Transform, Coalition Partners Kick Off Regional Transit Measure Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Abibat Rahman-Davies, [email protected] 510-740-930

On Friday, January 23, 2026, Transform will join a broad coalition of transit advocates, business, labor, and environmental groups to kick off a signature gathering campaign for a regional funding measure for public transit. 

Media are invited to attend the kickoff for Alameda County near the Lake Merritt BART station at the Alameda County Administration Building, 1221 Oak Street, Oakland, at 12:15 p.m. on January 23, 2026, as part of a broader launch in all five counties. 

The measure will go on the ballot in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties. Advocates need 200,000 signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. As a citizen initiative, the measure will pass if it receives 50% + 1 of the vote in November.

The measure will create a half-cent sales tax in the affected counties, except for San Francisco with a 1-cent sales tax. Revenue from this sales tax will fund public transit in the participating counties, ensuring continued operation of the Bay Area’s vital train and bus services. The tax sunsets after 14 years.

“Millions of people in the Bay Area rely on public transit to get to work, school, and essential services,” said Abibat Rahman-Davies, Transform’s transportation policy manager. “Even people who don’t take transit will benefit from cleaner air and reduced traffic congestion. This funding measure will keep our transit system healthy and thriving in the Bay Area.”

Run of show:

10 a.m. Kickoff at Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco ​

12:15 p.m. Kickoff at Alameda County Admin Building ​

12:30 p.m. Kickoff at Pleasant Hill BART in Contra Costa ​

12:45 p.m. Kickoff at Courthouse Sq. in Redwood City ​​

1:15 p.m. Kickoff at San Jose Diridon Station