"California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 63, a bill that will lead to a ballot measure that could save and expand Bay Area mass transit. The measure, which voters will weigh in on in next year's general election, on November 3, 2026, will propose a regional sales tax that would fund public transit in the Bay Area for a generation."
"If the measure passes, the tax will be in place for 14 years and, according to a California Senate analysis, could raise more than $1 billion annually for Alameda County, Santa Clara County, Contra Costa County, and other participating jurisdictions. The tax would be 0.5% for those three counties and 1% in the City and County of San Francisco. The signing of the bill comes after months of negotiations between state legislators and members of the governor's staff."
"According to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the regional agency that will distribute the tax revenue if the measure is approved, at the height of the pandemic, Caltrain saw a 98% decline in ridership, BART lost 88% of its riders, and AC Transit ridership declined by 72%. Those agencies have regained much of their ridership in recent years but have not yet reached pre-2020 levels."
SB 63 was signed to create a ballot measure for the November 3, 2026 general election proposing a regional sales tax to fund Bay Area transit for 14 years. The tax would be 0.5% in Alameda, Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties and 1% in the City and County of San Francisco, with a California Senate analysis estimating more than $1 billion annually for participating jurisdictions. A financial accountability committee was added to oversee fund management after months of negotiations. Transit agencies suffered steep pandemic ridership losses and have not fully returned to pre-2020 levels.
Read at The Oaklandside
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