Sarah Syed
CA · Ward 3 Director, AC Transit Board
Sarah Syed has been an AC Transit director since 2022 and manages a transportation equity program at UC Berkeley after planning work for Oakland and LA Metro. She says she will push for better reliability data, more bus operators, and protecting service over discretionary spending.
Where Sarah Syed stands, based on their records
Supports
Environment and Public Health (1 record), Government Efficiency (2 records), Public Infrastructure (2 records)
Mixed record
Government Spending Reduction (4 support · 1 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Environment and Public Health
Environment and Public Health · 1 support
Moved to have AC Transit staff study environmental justice concerns about using green hydrogen to fuel buses. It passed.
June 26, 2024Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Track record — Government Efficiency
Government Efficiency · 2 support
Seconded a motion directing AC Transit staff to propose at least monthly public reports on bus reliability, such as a dashboard. It passed.
September 9, 2026Supports Government Efficiency
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Seconded and voted for plans to expand AC Transit's pilot that lets riders board through any bus door. It passed 6-1.
September 27, 2023Supports Government Efficiency
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 4 support · 1 oppose
Moved to adopt AC Transit's budget guidelines with a change calling for cost control in both operating and building costs. It passed.
January 28, 2026Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Voted no on giving the new general manager an extra $10,000 for moving costs. It passed 4-2.
September 24, 2025Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Seconded and voted to adopt AC Transit's operating and capital budget for July 2024 to June 2025. It passed 6-0.
June 12, 2024Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Moved to cut fare-enforcement safety staff, an all-door boarding study, a new phone app and a diversity program from AC Transit's draft budget. It passed 4-3.
May 22, 2024Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Voted no on raising the AC Transit board president's travel budget to $3,000 every six months. It passed 4-3.
March 27, 2024Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Track record — Public Infrastructure
Public Infrastructure · 2 support
Moved to approve the City of Alameda's plan to shift $9 million in Measure BB sales tax money from a rapid bus project to three other transit projects in Alameda. It passed.
June 11, 2025Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Seconded and voted to adopt AC Transit's operating and capital budget for July 2024 to June 2025. It passed 6-0.
June 12, 2024Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Track record — General
General · 15 records
Voted no on ending AC Transit's fare discount for Clipper card users. It passed 5-1.
July 22, 2026
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Moved to extend for 12 months a pilot that leases nine portable restrooms for AC Transit bus drivers. It passed.
June 24, 2026
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Moved for AC Transit to seek changes to state bill SB 707, which updates open-meeting rules, instead of backing it. The motion failed 2-4.
July 23, 2025
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Seconded a smaller AC Transit fare increase of 25 cents in 2025 and 25 cents in 2026, instead of the full planned increases. It passed 4-3.
March 12, 2025
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
An investigation into the former general manager's complaint found she did not bully him, but her messages to staff may have seemed like directing their work. The board rejected censuring her 6-1 and required extra coaching for her.
January 10, 2025
Source: richmondside.org
Voted no on the final Realign plan, AC Transit's redesign of its bus network. It passed 5-2.
October 9, 2024
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Voted no on setting public hearings for the Realign redesign with a direction to keep working with the drivers' union on schedules and bathroom breaks. It passed 5-2.
August 7, 2024
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Cast the only no vote on adding $450,000 to a consultant's contract for the Realign bus network redesign. It passed 6-1.
March 13, 2024
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Moved to delay AC Transit's bus network redesign, called Realign, by six months to reduce its impact on low-income areas. It also stopped a study of using non-union drivers. It passed 4-3.
January 24, 2024
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Seconded and voted for the new seven-ward map for electing AC Transit directors (the Jade map, Ordinance 20). It passed 5-2.
December 13, 2023
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Seconded a resolution to switch AC Transit to electing every director by ward, ending at-large seats. It passed.
July 26, 2023
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Moved to keep AC Transit in Clipper START, a program that gives low-income riders a 50% fare discount. It passed.
July 12, 2023
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Cast the only no vote on adding $1.75 million to an outside law firm's AC Transit legal services contract. It passed 6-1.
April 26, 2023
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Voted no on delaying planned AC Transit fare increases by another year, to 2024 and 2025. The delay passed 5-2.
March 22, 2023
Source: actransit.legistar1.com
Won election as the AC Transit Ward 3 director in the November 2022 election.
November 8, 2022
Source: actransit.org
Past race Sarah Syed ran in:
- Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District Director, Ward 4 · November 3, 2026 · AC Transit Ward 4