Get Involved with Measure RTM with Tomorrow’s (9/17) Day of Action, or Events All Weekend
With under seven weeks until Election Day on November 3, supporters of the Regional Transit Measure, Measure RTM, are organizing events throughout the region to inform people of the stakes if the measure doesn’t pass. Tomorrow, there will be a “Day of Action across the Bay Area,” calling for transit funding and mobilizing voters around the measure.
If you’re unfamiliar with Measure RTM, there’s a breakdown of how revenue will be collected and how it will be distributed at the end of the story.
Here’s where to join events on Thursday, September 17:
📍 8:00 a.m. | Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland
📍 12:00 p.m. | San Jose State University
📍 4:30 p.m. | Orinda BART Station
📍 4:30 p.m. | Powell Street Cable Car Turnaround, San Francisco
📍 5:00 p.m. | Millbrae Transit Station
The scope of events demonstrates the importance of passing Measure RTM not just to the big cities in the Bay Area, but riders of almost every agency across the region.
And the organizing doesn’t stop Thursday. This weekend’s voter outreach includes:
📍 Saturday, 11:00 a.m. | Cal football game, Berkeley
📍 Saturday, 5:00 p.m. | BART Anime Fest, Warm Springs
📍 Sunday, 10:00 a.m. | Canvass in West Portal
📍 Sunday, 3:00 p.m. | Phonebank at Democratic Volunteer Center, Mountain View
“Sign up for the event near you, and bring a friend, bring a sign. Share the event links with your friends, neighbors, family, coworkers, and community organizations – let’s show the breadth of support for public transit,” urged the campaign in an e-mail to supporters.
What Is the Regional Transit Measure?
If passed, Measure RTM will implement the following sales tax increases depending on the county:
- 1.0% (1 cent per dollar) increase in the City and County of San Francisco. This would bump San Francisco’s base sales tax from 8.625% up to 9.625%.
- 0.5% (half-cent per dollar) increase in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties.
The tax is expected to bring in roughly $1 billion every year until it expires in fourteen years. Money will be distributed to transit agencies across the five-county region with these percentages.
- BART: 31%
- Muni (SFMTA): 16%
- Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA): 25.1%
- Caltrain: 7%
- AC Transit: 5%
- San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans): 4.7%
- Contra Costa Transportation Authority: 2.5%
- Contra Costa County small transit operators: 1.5%
- Alameda County Transportation Commission: 1%
- San Francisco Bay Ferry: 0.7%
- Alameda County small transit operators: 0.5%
- Golden Gate Transit: 0.1%
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