That Half-Cent Sales Tax To Save Public Transit From Fiscal Cliff' Will Indeed Be on the November 2026 Ballot

"For nearly three years now, Bay Area transit agencies like BART and Muni have been throwing around the terms doomsday scenario\" and fiscal cliff to describe how their budget deficits will force unthinkably severe service cuts. This is largely because both depend heavily on rider fares, ridership has still not fully rebounded from the pandemic, and Bay Area agencies sure aren't going to see any more federal funding under the Trump administration."

"The Chronicle reports that Governor Gavin Newsom just authorized that sales tax increase for the November 2026 ballot, and we'll all be voting on it a little over a year from now. "The Bay Area runs on transit, and this measure will allow it to keep running for many years to come," said state Senator Scott Wiener, who co-authored the measure with Berkeley state Senator Jesse Arreguin ."

Bay Area transit agencies face steep budget shortfalls driven by heavy reliance on rider fares, pandemic-era ridership declines, and lack of federal funding. Muni has already cut bus lines and could eliminate around 20 more routes and halve overall service. BART could reduce frequencies to once an hour, end service by 9 pm, and drop weekend operations. A proposed sales tax increase would raise one cent in San Francisco and half a cent in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara to stabilize transit finances. Governor Gavin Newsom authorized placing the measure on the November 2026 ballot for voter approval.

Read at sfist.com