Join us this Bay Area Transit Month for a deep dive into the intersections of gender and transit with this series of events featuring leaders in the field of transit. From governance of transit agencies; to the day-to-day operations of buses, trains, and ferries; to advocacy & activism -- the way we all get around the Bay Area is not gender-neutral. Tune in to learn how transit shapes people’s experience in a gendered way and how by incorporating different gender backgrounds into transit work, we can make a transportation system that works better for everyone.  

The event series starts off on September 10th with a panel discussion between transit agency Board Members to be moderated by Laura Tolkoff, SPUR's Transportation Policy Director. The panelists are Janice Li of BART, Cindy Chavez of VTA, and Jovanka Beckles of AC Transit.

Register today to tune in to this unique Transit Month event!

And make sure to check out the other events in the series!

Panel 2 is Gender & Transit Careers and on 9/17. Click here to RSVP

Panel 3 is Gender & Transit Advocacy & Activism on 9/24. Click here to RSVP

And we cap it all off with the Gendered Perspectives of Bay Area Transit Celebration: “The Rosie Ride & Mixer.” Learn more and RSVP here.

About the participants:

VTA Board Director Cindy Chavez is a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors representing District 2, which includes more than half a million people in central, east, and south San Jose and surrounding areas. She represents Santa Clara County on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and is chair of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority board of directors.

Supervisor Chavez has long been a steadfast advocate for rail infrastructure, leading pivotal projects like the BART Silicon Valley Extension. In July, her leadership resulted in an historic $5.1 billion dollar funding award from the Biden/Harris Administration to complete the final stretch of BART into San Jose. It is the largest public infrastructure project in Santa Clara County history and the Federal Transit Authority’s $5.1 billion dollar award is the second largest funding amount west of the Hudson River. Supervisor Chavez also lead the Eastridge to BART Regional Connector project now under construction to extend light rail service in East San Jose, fostering vital connections that drive economic growth and social progress. She is a graduate of San Jose State University. Cindy is married to Mike Potter and they have a college-age son

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AC Transit Board Director Jovanka Beckles was elected in November 2020 to serve on the AC Transit Board of Directors representing the Cities of Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo and a portion of Berkeley as well as the unincorporated areas of El Sobrante, Kensington and North Richmond.

Ms. Beckles graduated cum laude in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Florida A&M University and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix.

Over the course of her career, Ms. Beckles has worked as a counselor, youth educator, team builder and strategist, client advocate, crime prevention specialist, housing case manager for the homeless, and mental health specialist for 35 years and has been a small business owner in the City of Richmond.  She also served her community as a two-term member of the Richmond City Council, was President of the Richmond Heights Neighborhood Council and retains membership in numerous organizations, including Concilio Latino and the League of United Latin American Citizens, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA-Richmond), Women in Politics, East Bay DSA and the Richmond Progressive Alliance.

With a long record of public service, Ms. Beckles is committed to working with riders and workers to build a universally accessible, emission free transit system that the public deserves.

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BART Board Director Janice Li is the Coalition Director for Coalition for Community Safety & Justice where she supports community organizations in San Francisco to advance civil rights, and provide resources and direct services for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Previously she worked as the Advocacy Director and Community Organizer for San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and founded the Grant Street Neighborhood Center. Janice was elected to the BART Board in November 2018 and is serving in her second term after being re-elected in 2022. She also served as the board's president in 2023.

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Laura Tolkoff is SPUR's transportation policy director. Since 2015, Laura has focused on improving the region's transit networks and streets to create safer, more reliable, more dignified, more affordable transportation options for all. Her work also focuses on leveraging transportation investments to support placemaking, community-building, and shaping the region's economic geography.

Prior to joining SPUR, Laura held a senior role managing the energy and environment program at Regional Plan Association (RPA) in the New York Metropolitan area, with a focus on climate hazards, resilience, and urban design. She serves on the California Transit Transformation Task Force, is a member of the Board of Advisors for the UC Institute of Transportation Studies, is an American Leadership Forum senior fellow, and was named to Mass Transit magazine's "Top 40 under 40" in 2019.

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About the organizer:

The Transbay Coalition is a grassroots public transportation advocacy group championing bold near-term solutions to the Bay Area’s regional transportation challenges. Learn more at www.TransbayCoalition.org