The Bay Area saw big wins for transit funding with the passage of the Regional Transit Measure (RTM) and Proposition H in San Francisco in last week’s mid-term election. Across the country, transit measures on the Nov. 3 ballot also saw big wins: of the 27 transit measures on the ballot this November, 22 have won approval from voters, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the nonprofit that advocates for federal funding and policies for public transportation. APTA leaders held a post-election wrap-up last Thursday to discuss the wins, including RTM and Proposition H.
“This support reflects a shared commitment to public transportation that expands access to jobs, reduces congestion, and strengthens economic resilience,” APTA President and CEO Paul Scutellis said.
In Seattle, voters approved a measure to renew and double the sales tax collected to fund transit. The Seattle Department of Transportation said the city currently collects a 0.15 percent sales tax for transit. Voters approved a 0.3 percent sales tax for over 10 years, expected to generate $138 million annually. The department said funds from the measure will help pay for more bus trips, two streetcar lines, and more free ORCA cards for low-income passengers and families with young kids.
Voters in Charleston County, South Carolina, approved the continuation of a half-cent transportation sales tax referendum to fund transit and infrastructure projects. That tax measure is expected to bring in $34.4 million annually.
Jessica Grennan, executive director of APTA’s Center for Transportation Excellence, said the “proof is in the pudding” that support for transit remains popular among most voters across the country.
“Transit ballot measures won big in 2026,” Grennan said. “This reflects a trend we’ve been seeing in the recent election cycles. Voters want transit investments in their community, regardless of the state demographics, the political makeup.”
In the Bay Area, RTM is expected to generate nearly a billion dollars annually over 14 years from sales tax increases in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties to fund transit operations for BART, Caltrain, Muni, AC Transit, SamTrans and other transit systems.
Proposition H, a parcel tax in San Francisco for residential, multiunit buildings and commercial properties, is expected to generate $160 annually over 15 years to fund Muni operations.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Executive Director Andrew Fremier said the MTC will distribute the revenue to transit agencies, likely at the start of the next fiscal year, July 1, 2027. Counties are anticipated to start collecting the sales tax revenue in April 2027.
Fremier added that the MTC will have some responsibilities, including discussions for the next model of funding transit in the Bay Area.
“I think we all recognize going to the voters for taxes time and time again is really not the right answer for moving forward,” Fremier said. “So, we will be administering a couple of financial efficiency reviews that are really designed to assist all of us in really creating a successful long-term transit footprint that is so important to the Bay Area.”
