Advocates have worked tirelessly to ensure a $750 million bridge loan from the state to keep Bay Area transit running. And they've campaigned hard to get Senate Bill 63, the legislation by Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín to fund transit, in front of voters next year. Both have advanced, S.B. 63 in particular.
From Seamless Bay Area's Adina Levin:
Hooray! The bill to authorize a regional transit funding measure, S.B. 63, passed the legislature at 1:30 a.m. in the dark of Saturday morning! Now it’s on to the Governor's desk where it's very likely to get signed
This measure will provide 14 years of consistent funding to keep transit running and improving on the region’s most used services - Muni, BART, Caltrain and AC Transit, and support other services around the region including SamTrans and VTA. The measure will fund and require seamless transit - making transit more coordinated, affordable and accessible, with free transfers, accessible wayfinding signs, and more!
From a BART statement:
S.B. 63 is a historic opportunity to allow voters in five counties of the Bay Area to consider a 14-year sales tax measure in November 2026 to preserve and improve transit. BART, and the entire transit network that keeps the Bay Area moving, stand to benefit from this bill.
The legislation is needed because remote work has caused a decline in operating revenue for various operators and deficits are too large to solve through cuts alone. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been clear that BART’s outdated funding model no longer works. BART is facing annual operating deficits of $350-400 million once the emergency assistance we have been provided runs out at the end of Fiscal Year 2026.
"Keeping our trains and buses running frequently and reliably is essential for the future of the Bay Area," said Senator Wiener. “I’m grateful to see this incredible coalition from across the Bay Area come together to ensure our transit systems are financially stable and able to provide improved service for our residents.
However, there's still much work to be done. Also from Seamless:
Next, over 100,000 signatures will need to be gathered across the 5 counties. And then the campaign to reach voters and get more than 50 percent of the vote by November 2026. Plus, San Francisco will need a second parcel tax measure on the same November ballot to save Muni service.
Moreover, despite the Governor's Department of Finance's failure to commit to a $750 million bridge loan to keep transit running until the measure hits the ballot, it seems a deal is in the making. Newsom has signaled his support; there's an option to get this done as late as January in special session, which would be enough time for operators to avoid dire service cuts. "We're now continuing discussions to finalize the loan," said Erik Mebust with Wiener's office. "We all want to get this finalized, hopefully some time this fall."
"The risks to our essential transit systems are real, and we have a long road ahead to securing this long-term funding and stabilizing our transit systems. I’m confident that in spite of these challenges, with partnership from leaders across the region we can ensure our public transportation systems remain vibrant and reliable," said Wiener in a statement.
The Transbay Coalition, which also worked on these campaigns along with Seamless, the San Francisco Transit Riders, and many other groups, suggests advocates come celebrate at a Peninsula Transit Happy Hour in Redwood City on September 29. There's also the Rider First Awards in San Francisco on October 10 to celebrate the movement and leaders that moved this bill along.
