Transbay Joint Powers Authority

What Transbay Joint Powers Authority does

The Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) is a California joint powers authority established in 2001 to plan, develop, and operate the Transbay Transit Center program in San Francisco. It was created by a joint powers agreement between the City and County of San Francisco and regional transportation agencies to replace the original 1939 Transbay Terminal with a modern multi-modal regional hub. TJPA is governed by a Board of Directors and supported by a 15-member Citizens Advisory Committee, with leadership including Executive Director Maria Ayerdi-Kaplan and CFO Sara Gigliotti. The authority operates as a public agency and does not have shareholders, equity investors, or equity-based ownership.

TJPA's core product is the Salesforce Transit Center, a 1+ million square foot multi-modal hub that connects nine transit systems—Caltrain, AC Transit, Muni, BART, Golden Gate Transit, WestCAT, and planned California High-Speed Rail—along with the 5.4-acre Salesforce Park (a living rooftop with 600 trees and 16,000 plants) and on-site retail and wellness services. Its major infrastructure project is The Portal/DTX (Downtown Rail Extension), with $730 million already invested in the underground Train Box and an estimated $7.5 billion required to complete the extension of Caltrain and California High-Speed Rail into downtown San Francisco. The broader Transbay Program also encompasses over 4,000 planned housing units and 100,000 square feet of planned retail in the surrounding neighborhood.

TJPA's business model is government funding, not commercial revenue generation. Cash flow is sourced from federal grants, state funds (including Regional Measure 2 bridge toll revenues), local transportation measures, and ancillary retail lease income from the Transit Center. As a public agency, TJPA does not charge individual transit riders; its "customers" are the partner transit agencies (Caltrain, CHSRA, AC Transit, Muni, BART, Golden Gate Transit, WestCAT) and the public. The Salesforce Transit Center opened in 2018 and The Portal/DTX remains the central multi-year capital initiative.

Name

Transbay Joint Powers Authority

Legal name

Transbay Joint Powers Authority

Website

https://tjpa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Transbay Joint Powers Authority is a California public agency operating the Salesforce Transit Center, a 1+ million square foot multi-modal hub in San Francisco serving nine transit systems, while developing The Portal/DTX rail extension for Caltrain and California High-Speed Rail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transit Infrastructure

NAICS

Urban Transit Systems (4851), Urban Transit Systems (48511), Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Traffic Management & Intelligent Transportation Systems (Signals, TMCs, Congestion) (BPAIALAC)

Keywords

• Public transit infrastructure
• Multi-modal transportation hub
• Transit center operations
• Rail extension projects
• Regional transit planning

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Transit Operations Funding: Government funding from various sources including Regional Measure 2 bridge toll funds, state grants, and federal funds for transit center operations and capital projects
2. Retail Lease Revenue: Revenue from leasing retail spaces within the Salesforce Transit Center

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) is a public joint powers authority that plans, develops, and operates the Salesforce Transit Center, a multi-modal regional transportation hub spanning over one million square feet that serves nine transit systems and includes retail, dining, wellness services, and the 5.4-acre Salesforce Park rooftop. TJPA is also responsible for The Portal/DTX (Downtown Rail Extension) project, which will extend Caltrain service and bring California High-Speed Rail to downtown San Francisco.

Product overview

The Transbay Joint Powers Authority operates and manages the Salesforce Transit Center as a unified transportation hub and urban district. The core product is the Salesforce Transit Center, a multi-modal facility serving nine transit systems, complemented by Salesforce Park (a 5.4-acre public rooftop park), retail spaces, and a public art program. The ongoing major infrastructure project is The Portal/DTX (Downtown Extension), which will extend Caltrain and bring California High-Speed Rail service into the Transit Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Salesforce Transit Center: The main transit center facility operated by TJPA, a million+ square foot hub serving nine transit systems with retail, wellness services, and Salesforce Park rooftop.
• Salesforce Park
• The Portal/DTX

