Bay Area Democrats in the state Legislature are pushing a bill, SB 63, aimed at raising sales taxes to support declining public transit agencies. The tax increase would allow voters to decide in 2026 on a half-cent sales tax, potentially generating $550 million annually. Key lawmakers express concerns due to mixed public support and business-labor conflicts. With public transit ridership falling post-pandemic, agencies like BART face significant funding gaps, risking severe service cuts that would disproportionately affect low-income communities and hinder regional recovery.
Without new funding and as emergency federal and state aid runs out, Bay Area transit systems will be forced to make devastating service cuts that would push public transit into a death spiral.
With so many disparate interests out there, there's tremendous risk to this ending badly.
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