San Francisco — Bay Area Voters Approve Transit Funding Measures

Bay Area voters approved two ballot measures this week that will send new sales tax and parcel tax revenue to the region's transit agencies, averting service cuts that BART, Caltrain and Muni officials said were otherwise set to begin as soon as early next year, according to The Guardian.

How much did the Regional Transit Measure raise?

The Regional Transit Measure, a 0.5% sales tax across four Bay Area counties plus a 1% sales tax in San Francisco, is projected to generate approximately $1bn annually for the region's four largest transit operators, The Guardian reported. The measure passed with 62.2% support across the five counties that voted on it, including a 78.6% margin in San Francisco.

What did San Francisco voters approve for Muni?

San Francisco voters separately approved a parcel tax dedicated to Muni, the city's publicly owned transit system, with 73.6% in favor, according to the report. Muni is described in the Guardian account as the first publicly owned and operated transit agency in a major U.S. city.

What cuts were transit agencies facing before the vote?

Had the two measures failed, BART would have been forced to close as many as 15 stations as soon as early next year, reducing service frequency and raising the cost of rides and parking, The Guardian reported. Caltrain, the commuter rail line linking San Francisco to the South Bay, would have closed 10 stations and ended weekend service. Muni would have cut a third of its service, eliminated 20 bus lines and suspended its cable cars and streetcars. All three agencies, along with the region's other major operators, would have ended evening service entirely, according to the report.

Why were the stakes described as regionwide?

The Guardian's report frames the risk in cascading terms: reduced service and fewer stations would have meant less fare revenue, fewer commuters and further rounds of cuts — a cycle transit advocates feared could leave residents of a region built around a body of water, with freeways and bridges already congested, without reliable or affordable ways to get around. The report cites a recent study on the broader economic stakes for the area, though specific figures from that study were not detailed in the published account.

What happens next for BART, Caltrain and Muni?

With both measures passed, the new sales tax and parcel tax revenue is intended to fund operations for BART, Caltrain, Muni and the region's other major operators going forward, removing the immediate threat of the station closures, line eliminations and service reductions outlined before the vote, per The Guardian. The outcome applies across the five counties where the Regional Transit Measure appeared on the ballot, with San Francisco voters adding the additional Muni-specific parcel tax on top of the regional measure.

For related coverage of regional infrastructure and transportation funding fights, see HTT News' ongoing business desk reporting.

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