984: Measure A: First Self-Help County in California | The 1984 transportation measure, Measure A, was the first of a series of sales tax efforts that the Leadership Group would take on. In the State of California, Measure A started the Self-Help County movement . |
AB 784 – Mullin (District 22) Zero Emission Electric Transit Buses
AB 784 – Mullin (District 22) Zero Emission Electric Transit Buses: SUPPORT
This bill highly benefits Californians by strengthening in-state manufacturing job opportunities, innovation, clean transit options, sustainable community development and environmental benefits in our communities, including disadvantaged communities. Public transit agencies are often cash strapped, losing money at the fare box and relying on federal, state and local subsidies and grants to cover capital costs. California is one of the only states that charges sales tax on public transit agencies. Removing the state portion of the sales tax for transit bus purchases will reduce the upfront capital costs and incremental costs between technologies, decreasing the burden on transit agencies and encouraging early compliance with the Innovative Clean Transit regulation, leading to immediate emissions reductions and accelerating the deployment of zero-emission vehicles for all Californians. For these important reasons, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group strongly proudly supports AB 784.
Status: Senate Appropriations Committee.
For more information, please contact Heidi Sickler, Director of Energy and Environment at [email protected] or 408.501.7883, or Jason Baker, Vice President of Transportation, Housing & Community Development at [email protected] or 408.501.7884.
AB 1286 - Muratsuchi Shared Mobility Devices - Agreements
AB 1286 – Muratsuchi (District ) Shared Mobility Devices – Agreements: OPPOSE UNLESS AMENDED
The legislation, passed by the Assembly last month, would prohibit scooter and bike share companies from including waiver or release provisions in their user agreements. These waivers are standard contractual clauses designed to protect companies from liability for accidents caused through no fault of their own. These protections make it possible for many industries to exist, protecting them from frivolous lawsuits for behavior or conditions that are out of their control. California law already protects consumers by addressing the scope of such waivers. Ignoring this, AB 1286 would rewrite state law for these companies alone by making them responsible for risks taken by riders.
Status: Senate Judiciary Committee and is now a 2-year bill
For more information, please contact Jason Baker, Vice President of Transportation, Housing and Community Development at [email protected] or 408.501.7884
SB 127 - Wiener (District 11) Complete Streets Bill
SB 127 – Wiener (District 11) Complete Streets Bill: SUPPORT
In California, Highways sometimes act as central roads through cities and towns. These Highways carry more than automobile and truck traffic, they also carry our neighbors who choose to walk, use a bicycle, or hop on different modes of micromobility. With so many of our neighbors choosing more and more to commute using alternative modes of transportation, California needs to ensure these Highways are maintained to allow and protect these healthier and more environmentally friendly alternatives. SB 127 will do this by making Complete Streets a priority in all future planning, guaranteeing that State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) funding will be used to protect all commuters (regardless of the mode of transportation), and will establish the Office of Active Transportation within Caltrans to oversee the adherence to complete streets policies and goals.
Status: Assembly Appropriations Committee
For more information, please contact Jason Baker, Vice President of Transportation, Housing and Community Development at [email protected] or 408.501.7884
