MTC Clears the Way for Transit Funding Initiative
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) met yesterday to create a five-county transportation district encompassing San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties. These Bay Area counties opted to be part of a regional measure to provide stable funding for public transit under SB 63, passed by the legislature last year. MTC’s action is a necessary precursor to putting the measure before voters.
What will the regional funding measure do?
The measure establishes a half-cent sales tax in the five counties, with money going to fund transit operations and rider-first improvements. Transit operators have struggled to maintain bus and train schedules to serve the people who rely on them to get around, as the pandemic, changing commute patterns, and federal funding cuts have strained resources. The guaranteed revenue from this measure will support the frequent, reliable transit that’s the backbone of the Bay Area’s transportation infrastructure.
Why do we need a new transportation district?
The funds collected will be allocated to transit operations within the five participating counties. The funding district creates a mechanism for collecting and distributing funds, particularly to multi-county operators such as BART.
What’s next for regional transit funding?
The newly established district could have opted to put the initiative on the ballot but voted not to do so in order to clear the way for a citizen’s initiative. To have the best chance of passing in November, Transform and our allies will collect signatures to put the measure on the ballot as a citizen initiative. Citizen initiatives only need 50% + 1 to succeed; funding measures placed on the ballot by elected bodies must get two-thirds of the vote to pass due to Prop 13.
Look for an announcement in the coming weeks about signature collection and what you can do to help get this critical measure on the ballot. Let’s make 2026 the year we save public transit!
