Transportation

There have been numerous studies bolstering the case for residential development near transit stations. Less understood, however, are the benefits of commercial development near transit and what increased office and retail space along key transit corridors could mean for the Bay Area’s transit system, regional labor force, and economy more broadly.

The report includes chapters focused on housing and transportation, venture capital and innovation, income inequality, higher education, regional migration, globalization trends, and labor force participation. The chapters provide data points that offer early insights into how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted different aspects of the region and economy in 2020 to help the region plan for a strong and equitable economic recovery.

This report explains interconnected nature of the economy in Northern California Megaregion and examines the economic potential that a more efficient rail transit system could bring to the megaregion. The report examines how unlocking the transbay bottleneck with a new transbay rail crossing is an integral investment in building a connected rail network in the Northern California Megaregion and how that network would transform rail travel across the 21-county megaregion. 

Tri-Valley Rising was published in 2014 with the aim of taking inventory of the Tri-Valley region’s assets and resources, explaining its impressive economic success, identifying challenges that could threaten to impede its future growth, and providing policy recommendations to ensure its continued vitality. Among the report’s findings were that the Tri-Valley’s innovation assets were driving its economy, high-value connections between the Tri-Valley and the broader region were growing, a high quality of life was a large part of the Tri-Valley’s competitive advantage, and improving transportation systems between the Tri-Valley and broader region would support growing economic activity and improve competitiveness. This July 2018 update to Tri-Valley Rising builds on the findings and information presented in the first report, while also exploring more policy options for local and regional stakeholders to better connect and strengthen the Tri-Valley’s economy as it continues to grow.

By Sean Randolph and Mark Pisano Published on 9/19/2016 This piece originally appeared in the Capitol Weekly They blew it. Fifteen months ago, Governor Brown called the Legislature into special session to find new ways …

This analysis explores Santa Clara County’s current transportation characteristics, highlights planned projects, and quantifies the economic impacts of the county's November 2016 transportation ballot measure.

As the population of Northern California continues to grow, challenges in housing, land use, jobs, transportation, and the environment have crossed regional boundaries and are linking cities, counties, and regions together across wider geographies. These issues make planning at a megaregional scale increasingly necessary to achieve a broader footprint of economic prosperity and for California to reach its carbon reduction goals.

Over the last decade, the idea of impact investing—marrying financial returns with social returns—has moved from a nascent investment theory employed by a few philanthropic organizations and forward-thinking fund managers to a widely known buzzword in the investment industry. Investing with Purpose: Unlocking the Economic Potential of Impact Investments intents to dissect the concept of impact investing and its potential social effects, and concludes with a set of recommendations for structural adjustments in the impact investing field.

This report examines the unique value the Tri-Valley brings to the Bay Area economy and how it is changing. The report addresses the following questions:
How is the Tri-Valley economy changing?
How are the region's innovation assets developing?
How is the region linked to Silicon Valley and the broader Bay Area?
How is the Tri-Valley's transportation infrastructure enabling sustained economic growth?
How is the region positioning itself for the future?

An exploration of Alameda County's transportation systems, how they are funded, what role they play in supporting economic growth, and what changes are needed to ensure a prosperous future.