Transit

The Transit WG was officially chartered on 1/26/2026.

Charter

As members of Silicon Valley DSA, we propose the creation of a

  1. Transit Working Group,
  2. which would report to the Silicon Valley DSA Chapter.
  3. The Transit Working Group will work to:
    • Eliminate car-dependency through the creation of fast, free, and equitable public transit that is sustainably and progressively funded.
    • Fight for transit-oriented development that prioritizes the needs of people over profit. 
    • Build power to confront the fossil and auto industries that lock us into car-centric infrastructure and extract wealth from working-class communities. 
    • Eliminate exclusionary zoning. 
    • Establish coalitions with transit-oriented organizations in the bay area to build power and achieve common goals.
    • Research and advocate for transit in historically underserved communities.
    • Advocate for and platform pro-transit candidates in collaboration with the chapter’s electoral committee. Educate membership on candidate positions and policies on transit. 
    • Challenge capitalist, individualized solutions to transport challenges (e.g. EVs and self-driving cars) that rely on extractivist supply chains.
  4. using these initial strategies:
    • Coalition Building
      1. Establishing coalitions with other transit-oriented agencies working in the Bay Area 
    • Education
      1. Host education sessions on threats to bay-area transit and our vision for its future
      2. Host or co-host transit-oriented socials
    • Engaging in public comment at MTC and VTA board meetings 
    • Engaging in transit-oriented rallies
    • Collaboration with the housing working group on projects relevant to both working groups
  5. and focusing on these specific goals for 2026:
    • Advocate for pro-transit legislation and/or ballot measures through general awareness gathering (flyering, education sessions, socials, etc), signature gathering, or through electoral advocacy. 
    • Build a strong working relationship with Transbay and Seamless.
    • Host at least 2 educational/social events raising awareness of ecosocialism and the importance of transit to the democratic socialist agenda.
  6. to last until the above objectives are met.
  7. We anticipate that we will need to spend no special allotment of funds other than for meeting space and incidental expenses such as printing and member outreach (through textbanking, phonebanking, etc). Should we pursue initiatives that require it, we will request additional funds from the Chapter Officers through the expenditure authorization processes specified in the Bylaws.
  8. Membership is open to all Silicon Valley DSA members.