San Francisco and Bay Area political and transport leaders are urging voters to back two measures intended to protect public transport funding when they go to the polls on November 3, 2026.
The proposals would provide additional support for Muni and other regional services at a time when operators are warning of severe financial pressure, despite a recovery in passenger numbers. The campaign was highlighted at a rally outside San Francisco City Hall attended by Mayor Daniel Lurie and Julie Kirschbaum, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s director of transportation.
One measure, known as Connect Bay Area, would introduce a regional sales tax across San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. It would apply a one-cent tax in San Francisco and a half-cent tax in the other four counties, raising an estimated $980 million (£730 million) a year for public transport and related improvements.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission says the 14-year measure would help protect services operated by BART, Muni, Caltrain, AC Transit and other agencies. Around 60 per cent of the revenue would be directed towards preserving services, with further funding earmarked for affordability, accessibility and reliability improvements.
San Francisco voters are also being asked to consider the Stronger Muni for All measure, a local parcel tax intended to raise about $160 million annually for the city’s Municipal Railway. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency says the money would help reduce its structural deficit and fund modest improvements to service.
Under the proposed arrangement, owners of single-family homes would generally pay $129 a year, while larger residential, multi-family and commercial properties would pay more according to the size of the building. The tax would run from July 2027 until June 2042 and would be adjusted annually for inflation, according to the SFMTA.
Officials say the measures are needed even though Muni ridership has been increasing. The agency says weekend use has, at points this year, exceeded pre-pandemic levels and has presented its service as safe, clean and reliable.
The SFMTA has warned that further funding will be necessary to avoid significant cuts to Muni services and programmes from the 2027-28 financial year. The regional proposal would also be subject to independent oversight, financial efficiency reviews and reporting requirements if approved by voters.
