SFCTA director outlines federal funding wins, AV oversight concerns and local project priorities

Executive Director Chang briefed the San Francisco County Transportation Authority Board on Jan. 27 on federal, regional and local activity that the agency plans to track in 2026. Chang cited recent congressional action, regional planning developments and several local project priorities that will shape the agency's work this year.

Chang said the U.S. House passed what was described in the presentation as a roughly $1.2 trillion package of appropriations bills that would include money for transportation; the director said the package includes a cited $100,000,000 reference for the portal's capital investment grant prospects but noted it remained unclear whether those funds would be immediately accessible or conditioned on future grant agreements and local matches. Chang said the agency will "monitor that closely, and report on the results next month."

On autonomous vehicles, Chang described two federal developments: a larger Self-Drive Act discussed in Congress and an AV safety data bill led by Rep. Kevin Mullin that the agency helped shape. Chang warned the board that some federal proposals contain provisions that "could preempt certain state and local roles," and said the authority is coordinating with other cities, industry groups and state regulators to preserve local authorities.

Chang also described a recent California DMV enforcement action tied to automakers' use of marketing terms such as "Autopilot" and "Full Self-Driving," saying the DMV has 60 days to seek remedy or could suspend certain sales licenses "in order to stop using those names." He added plainly, "This is not a robo taxi," to underscore the distinction between current consumer driving features and higher-level autonomous operations.

Locally, Chang reviewed agency planning and delivery priorities. He said staff are updating the San Francisco Transportation Plan and expect public outreach this spring; SFMTA will resume alignment studies tied to a potential Central Subway extension. The director highlighted recent grants and project work: a USDOT Reconnecting Communities grant for the Gary/Fillmore underpass study, work on Yerba Buena Island (including a cited $3,000,000 award for a Skyway multi-use path), Caltrain and BART station work, and Prop L-funded school walk audits planned this spring for 11 schools. Chang reported the authority allocated about $40,000,000 in sales-tax (Prop L) funds in 2025 and said roughly $7,000,000 of TNC tax funding has been provided to SFMTA for traffic-calming and quick-build projects.

Chang closed by noting the agency's clean audit record and continued financial stewardship: staff were thanked for earning a certificate of achievement in excellence for financial reporting and for maintaining a strong rating on revenue bonds. He said the portal, core capacity programs and next-generation Caltrain projects will remain priorities as the agency prepares for contracting and project delivery in the coming year.

The board did not take a vote on the executive director's report; it proceeded to later agenda items that included the annual report presented by the same staff.