8/8/25: MAJOR VICTORY! South Bay and Peninsula opt-in to transit regional measure

San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties Opt-In to Transit Regional Measure!

In a huge victory for the future of Bay Area public transit, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties have officially voted to join the regional transit funding measure, joining San Francisco and the East Bay. The VTA Board voted unanimously to opt into SB63 yesterday night, following SamTrans Board’s 8-1 decision on Wednesday. 

If passed in November 2026, the regional transit funding measure would prevent huge service cuts, and would unlock hundreds of millions of dollars for improved local service, free transfers, new streamlined signage, and reliability improvements. 

This victory is thanks to the thousands of Bay Area residents like you who took action. For the past several months, we rallied; called, emailed, met with legislators; spoke at board meetings; and raised our voices to elevate the need for Santa Clara and San Mateo to opt in and protect funding to save service and “transit transformation” initiatives that make taking transit more seamless, affordable and accessible.

We still have a lot of work to do to ensure that a ballot initiative passes at the November 2026 ballot. 

Counties need good plans for local funding to San Mateo, Santa Clara and other counties to support local service. The bill needs to be passed by the legislature by September 12, the governor needs to sign it, signatures will need to be gathered and a campaign run. There will be a lot that transit riders and supports can do to win the ballot measure!

But right now let's celebrate this victory, cementing a path forward where more people can seamlessly travel throughout the region on transit.

We've extended our Summer Fundraising Campaign till August 10th to celebrate this occasion. Please consider becoming a recurring, monthly donor to get limited-time merch and sustain this crucial work.

Good Signs and Good Times - North Bay Public Transit Social and Walking Tour (Santa Rosa) | Saturday, August 9th beginning at 1pm

Come to Santa Rosa for a walking tour of the Bay Area's new transit signage. Afterwards, we'll have a social event at Shady Oak Brewery to grab a bite, drink, and meet new (and familiar) faces!

These new maps and signs are on debut in the North Bay at both the Santa Rosa Transit Mall and Santa Rosa Downtown SMART Station.

Join us whether you are able to make it for the walking tour, social, or both! Open to all.

Help shape the future of North Bay transit service!

The Marin-Sonoma Coordinated Transit Service Plan (MASCOTS) is a proposal to grow ridership and improve effectiveness of public transit services offered in the Highway 101 corridor. This collaborative project among nine transit and funding agencies aimed at creating a more connected and frequent transit network. 

To learn more about MASCOTS and give your feedback on the project, join these upcoming community meetings and survey: 

New Report | The Powerless Brokers: Why California Can't Build Transit | Circulate San Diego 

In California, building transit is slow and expensive. The transit we need to meet our climate and mobility goals too often remains aspirational. 

A new report from our friends at Circulate San Diego focuses on the many third-party permitting challenges facing transit that are arbitrary, excessive, and avoidable. Within this report are case studies from across California documenting permitting issues that added costs and delays for needed transit projects. They range from the largest project in California – High-Speed Rail – to a small busway on the central coast.

This report contains a variety of recommendations, including to:

  • Reassign permitting responsibility from third-parties to transit authorities themselves,

  • Incentivize local governments to prioritize transit, adopt transparent standards, and streamline permitting,

  • Extend CEQA exemptions for sustainable transportation, and

  • Encourage more transit leadership from Caltrans.

[Recording] The Road Ahead: Replacing the Gas Tax (Webinar) | Transform and Coalition for Clean Air

Gas tax revenue provides a significant portion of the funding California uses to repair and build streets and roads, including critical biking and walking projects throughout the state. As Californians make the transition to elective vehicles, by 2035 gas tax revenues will decline by  $4 billion annually. Replacing the gas tax offers us an opportunity to change the status quo, redirecting transportation dollars currently spent on highway expansion toward active and public transportation. 

Watch this discussion to learn about the inequities of the existing gas tax structure, the benefits and drawbacks of implementing a road user charge or road pricing, and how new funding models can generate funding for public transit service, safer sidewalks, and protected biking infrastructure.

This conversation was moderated by Darnell Grisby, Seamless Bay Area Board Member and Chair of the California Transportation Commission.

Recent from our blog

Santa Clara County transit riders benefit from integrated, affordable fares

As the VTA board considers joining the regional transit funding measure, board members want to understand the spending programs, including the relatively small but powerful “transit transformation” investments intended to increase ridership by making transit more convenient and affordable, and the large $264 million pot of “return to source” funding, over and above what Santa Clara County will need to prevent Caltrain and BART service cuts and implement regional network coordination. This blog post provides data showing the value of the fare integration programs to Santa Clara County.

Credit/debit card payment on BART to be launched in late August

The first features of the Clipper 2 upgrade will be publicly available on August 28, with the release of open payment – the ability to pay with credit cards, debit cards, and Apple/Google wallets – on BART.

Kaleo Mark