Voters in five Bay Area counties approved two tax measures on Tuesday aimed at bolstering the region's public transportation systems, which have faced significant budget deficits. The measures, intended to fund transit agencies like BART, Muni, and Caltrain, passed in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties.

The Regional Transit Measure, a half-cent sales tax set to last for 14 years, was leading with 61% of initial returns. This measure will support more than 20 transit agencies across the region. In San Francisco specifically, this tax amounts to one cent.

San Francisco voters also overwhelmingly approved Proposition H, a parcel tax designed to fund Muni for 15 years, garnering 72% of the vote. This proposition will impose an annual tax of $129 on single-family homes, with larger and non-residential properties paying higher amounts. The tax will be adjusted for inflation each year.

Transit agencies had warned of severe service cuts if these measures failed. BART reported a $375 million deficit, Muni faced a $307 million gap, and Caltrain had a $75 million shortfall. Without additional funding, BART had outlined an "Alternative Service Plan" that included closing up to 15 stations, ending daily service at 9 p.m., and potentially increasing fares and parking fees by up to 50%.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency had also threatened to cut 20 bus lines, reduce bus service frequency by half, and eliminate cable car service.

However, some taxpayer groups questioned the dire predictions, pointing out that transit agencies already receive substantial funding from taxes, tolls, and government grants, estimated at around $6 billion annually. Marc Joffe, president of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, suggested diverting $1 billion from California's high-speed rail project to San Francisco's transit systems instead of implementing new taxes.

This is not the first time Bay Area voters have supported transit funding. In 2020, Measure RR, a one-eighth-cent regional sales tax, was approved to support operations after pandemic-related ridership declines.