Saving Bay Area Transit
What You Need to Know About the Regional Transit Funding Measure
The Bay Area’s public transit system is at risk. Due to slow recovery from the pandemic and changed travel patterns, agencies are facing budget shortfalls. Agencies have been relying on COVID-era temporary funding from the state and federal governments, but that is running out. Without additional funding agencies like BART, Muni, Caltrain, and AC Transit would be forced to make devastating service cuts.
Without additional funding, the Bay Area’s transit agencies would become a skeleton of themselves. For example, BART has shared that it would have to run trains every 60 minutes, eliminate two lines, close nine stations, and end evening service. This would be a disaster.
How do we fix it?
Senate Bill 63, authored by Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín, would allow a regional transportation funding measure to be placed on the November 2026 ballot in 3-5 Bay Area counties. San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties are already included, and San Mateo and Santa Clara counties are currently deciding whether to opt in.
SB 63 is legislation to authorize a regional transit funding measure in 2026. Authorizing legislation is needed because currently no entity exists that has the ability to raise funds for transportation for multiple agencies and counties.
SB63 would authorize the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to develop a funding plan in consultation with the public, transit agencies, and local governments. If the legislature and governor approve SB 63, MTC will spend the next several months engaging stakeholders and the public to shape a proposal for the November 2026 ballot.
The regional measure will include funds for rider-focused "transit transformation” investments aimed at making transit more rider-friendly by integrating fares, making transit easier to navigate, improving transportation for older adults and people with disabilities, and making buses faster, more reliable, and more cost-effective. These funds go to transit, in ways that increase ridership and make service more convenient.