Why I’m Running

I’ve lived in the Bay Area for 20 years. As a public transportation manager, I led light rail planning and engineering and bus rapid transit planning. I’ve served the public as a planner at BART and the City of Oakland and partnered with local and regional agencies that are critical to AC Transit’s success.

As the transportation expert in this election, I want to use my unmatched qualifications in transportation to deliver transit that is safe, frequent, and reliable. I have the experience it takes to modernize our network and to build more connections between our communities.

–Sarah Syed, AC Transit Board Candidate  

SARAH’S 4-POINT PLAN TO IMPROVE AC TRANSIT

Better & Connected Service

Sarah will focus on better and connected service between buses and with other transit agencies to improve on time arrivals and connections. Sarah has worked collaboratively with communities in the Bay Area for 20 years and knows what it takes to create a seamless experience between our buses and the other ways we get around.

Safety for Everyone

All of us should feel safe on the bus, at bus stops, and throughout our communities. From a transit perspective, this means well-maintained streets and sidewalks, clear signage, safe routes to school, and infrastructure design that anticipates how people will move around and where they may be vulnerable. AC Transit also plays a proactive role in preventing assaults and harassment on our buses. Sarah knows firsthand how common harassment is, and how some members of our community are disproportionately at risk for being mistreated and assaulted. She has a proven track record of working with communities, riders, and transit personnel to deliver improved safety.

Prioritize Equity & Access

At the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, Sarah helps communities make their voices heard in planning and evaluating transportation equity grant programs. She earned Masters of Transportation Engineering and Masters of City Planning degrees from UC Berkeley. Together with the community, Sarah will fight to represent the needs of everyday transit riders, essential workers, children, seniors, and underrepresented communities to ensure transit is accessible and reliable for all of us.

Strong Oversight & Funding Advocacy

Sarah is a professional transportation planner and community advocate. She reads transit budgets and transit maps for a living, and she’ll bring this expertise to the AC Transit Board to ensure that you are getting the best value and service you can from our regional bus system.

Sarah also understands how crucial it is to work closely with state, federal, and regional agencies and elected leaders to bring as many outside resources as possible into the system. This takes a collaborative approach to governance and the willingness to fight for us wherever funding decisions are made. Sarah will demand results.