Bay Area Voters Approve Transit Funding Measures

Voters in the San Francisco Bay Area approved two transit measures this week, which are expected to provide significant funding for the region’s public transit systems. The Regional Transit Measure (RTM) includes a 0.5% sales tax across four Bay Area counties and a 1% sales tax in San Francisco, generating approximately $1bn annually for the region’s largest transit operators.

The RTM received strong support, with 62.2% approval across all five counties that voted. In San Francisco, 73.6% of voters approved a parcel tax to fund Muni, the city’s publicly owned and operated transit agency.

Without the measures, Bay Area Rapid Transit (Bart) would have faced closures of up to 15 stations, Caltrain would have closed 10 stations and ended weekend service, and Muni would have reduced a third of its service, eliminated 20 bus lines, and suspended streetcars and cable cars. All agencies would have ended evening services.

The potential impacts of a transit collapse would have included reduced fare revenue, fewer commuters, and a financial downturn, creating a 'transit doom spiral.' Traffic delays on key bridges and highways would have more than doubled during peak hours, according to a recent report.

Transit agencies were particularly vulnerable during the pandemic due to their reliance on fares and the shift to remote work. As pandemic relief funds expired, advocates mobilized to secure funding. Campaigns included creative efforts like cardboard train replicas and buttons to engage transit riders and gather signatures.

Thousands of volunteers collected 77,000 of the 305,000 required signatures to qualify the measures for the ballot, the highest number in recent memory. The measures may still face legal challenges, but the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is prepared to defend them.