Two more Bay Area county transportation agencies are joining to support a regional measure to fund transit operations.
The San Mateo County Transit District board, which oversees SamTrans and Caltrain, along with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) board, voted last week to support Senate Bill 63 that would authorize a sales tax measure to appear on the November 2026 ballot. Other counties that have opted into the measure include Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco.
San Mateo County transportation officials said the proposed measure is estimated to bring in $135 million annually by fiscal year 2031. About $32.5 million of the revenue would go toward funding Caltrain operations.
“The Board’s action today is an important step toward a more stable future for Caltrain, SamTrans and other Bay Area transit agencies,” SamTrans General Manager and CEO April Chan said in a statement. “This measure could help prevent devastating service cuts, while supporting the riders who need transit the most.”
VTA is estimated to receive $264 million annually to fund transit improvements and leverage itself for additional funding to receive future funding for its Visionary Network — a plan to improve reliability, frequency, and connectivity in the county.
“With this measure, we can deliver faster, more reliable service and ensure equitable access for all riders across Santa Clara County,” Carolyn Gonot, VTA General Manager and CEO, said in a statement.
In the measure, the default tax rate will be set to one-half cent, with San Francisco allowed to increase its tax rate to one cent to fund Muni operations. The San Francisco County Transportation Authority, made up of the 11 city supervisors, voted in July to reaffirm its support of SB 63 and recommended the city’s participation in the measure.
SB 63 is authored by state Senators Scott Wiener (San Francisco) and Jesse Arreguin (Berkeley).
“This is a critical moment for public transportation in the Bay Area and across the country, Wiener said in a statement. “The risks to our essential transit systems are real, and we have a long road ahead to securing this long-term funding and stabilizing our transit systems.”
Transit agencies in the Bay Area have yet to fully recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, with a lackluster return in ridership, although some agencies are seeing increases in ridership.
Despite some gains in ridership, agencies like the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) are facing a $322 million deficit come July of next year after federal and state funds run out. The SFMTA could have to slash Muni service.
BART could be facing a $376 million deficit. It could lead to leaving passengers having to wait longer for trains, the possibility of no weekend service, and station closures, Wiener’s office said.
SB 63 is currently making its way through the state legislature and is in the committee process in the Assembly.