Bay Area Transit Tax Measure Qualifies for the November 2026 Ballot
A regional measure to fund Bay Area public transit has qualified for the November 2026 ballot. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission confirmed that the Connect Bay Area measure gathered enough valid signatures across five counties, including San Francisco, to go before voters this fall.
The campaign submitted more than 305,000 signatures in May 2026, above the roughly 186,000 valid signatures required. The measure was authorized by Senate Bill 63, the Connect Bay Area Act, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed in October 2025.
What the measure would do
The measure would raise the sales tax by half a cent in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, and by one cent in San Francisco, where transit needs are largest. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission estimates it would generate about $1 billion a year for transit operations, helping fund BART, Muni, Caltrain, and AC Transit. If voters approve it, the new revenue would not begin flowing until around July 2027.
Why it matters now
The region’s largest transit agencies together projected a deficit of more than $800 million for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2026, as federal pandemic aid ran out and ridership revenue stayed below pre-2020 levels. In February 2026, the state approved a $590 million loan to those agencies to avoid immediate service cuts during this fiscal year. That loan is a short-term bridge; the November measure is the proposed long-term source.
What it means for riders
For now, Muni and BART service in San Francisco is not facing the deep cuts that were discussed in 2025, because the state loan covers this year. The November vote will decide whether the region raises its own dedicated funding for transit operations going forward. San Francisco would pay the highest rate under the measure, a full one-cent sales tax increase.
The ballot qualification was announced by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and reported by the Contra Costa Herald. The $590 million state loan and its terms are from the Office of Governor Newsom and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. For how transit fits into a visit, see our guide to things to do in San Francisco.
Photo: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
