TransitFriday, November 6
Voters in five Bay Area counties, including Santa Clara, approve the Regional Transit Measure
The SJtoday team
If you ride BART or Caltrain, here's the news: voters in five Bay Area counties, including Santa Clara, approved the Regional Transit Measure. Preliminary returns put the regional yes vote at 61.5%, with majorities in every county. Santa Clara County was the closest at 53.8%.
Every county backed the transit tax, and Santa Clara's yes vote was the smallest
Source: Bay Area Reporter
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Santa Clara | 53.8% |
| Contra Costa | 56% |
| San Mateo | 59.6% |
| Alameda | 64.9% |
| San Francisco | 77.6% |
The sales tax is a half-cent in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties and a cent in San Francisco. KQED reports it will generate about $1 billion a year to maintain current service at BART, Muni, AC Transit, Caltrain and other agencies.
- Starts: April
- Lasts: 14 years
- Caltrain's share: about 7% of the revenue each year
- Without it: BART, Caltrain and Muni warned of service cuts
What the tax is expected to bring in each year
- $980 million
- expected from the tax across the region
- $310 million
- approximate yearly share for BART
- $155 million
- approximate yearly share for the SFMTA, which oversees Muni
Source: The Voice of San Francisco
BART said the measure prevents station closures and dramatic service reductions, but it "does not eliminate BART’s financial challenges." Before the vote, BART faced a $375 million deficit and Caltrain a $75 million shortfall.