23 Sep All Aboard for Transit Month Events With Free Stuff and CEOs

People wait for AC Transit buses in downtown Oakland on Sept. 5. (Andres Jimenez Larios / Bay City News)

By Andres Jimenez Larios
Bay City News

Bay Area public transit agencies will be enticing people to ride their services by offering free items on Tuesday and the chance to speak with agency officials on Friday as a part of Transit Month celebrations.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission coordinated with several public transit agencies for two events, “All Aboard Transit Day” and “All Aboard with Transit CEOs,” which are set to happen this week.

On Tuesday, people will be invited to see the services and customer experiences many operators have said are significantly improved.

Stickers and free prizes will be handed out to riders as a thanks for choosing their services as well as providing feedback to the operators.

On Friday, a multimodal trip starting in Oakland, going through San Francisco, ending in Marin and then back will be organized by several transit agencies.

Some of the leaders from the 27 transit agencies in the greater Bay Area will join passengers on a trip to the North Bay. Transfers between rail, ferry, and buses will be involved to showcase the interconnected system of transit in the region.

The two events are a part of a month-long initiative to get more people to take public transit.

“It’s amazing to see how quickly Transit Month has grown in just a few years and the diversity of events people are organizing,” Reanne Lacosta, communications manager for the transit group San Francisco Transit Riders, said in an email. “There are running clubs, neighborhood associations, history museums, college groups, national organizations, book clubs, large public agencies like BART and Muni, and environmental, labor, biking and walking, and transit advocacy organizations all hosting awesome events this September.”

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a sharp decrease in public transit usage, starting in 2020. Since then, recent growth is positive but does not match pre-pandemic levels.

MTC estimated five transit agencies, BART, Muni, Alameda Contra Costa Transit District, and Golden Gate Transit could face a combined $900 million budget shortfall at the beginning of fiscal year 2027.

Kaleo Mark a policy analyst at the transit advocacy group Seamless Bay Area spoke earlier in September about the importance of Transit Month events.

“We are at an important moment for Bay Area transit. Right now, there are so many initiatives aimed at improving transit coordination, preventing service cuts, and making the experience better for riders,” said Mark. “Now, more than ever, it’s important that we show our elected leaders how important transit is to our communities and that we need to continue funding and improving our public transit system.”

Officials hope these two events, alongside the many others throughout September, will help get more people out of their vehicles and enjoy the ride.

For more information, go to allaboardbayarea.com/transitday2025.

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