Bay Area voters jack up taxes to pay for struggling public transit systems

Voters in five Bay Area counties backed two tax measures to help fund struggling public transport systems, including BART, Muni and Caltrain. The measures are intended to avert major service cuts as agencies face budget shortfalls after rising costs and a pandemic-era drop in fare revenue.

The regional measure was leading with 61% in initial returns and would raise a half-cent sales tax for 14 years, or one cent in San Francisco. San Francisco voters also approved Proposition H with 72%: it sets a property tax starting at $129 a year for single-family homes, with higher charges for some other properties, to fund Muni for 15 years. Reported deficits were $375 million at BART, $307 million at Muni and $75 million at Caltrain; opponents argued agencies already receive about $6 billion annually from taxes, tolls and grants.