Transit Priority | Metropolitan Transportation Commission

Transit Priority | Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Friday, April 17, 2026
Update
Transit Priority
MTC is working with transit agencies, Caltrans, cities and counties to plan and implement transit priority infrastructure and transit-supportive policies that improve travel times and the reliability of Bay Area buses and light rail trains.
Transit priority is a toolbox of policies and infrastructure that help transit passengers get to their destination more quickly and reliably. Tools can include roadway design, new traffic signal timing, traffic enforcement and more.
Making transit faster and more reliable improves the customer experience and encourages more people to use transit. Investing in transit priority on Bay Area roadways helps meet the climate and equity goals of the long-range regional plan,
Plan Bay Area 2050+,
and the
Transit Transformation Action Plan
Since 2012, MTC has invested over $150 million in transit priority initiatives through a variety of grant programs. See the
interactive map of MTC’s transit priority investments
throughout the region.
Transit Priority Actions & Work Plan Activities
MTC’s efforts in advancing transit priority in the Bay Area include the following initiatives:
Timeline and Status of Work Plan Activities
Initiative
Anticipated Completion
Current Status
Transit Priority Policy for Roadways
Policy adopted January 2026
See MTC Resolution No. 4739
Transit Priority Roadway Assessment and development of regional Transit Priority Network
Early 2027
Initial tasks underway
Bus Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery (BusAID)
As early as mid-2026 (first round of projects)
First round of projects actively being implemented. Call for next round of projects anticipated after completion of Transit Priority Roadway Assessment
Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials Transit Signal Priority (IDEA TSP)
As early as 2027
Project initiation/set-up underway
Transit Priority Policy for Roadways
MTC’s Bay Area Transit Priority Policy for Roadways (
MTC Resolution No. 4739
) was adopted in January 2026. The Policy aims to enhance the transit rider experience by supporting implementation of transit priority infrastructure and policies that improve transit travel times and reliability, and promote active interagency engagement necessary to be successful.
Learn more about the
Transit Priority Policy for Roadways
Credit
AC Transit
Transit Priority Roadway Assessment
MTC is conducting a Transit Priority Roadway Assessment to evaluate the need for – and guide future investments in – transit priority projects in the Bay Area.
The Assessment will:
Analyze existing transit conditions
Identify “hotspot” locations with notable delay and reliability issues
Develop a regional Transit Priority Network of key transit corridors throughout the Bay Area
Lay out an implementation strategy for near-term action
Create a Transit-Supportive Roadway Design Toolkit technical resource
Learn more about the
Transit Priority Roadway Assessment
Credit
Sergio Ruiz
Bus Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery (BusAID)
In 2023, MTC implemented the Bus Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery (BusAID) program, which funds the delivery of quick-build transit priority projects. BusAID invests in projects that maximize bus (and light rail) travel time savings and service reliability improvements for the most people as quickly as possible, while centering on the groups of people that depend on transit the most.
The first round of BusAID funds were awarded to
eight transit priority projects
in spring 2024, followed by an
additional project award
in fall 2024. These projects may be completed as early as mid-2026. A call for the next round of BusAID projects is anticipated after the completion of the Transit Priority Roadway Assessment.
For additional information on individual BusAID projects, see these project websites:
Park Street Transit Signal Priority & Signal Optimization
(Alameda)
International Boulevard Transit Lane Delineation
(Oakland)
Monument Corridor Transit Speed Improvements
(Concord)
K-Ingleside Rapid Ocean Avenue Quick-Build
(San Francisco)
Alvarado-Niles Road Part-Time Transit Lane Pilot
(Union City)
Vision Zero East San Jose Safety Corridor Project for Senter Road
(San José)
Cloud-Based Transit Signal Priority at 174 Intersections along VTA’s Frequent Network
(San José)
El Camino Real: Fast Tracking Corridor-Wide Implementation of a Safe, Connected, Transit-Oriented Boulevard (Grand Boulevard Initiative)
(San Mateo County)
New passenger boarding islands installed along the Muni K-Ingleside light rail line on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco, funded by BusAID.
Credit
SFMTA
Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials Transit Signal Priority (IDEA TSP)
MTC is providing funding and technical assistance through the
Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials Transit Signal Priority (IDEA TSP) program
to improve transit travel times and reliability. TSP on arterial roadways benefits transit operations, while minimizing impacts to general traffic, by modifying the signal timing to favor transit only when a transit vehicle is present.
IDEA TSP funds were awarded to
five transit priority projects
in fall 2024. The IDEA TSP-funded projects may be completed as early as 2027.
Transit Performance Initiative
Since 2012,
the Transit Sustainability Project and Transit Performance Initiative (TPI)
has invested over $130 million in transit priority projects and other transit operational improvements to increase efficiency and ridership. The next planned TPI call for projects is anticipated in fall 2025, with funding awards in spring 2026.
Forward Commute Initiatives
MTC is leading the design and delivery of transit priority treatments along key highway and freeway corridors with the
Forward Commute Initiatives
Bay Bridge Forward
Richmond-San Rafael Forward
Dumbarton Forward
, and
Napa Valley Forward
include transit priority infrastructure investments (e.g., transit signal priority, bus queue jump lanes, HOV lane extensions, bus-on-shoulder lanes and interchange reconfigurations) as well as HOV lane policy changes (including occupancy requirements and hours of operation) to make transit faster and more reliable.
