Bill seeks transit tax in Bay Area
The Bay Area could see more transit consolidation and interagency coordination pending a new state Senate bill that aims to stem fiscal bleeding and close operational gaps within many of the region’s 27 public transit agencies.
With the passage of Senate Bill 1031, sponsored by state Sens. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and Aisha Wahab, D-Fremont, Bay Area residents from across the region’s nine counties would likely vote on a ballot measure providing at least $750 million annually to transit agencies throughout the region, with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission — a regional financing and coordination body across the Bay Area — ultimately determining whether that comes in the form of a sales tax, parcel tax or other form of taxation.
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The bill would also require an assessment starting next year of how best to consolidate more transit agencies across the region.
“Many people think that consolidation just means just one agency. That’s not necessarily the case,” Wahab said. “We want to make sure that we are delivering the best for the rider first and foremost. If that study means five agencies, if it means nine agencies, if it means one agency, we will know once the data and the assessment is complete.”
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David Canepa, member of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, noted he has grown frustrated with discourse that frames efforts like SB 1031 solely on whether Caltrain and BART will merge.
“Just to frame this as a Caltrain-BART issue, we’re losing the conversation,” Canepa said. “Why wouldn’t we look at this regionally? At the end of the day, it’s about the rider experience.”