Happy Birthday, Bike Share!
 
In August 2013, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, pictured here with MTC Commissioners Amy Worth and Scott Wiener, cut Bay Area Bike Share's ribbon, releasing the fleet in five cities. Photo by Noah Berger
Celebrate Bay Area Bike Share's first birthday with a new multimedia collection packed with ride-along videos, stunning data visualizations and, yes, a selfie or two. Bike Share's mint-colored fleet is only one year old, as of this month. But already the system has attracted thousands of loyal members and approval to expand its services to the East Bay. This anthology traces 12 months of bike sharing in the Bay Area and looks ahead to plenty more. Poke around, then sign up to start riding! See the project.
 
 
 
 
Tunneling Complete for Central Subway
 
 
Twin tunnel boring machines "Big Alma" and "Mom Chung" have completed their nearly year-long journeys carving out the Central Subway tunnels. Photo by Karl Nielsen
Our reporter and photographer went underground for a final peek at Big Alma and Mom Chung, the tunnel boring machines named in honor of iconic figures from San Francisco. The massive machines have completed their nearly year-long journeys carving out tunnels underneath a notoriously congested corridor in the city. The tunnels will carry the extension of the Muni Metro T Third Line from SOMA to Union Square and Chinatown when the Central Subway goes live in 2019, making travel much smoother and swifter between some of the city's most vibrant neighborhoods. Read more.
 
 
 
 
 
Riley Jones says hi from the trunk of her mother's Nissan LEAF. The EV enthusiasts attended a recent Berkeley ride-and-drive showcase. Photo by Karl Nielsen
A handful of ride-and-drive events remain in the electric vehicle (EV) tour of the Bay Area. The "Experience Electric" campaign has brought a fleet of state-of-the-art EVs and hybrids to curious motorists interested in reducing emissions. Vehicles from major manufacturers including Ford, Cadillac and Nissan are available for test drives without the pressure to purchase. The next stop? Fremont on August 9. Read more, check out the photos from the event in Berkeley and explore future Experience Electric events.
 
 
 
 
 
 
MTC high school interns, who are placed at agencies throughout the Bay Area, participate in a competitive team-building challenge at their orientation in June. Photo by Natalie Orenstein
While their peers are diving into swimming pools, MTC's high school interns are diving into the professional world. The annual summer program administered by MTC gives students from all nine Bay Area counties a chance to work for a variety of local transit, planning and public works agencies. In addition to a paycheck, interns receive professional experience, a relationship with a mentor and a taste of the wide variety of careers in the transportation field. This summer's interns are currently immersed in their myriad projects.
 
 
 
 
MTC STAFF WIN EMMY FOR BRIDGE VIDEOS
 
  
Mark Jones (left) and David Cooper of MTC's creative team picked up a shiny Emmy for their outstanding coverage of the Bay Bridge East Span. Photo by Brenda Kahn
Just under a year old, the new East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is already a Bay Area celebrity. So it's no surprise that videojournalist Mark Jones and graphic designer David Cooper have earned an Emmy Award for their coverage of the icon. The two members of MTC's creative team scooped up the award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Northern California branch for "Continuing Coverage" of the span's construction and Labor Day 2013 opening. Jones and Cooper produced over two dozen captivating and informative bridge videos last year, with Jones often climbing on the structure and crawling through construction zones to do so. Read more
 
 
 
 
MTC COMMITS FUNDS TO GOLDEN GATE SUICIDE DETERENT
 
 
Steel-cable netting is expected to significantly reduce the number of suicides at the Golden Gate Bridge. Photo by Peter Beeler
MTC's commissioners have approved $27 million to install a suicide barrier net on the Golden Gate Bridge. Since it opened, there have been 1,600 documented cases of people choosing to end their lives by jumping off the iconic span, and 46 last year alone. Based on an extensive study, the new deterrent is expected to significantly reduce the number of suicides. Family members of the bridge's victims shared stories of their loved ones and spoke in favor of the barrier at a recent Commission meeting. Read more.   
 
 
 
 
511 LAUNCHES NEW REAL-TIME TRANSIT TOOL
 
511's updated transit tool allows users to keep track of multiple routes in real time.
Plenty of Bay Area commuters already rely on 511 to keep tabs on bus schedules, BART delays, ferry departures and information on any of the Bay Area's many other transit operators. Now travelers can do all that at once. 511's new web-based app gives users real-time information on their transit routes, all located on one personalized page. Check it at home or on the go -- it works on any Internet-connected device. Read more.
 
 
 
 
TEAM BIKE CHALLENGE SHATTERS RECORDS
 
A Santa Clara County team pedaled to victory in the 2014 Team Bike Challenge. Photo courtesy of team
Traveling 9,200 miles in just one month, five cyclists from Santa Clara County manufacturing company KLA-Tencor pedaled to the top of this year's Team Bike Challenge. The team, called United Velo, was victorious in the friendly but fierce competition that pits groups of cyclists against one another each May. Together, all participants in the 2014 challenge rode over half a million miles -- a 280 percent increase from last year -- burning plenty of calories and saving tons of CO2. Read more.
 
 
 
 
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: CAR SHARING GRANTS
 
 
Zipcar is one of several car sharing services a city or agency can provide. Photo by Ursula Vogler
Car sharing services are picking up speed in communities across the Bay Area, and it's no surprise. Car sharing is a clean and simple alternative to driving a personal vehicle. MTC invites city and county governments, and other public agencies within the nine-county Bay Area, to apply for grants to help expand car sharing services in their communities. Apply here.
 
 
 
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