Projects such as the West Grand Avenue Bus and High Occupancy Vehicle Lane are actively being implemented. Others are in the planning and design stages.
Staff Contacts
Joel Shaffer, MTC
Transit Priority Project Manager
Email:
jshaffer@bayareametro.gov
Britt Thesen, MTC
Principal, Regional Network Management
Email:
bthesen@bayareametro.gov
Mika Miyasato, AC Transit
Principal Transit Priority Planner
Email:
mmiyasato@actransit.org
All transit priority staff can be reached at
TransitPriority@BayAreaMetro.gov
Transit Priority Definition & Examples
"Transit Priority" refers to infrastructure and policies that decrease transit vehicle travel times and enable transit to move more reliably by avoiding traffic congestion and minimizing delays. This includes, but is not limited to:
Transit Lanes:
lanes dedicated exclusively for transit vehicles, either full-time or during days/times with peak traffic congestion.
High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes:
lanes dedicated to transit vehicles and other high-occupancy vehicles, either full-time or during days/times with peak traffic congestion.
Transit Signal Priority (TSP):
modified traffic signal timing so transit vehicles encounter a green light or reduced wait times at intersections with traffic lights/signals.
Queue Jump Lanes:
lanes exclusively for transit vehicles and HOVs to bypass traffic queues at intersection approaches or freeway on-ramps. Queue jump lanes are often paired with TSP.
Bus-on-Shoulder Lanes:
a policy, plus supportive infrastructure and ongoing maintenance, allowing buses to use shoulders on limited-access highways as transit lanes, either full-time or during days/times with peak traffic congestion.
Transit Stop Placement & Spacing:
locations for transit stops that minimize delay and optimize stop frequency (to balance convenient stop access with efficient operations). Examples of improved locations might be the far side of intersections with traffic lights, or the near side of intersections controlled by a stop sign.
Transit Stop Design:
designing stops to reduce delays to transit vehicles (such as using  boarding islands or bus bulbs/curb so buses do not have to pull in and out of the traffic lane during passenger loading/unloading).
Traffic/Parking Regulations & Enforcement:
regulations to speed transit travel (including turn restrictions for non-transit vehicles, tow-away zones and other curb management along transit routes), paired with automated or manual enforcement to ensure effective transit priority (such as on-bus cameras that can cite vehicles blocking transit-only lanes or bus zones).
Boarding/Fare Payment Policy:
practices such as off-board fare payment and all-door boarding which speed up passenger boarding/exiting, minimizing the amount of time needed for transit to serve stops.
Additional information and design guidance for transit priority elements is provided in the
Transit Street Design Guide
by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).
Partnership
MTC collaborates with regional and statewide partners to help make transit priority projects more efficient and effective in the long term. This includes working with transit agencies and local cities and counties to draft the Bay Area Transit Priority Policy for Roadways and develop the regional Transit Priority Network as part of the Transit Priority Roadway Assessment. MTC also partners with Caltrans on its transit-focused efforts:
Director’s Transit Policy:
MTC engaged with Caltrans and provided feedback on the Director’s Transit Policy, which provides direction for Caltrans transit strategy and activities throughout the state. It was finalized in early 2026.
Caltrans Bay Area Transit Plan:
MTC also partnered with Caltrans on the Bay Area Transit Plan, a first-of-its-kind district-level plan that identifies transit priority infrastructure needs and access improvements on the state highway system in the region. The plan was completed in early 2026.
Transit Speed & Reliability Data: MTC is partnering with the California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP), funded via the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and Caltrans, to more effectively and transparently share transit vehicle speed and reliability data with the public.
Related Documents
Adoption of Bus Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery (BusAID) Program (MTC Resolution No. 4647)
316.78 KB
pdf
Transit Priority Policy for Roadways (MTC Resolution No. 4739)
232.49 KB
pdf
Digital Library
Related News
January 28, 2026
MTC Adopts Policy to Improve Transit Travel Times and Reliability
April 23, 2024
Regional Network Management Council Recommends Funding Eight Transit Projects to Reduce Travel Times and Improve Reliability
Transit Review & Coordination Tech Transfer Seminar
Attend the Transit Review & Coordination Tech Transfer Seminar on May 4 to learn how to complete the new transit review process and document it through the newly updated Complete Streets Checklist portal. Hear about best practices when coordinating projects between local jurisdictions and transit agencies.
See event details.
Transit Priority Fact Sheet
Learn about the types of treatments, regional initiatives, budget, timeline and more.
See the Fact Sheet.
Examples of Transit Priority Treatments
See examples of the different types of Transit Priority techniques in use in the Bay Area.
See the story.
Map of Transit Priority Investments
See the location of MTC's investments in Transit Priority projects throughout the Bay Area.
Use the map.
Transit Transformation Action Plan (TAP)
Transit Priority is just one part of the Transit Transformation Action Plan that aims to improve the Bay Area’s public transportation network.
Learn about the TAP.