Host: Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Region: Bay Area
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Affordable Housing, Climate Adaptation, Climate Mitigation, Transportation / Mobility, Urban Planning, Public Engagement
Skills Needed: Project Management, Research, Community Outreach, Stakeholder Engagement, Detail-Oriented, Self-Motivated

Service Needs & Plans

In October 2021, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) adopted the agency’s long-range regional plan, known as Plan Bay Area 2050. It identifies transportation, housing, economic and environmental strategies designed to advance equitable and resilient outcomes for the San Francisco Bay Area. Public engagement for the plan successfully leveraged new and innovative techniques, reaching over 19,000 residents and garnering more than 234,000 comments – an unprecedented level of public participation for the agency.

In summer 2023, MTC staff will kick off the next update to the long-range regional plan, which will be called Plan Bay Area 2050+. It’s a focused update designed to further refine strategies laid out in Plan Bay Area 2050. A major focus of this update is a first-of-its-kind planning effort, known as Transit 2050+. Transit 2050+ seeks to reimagine how we can adapt public transportation systems to better meet the ever-changing needs of the Bay Area and address long standing challenges across the region’s 27 transit operators.

Public involvement in the 2050+ planning process will be crucial, as the next three decades of investments and policymaking will require comprehensive, equitable civic engagement to ensure the best possible outcomes for everyone in the nine-county Bay Area.

Upon joining MTC, the first round of community engagement for Plan Bay Area 2050+ (including Transit 2050+) will already be underway, so the Public Engagement team will need a creative, outgoing Fellow who can hit the ground running as we collect, crunch and communicate findings from public input received. As the first round of engagement wraps up, planning for a second round of engagement will begin — enabling the fellow to learn the process of public engagement from beginning to end.

For the second round of engagement, the Fellow will assist the MTC team in strategizing and planning activities to help engage the nearly 8 million Bay Area residents and our partners in the long-range regional planning process. New ideas and fresh thinking will be key to help expand our engagement strategies and reach. The second round of engagement could include pop-ups, comment forms, webinars, surveys, focus groups and more. We’ve made much progress on innovating our engagement techniques, but there is room to increase our reach and improve how we process, synthesize and report on public input. As such, we require additional capacity and fresh talent to enhance how we leverage that data.

Project Description

Plan Bay Area 2050+ will be a focused update with the goal of making high-impact refinements to select plan strategies and identifying new implementation actions to move the Bay Area’s vision forward.

The Public Engagement Fellow will support 2050+ community outreach activities, with an emphasis on collection, analysis and reporting on input data from members of the public, as well as designing creative techniques to increase our reach particularly with youth and young adults.

Desired project outcomes include a comprehensive report/record of the public participation resulting from 2050+ outreach activities. This will help MTC maintain its commitment to a transparent, equitable public engagement process and demonstrate how community input shapes the agency’s policy and planning decisions.

In addition to 2050+ engagement, the team will also be wrapping up the Next Generation Bay Area Freeways Study, which is exploring the feasibility of all-lane tolling — one of the key strategies in Plan Bay Area. There’s a big emphasis on addressing equity concerns in this study, while also advancing a more sustainable future transportation network to better align with land use policies and foster safer travel experiences for all. This project also will present opportunities to digest data and learn about engaging with the public (with an emphasis on reaching Equity Priority Communities), local jurisdictions (County Transportation Authorities, Transit Agencies, etc.) and other key stakeholders.

It is also the goal of MTC engagement staff to provide a Fellow with enriching, hands-on knowledge of public engagement principles and techniques to gain an understanding of how this work fits into the larger realm of regional planning.

Desired Skills

We are looking for someone with an eagerness to learn and a passion for public service. Community organizing skills will help the fellow succeed in this position and fluency in a language other than English is strongly preferred.

Desired Skill Sets:

1. Analytical Rigor / Qualitative Aptitude
The position requires confident handling of data and qualitative research. Excellent qualitative reasoning to help unearth trends in thoughts or opinions from the public.

2. Public Engagement
Assist in implementing regional strategic public involvement and engagement programs and strategies to seek out and involve residents from a variety of social-economic backgrounds and interest groups.

3. Other Skills
Diligence, thoroughness and exceptional attention to detail are crucial. Knowledge of the Bay Area’s geography and governmental institutions and/or the region’s transportation, housing, economic, environmental or related issues is a plus. Fluency in a language other than English is also a plus.

Organization & Community Highlights

At MTC, we embrace what we call “JEDI” values – Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. This applies to both our hiring practices and the work we do every day. MTC invites all voices to be heard so we can make real, positive change for the region.

Diversity is part of what makes the Bay Area a great place to live and work. MTC embraces the different perspectives that staff bring to the agency. We are a professional community that values inclusivity and respect.

A Fellow at MTC can expect collaborative brainstorming sessions where everyone is encouraged to contribute and speak their mind, regardless of experience or skill set. They will work with and learn from talented, passionate civil servants who lead with integrity and a commitment to doing good. MTC is also a safe space where it is okay to say, “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.” A Fellow will get to make the job their own and guide their development in a way that supports both the agency’s goals and their own professional development, with a team that wants to help that Fellow succeed.

Remote or On-Site Placement

Hybrid or On-site preferred, Remote possible