New Poll Shows Regional Measure in Good Shape
A new poll of likely voters across five Bay Area counties shows the Regional Transit Measure to save public transit has a clear path to victory in November.
The survey was conducted by EMC Research among 1,700 likely voters across Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. It found 54 percent support among likely voters for the sales tax, which would fund long-term operations for major Bay Area transit agencies. The research also found that support rose to 58 percent after voters learned more about the severe consequences of failing to protect Bay Area transit service. Because it is a citizen’s ballot measure, i.e. one placed on the ballot by voter’s signatures, it only requires a majority of votes to pass.
This comes on the heels of a recent effort by oil shills to portray the half-cent sales tax as overly burdensome on working families and the poor. Of course, that’s also who will suffer the most if the Bay Area transit network is unfunded and degraded.
Without sustainable transit funding, the Bay Area could face catastrophic service reductions:
- BART: Up to 15 station closures, elimination of two lines, and service cuts of up to 70 percent
- Caltrain: Hourly train service, no weekend service, and weekday shutdowns after 9 p.m.
- Muni: At least 20 bus routes eliminated and service reductions of 30 percent or more
- AC Transit: Service cuts of at least 16 percent
To fight those potential cutbacks, the Connect Bay Area campaign has grown in support over the last several months, with more than 100 elected officials and more than 115 labor, business, and advocacy organizations signing on. Together, those groups secured over 300,000 signatures last May to qualify the measure for the ballot—over 100,000 more than was needed.
“This poll confirms what we’ve been hearing for months: people understand that public transit matters for people all across the Bay Area, and they don’t want to see it dismantled,” said Jean Cohen, Executive Officer of the South Bay Labor Council, in a statement. “Voters deserve to understand exactly what’s at stake, and that’s the work our coalition is ready to take on. We cannot have an affordable Bay Area that supports working people, seniors, and our economy without public transit.”
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