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Engagement & Outreach

Creating New Ways to Collaborate and Engage as we Build a Better Future

A transformational Program like Link21, one that will improve our quality of life across Northern California for future generations to come, demands a robust engagement approach to reach the diverse residents and visitors across the 21-county Northern California Megaregion. BART and Capitol Corridor are focused on learning from the past, listening to our communities, and working together to shape and solve our challenges of today and the future. At the core of Link21 is a commitment to equitable engagement designed to reach our megaregional communities, from decision makers and agency leaders to community stakeholders and the general public. Link21's multi-faceted Engagement and Outreach Program proactively creates opportunity for information exchange, convenient participation, and ongoing input gathering. We are continuously collaborating with over 60 public agencies and community-based organizations to find ways to effectively reach our audiences where they are comfortable and have interactive discussions about the future of travel in our Megaregion.

Engagement and Outreach Strategy

The Link21 Program Team implements community outreach holistically to stakeholders through a variety of activities in a cycle of constant engagement touchpoints.

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Equitable Engagement wit Stakeholders graphic
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Communications Strategy

  • Informational/Educational Material
  • Interactive Website
  • Social Media/Media Relations
  • Electronic Notifications
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Engagement Strategy

  • Stakeholder Partnerships
  • Briefings/Presentations/Community Tabling Events
  • In-Person and Virtual Public Meetings/Workshops
  • Survey/Polling

Link with Us and Join the Conversation!

Link21 offers communities and stakeholders a variety of communication and engagement methods; get involved in the best way that works for you. 

Engagement & Outreach by the Numbers

From program kickoff to present, Link21 has been continuously engaging, collaborating and sharing information with stakeholders. As of August 31, 2024:

31

Equity Advisory Council Events

316

Government & Agency Representative Meetings

242

Public/Community Meetings & Events

12 

Stakeholder Updates

34,494

Email Subscribers

10,400+

Respondents to Ten Surveys & Polls

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The Link21 Team engaging with fans at the Golden State Warrirors vs. Sacramento Kings game at Chase Center in San Francisco, January 2024
The Link21 Team engaging with fans at the Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings game at Chase Center in San Francisco, January 2024 
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Link21 Team presenting to University of California, Davis Transit Lab students, January 2024
Link21 Team presenting to University of California, Davis Transit Lab students, January 2024 
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Link21 Team meeting with the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association in San Francisco, November 2023
Link21 Team meeting with the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association in San Francisco, November 2023 

What We’ve Heard

Through ongoing conversations, Link21 continues to gather stakeholder and community input.

In fall 2023, a public policy-oriented opinion research company conducted a Link21 online survey to 1,255 registered voters across the 21-county Northern California Megaregion — half of which were from outside the nine-county Bay Area. The goal of the research was to collect information on megaregional commute patterns and transportation needs. 

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70 percent of respondents support Link21, 52 percent said peninsula service through San Francisco to Oakland with faster and more direct trips is very or extremely important, and 71 percent said creating a broader and more connected rail network was very or extremely important

Below are examples of feedback on the top five key themes that have been identified:

Access/Connection

Desire to:

  • Walk, bike, or ride transit to stations
  • Minimize transfers needed to access destinations 

Interest in: 

  • Link21 concepts providing improved megaregional connections (i.e. North/South Bay, Peninsula, specific East Bay and San Francisco locations, Bay Area airports, Sacramento, Stockton, and Davis) 
  • Seamless connections between various local and regional transit 
Service

Desire for:

  • Longer service hours
  • Frequent service
  • Faster trips
  • Reliable service

Interest in:

  • Service during weekend afternoons, weekday rush hours, and weekend nights
  • Improved safety and cleanliness
Stations

Desire for:

  • Stations in certain locations (i.e. Alameda, Oakland, Mission Bay, San Antonio, Jack London Square)
  • More station amenities that elevate the passenger experience (i.e. restaurants, convenience stores, coffee shops, etc.) 
  • Improved signage and wayfinding at stations, especially those with multiple transfer options

Interest in:

  • Sales Force Transit Center with multiple transit options
  • Stations that are integrated with last-mile service options
  • How land use policies around existing stations can be modified for more transit incorporated communities
Equity/Priority Populations

Interest in:

  • Options for displaced community members to return to future neighborhood developments
  • Fully accessible stations with community benefits (i.e. free Wi-Fi, daycare services, etc.) as part of the Link21 service upgrades
  • Learning what factors are utilized to determine a priority area

Concerns about:

  • Impacts to historically disadvantaged communities, and racial disparities in transit usage and access
  • Community disruptions caused by new station construction
  • Displacement from Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) or eminent domain, and gentrification around new stations or other development
  • Ensuring information, such as service announcements, maps, and fliers, are available in more languages
Infrastructure and Concepts

Desire for:

  • Pedestrian-friendly infrastructure improvements around current and future stations
  • Reducing out-of-station transfers
  • Continuous updating of crossing for future growth

Interest in:

  • Concepts that improve megaregional connections to the Bay Area
  • Understanding trade-offs between concepts, how those trade-offs are quantified, and how present concepts were determined
  • Benefits of concepts to communities 
  • Continuous updating of crossing including concepts that could potentially accommodate High-Speed Rail

Engagement Resources

The Link21 Team continues to expand our communications tools to provide updated and timely information to our diverse community members. We have a number of resources found in the Engagement & Outreach drop down menu on the Document Library page.