SAN FRANCISCO, CA — After a year filled with dread over whether BART and San Francisco's Muni transit system could continue their normal operations, voters this week offered both agencies a glimpse of hope.
Voters in San Francisco overwhelmingly approved the five-county Regional Measure RTM and Measure H, according to the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED.
The regional measure would impose a 0.5% sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and a 1% sales tax in San Francisco.
In San Francisco, all precincts have reported, and the latest results show the measure received 134,191 "Yes" votes and 38,663 " No " votes. In Alameda County, 193,325 people voted "Yes" while 103,295 people voted "No."
Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, as of Wednesday morning, also lead with a majority of "Yes" votes.
Through the tax, BART hopes to raise nearly $1 billion annually over the next 14 years.
"This is a huge win for public transit," Jeff Cretan, spokesman for the Connect Bay Area coalition, said, according to KQED. " I think these results show that people believe in the importance of our buses and trains running to get people to work, to get seniors to appointments and to get kids to school. All of that matters for the Bay Area to really thrive."
Measure H, a parcel tax that will help SF's Muni back from the brink of financial ruin, also led into Wednesday with 126,168 "Yes" votes to 47,995 "No."
It's projected to raise $150 million annually for the agency.
"Voters made it clear public transit is worth the investment," SFMTA said in a statement online. "Thank you to Mayor Lurie, Senators Wiener and Arreguin, and every voter and volunteer who supported both Proposition H and the Regional Transit Measure. Safe, reliable, and frequent service is here to stay!"
BART continues to suffer a financial deficit of $350 to 400 million that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work. Officials previously said passenger fares and parking fees made up nearly 70% of the cost to run BART services.
Officials have relied on emergency funding to keep operations running, and even suggested cutting some stops as a "doomsday plan" to ensure survival.
Were that plan to go forward, 15 BART stations would close, and fares would spike 50%.
Fares and parking fees are already keep increasing each year to help offset BART's current deficit. This year's fee increases are expected to raise an extra $15.6 million, which would still only tackle a fraction of the deficit.
Muni, meanwhile, was suffering even before the pandemic due to eroding parking revenue and growing costs while trying to maintain the service affordably.
Although the new tax will look to curb the deficits, some groups believe it may disproportionately impact lower-income communities who rely on the transit system, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
" They're promising oversight that is not really there," Gregg Dieguez, president of the Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit, told KQED before Tuesday's vote. "They need real reform, and the reforms they're promising are toothless and minuscule."
To find out how the city plans to tax each parcel type, click here.
As of 10 p.m. Tuesday, these are the election results for local measures:
Measure G: Vote on whether to allow private vehicles on the Great Highway in Sunset Dunes Park
109,319 (62.79%) NO
64,776 (37.21%) YES
Measure H: Officials would impose an annual tax on people who own land. The funds would go towards public transit operations.
It would start in July 2027 and carry on for 15 years. The tax amount depends on the type of land or parcel owned.
126,168 (72.44%) YES
47,995 (27.56%) NO
Measure I: Voting yes would cut the current transfer tax for properties in half while creating a new separate tax. The city can also borrow against the tax while giving new construction a five-year break from the tax.
93,917 (54.97%) NO
76,936 (45.03%) YES
Measure J: Voting yes would tax lenders who take back large residential or commercial properties.
135,129 (79.06%) YES
35,793 (20.94%) NO
District 11 (Connie Chan/Scott Wiener)
Wiener still leads with 87,641 votes to Chan's 70,511 votes as of Wednesday morning.
District 15 (Charles Hoelter/Kevin Mullin)
Mullin's lead remains intact Wednesday morning, taking 13,048 votes so far to Hoelter's 3,535.
District 17 (Matt Haney/Manuel Noris-Barrera)
Haney's lead only grows larger as more votes come in. So far, he's received 84,457 to Noris-Barrera's 10,513.
District 19 (Catherine Stefani/Phillip Louis Wing)
Stefani leads 63,236 to Wing's 13,073.
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