Products and services

• Salesforce Transit Center A multi-modal regional transportation hub serving nine transit systems (Caltrain, AC Transit, Muni, BART, Golden Gate Transit, WestCAT, and others) with over one million square feet of space, offering retail, dining, and wellness services, and topped by the 5.4-acre Salesforce Park. It is used by Bay Area regional transit riders and the broader San Francisco public.
• The Portal/DTX (Downtown Rail Extension) A rail extension project that will extend Caltrain commuter rail service from its current terminus at 4th and King Streets into the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco, and will also serve as the northern terminus for California High-Speed Rail, providing a one-seat connection between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Targeted at Bay Area commuters, intercity travelers, and high-speed rail riders.
• Salesforce Park A 5.4-acre public rooftop park atop the Salesforce Transit Center, featuring a living roof with approximately 600 trees and 16,000 plants, open to the public for recreation, events, and programming.
• Transit Center Retail Leasing Leasable retail and dining spaces within the Salesforce Transit Center, offered to retail and food service operators to serve commuters, visitors, and the surrounding downtown San Francisco population.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $3.7 billion increase in property value near the Transit Center
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Caltrain (Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partner for the Downtown Extension (DTX) project that will extend Caltrain service into downtown San Francisco. TJPA and Caltrain have a joint ad hoc committee that meets regularly to coordinate on the project.
• California High-Speed Rail AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the high-speed rail early investment strategy for the Peninsula corridor. TJPA signed an MOU with CHSRA, MTC, and six other local and regional entities to establish a funding framework for high-speed rail blended system.
• Metropolitan Transportation CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional transportation planning agency partner in the MOU establishing funding framework for high-speed rail early investment strategy in the Peninsula corridor.
• AC TransitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor bus transit operator providing service at the Salesforce Transit Center, including operations at the Temporary Terminal.
• Webcor/Obayashi Joint VenturecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction Manager/General Contractor for the Transbay Transit Center building and related structures. Joint venture between Webcor Builders and Obayashi Corporation.
• Pelli Clarke Pelli ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead architectural firm for the Salesforce Transit Center design. Has received multiple contract amendments for extended design and construction administration services.
• ParsonscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering design services for the Caltrain Downtown Extension project. Has had multiple contract renewals for DTX engineering work.
• SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit District)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of TJPA-Caltrain Ad Hoc Committee meetings at their San Carlos Transit District HQ location.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART): Regional rail operator that directly connects into TJPA's Salesforce Transit Center, sharing governance and ridership dependency with TJPA and operating comparable regional-scale transit assets.
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA): Multi-jurisdictional transit authority that owns and operates major rail stations and a multi-modal network, structurally analogous to TJPA as a regional authority delivering integrated transit infrastructure.
• AC Transit: Bay Area bus operator that runs services directly into the Salesforce Transit Center; directly comparable as a transit operator whose assets and ridership converge on TJPA's hub.
• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro): Regional public transportation agency in California that plans, builds, and operates multi-modal transit hubs and rail/bus infrastructure at scale, comparable in scope and function to TJPA's regional hub mandate.
• SFMTA (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency): Municipal transit operator that connects directly into the Salesforce Transit Center; operates overlapping transit assets within the same geography as TJPA and shares overlapping funding sources.
• Caltrain / Peninsula Corridor JPB: Joint powers commuter rail agency and direct co-development partner with TJPA on The Portal/DTX; operates passenger rail infrastructure using TJPA's facility, making it a tightly coupled peer.

Broad incumbents

• Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) - New York: Large multi-modal transit authority that operates subways, commuter rail, and bridges/tunnels across a major metro region; comparable as a peer public agency delivering integrated regional transit infrastructure.
• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA): State-level transit authority that owns stations and integrates multiple transit modes in a major metro region; comparable as a peer public agency operating regional transit hubs.
• Chicago Transit Authority (CTA): Municipal transit authority operating bus and rail across Chicago with major downtown terminals; comparable to TJPA as a peer agency owning and operating major urban transit infrastructure.

Regional players

• SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit District): Adjacent Bay Area transit district that participates in TJPA-Caltrain coordination and serves the same regional geography; comparable as a regional transit peer with overlapping jurisdictional footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TransbayProject
• Facebookfacebook.com/TransitCenterSF
• Instagraminstagram.com/transitcentersf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Transbay Joint Powers Authority