City Council Split On How New Bay Area Transit Tax Should Be Spent In Redwood City

REDWOOD CITY, CA — A regional transit funding proposal drew strong but differing reactions from Redwood City councilmembers, as SamTrans officials outlined how a potential “Connect Bay Area” sales tax could stabilize struggling transit systems and send millions back to San Mateo County.

SamTrans Government and Community Affairs Director Jessica Epstein described a citizens’ initiative enabled by SB 63 that could place a half‑cent sales tax on the November ballot in most counties, with San Francisco pursuing a full cent. She said the measure is intended to prevent major service cuts at BART, Caltrain, AC Transit, Muni, SF Bay Ferry and smaller operators, while sending roughly $50 million per year in return‑to‑source funds back to San Mateo County for local transit investments over 14 years.

Councilmember Isabel Chu, who said she is a frequent SamTrans rider, argued that transit dollars should not be diverted to car‑oriented uses.

“I would be really sad to see transit money going to ride share and potholes,” she said. “The chief competitor for transit is automobiles, single occupancy vehicles. And I don’t think transit money should be diverted to single occupancy vehicles, even if it’s ride share.”

Chu also pushed for a strong climate lens, warning against hydrogen buses whose fuel is often produced from fossil fuels.

“Most hydrogen in the U.S. comes from fracking,” she said. “Just because you reduce point emissions out of the tailpipe doesn’t mean it’s zero emissions. You have to look at the whole life cycle of that energy source.”

Councilmember Marcella Padilla took the opposite view on road spending, arguing that well‑maintained streets serve transit riders too.

“I think that potholes and road maintenance is very important,” she said. “Buses are heavy and buses take specific paths over and over again, which means they contribute to the wear of those roads.”

SamTrans is currently surveying residents and local governments as it shapes a draft local investment plan for its board to consider in May and June.