Local Politics · Alameda County
Bay Area Transit Tax Measure Leads 61.4% in Nov. 3 Early Returns
Early returns from Tuesday's election showed voters across five Bay Area counties supporting a regional sales tax measure (RTM) that would fund public transit agencies facing severe deficits. As of 9 p.m., 61.4% of counted votes favored the measure, which proposes a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and a one-cent tax in San Francisco starting April 2027. The measure would raise an estimated $980 million annually for 14 years to support BART, Muni, Caltrain, AC Transit, VTA, SF Bay Ferry and Golden Gate Transit. Without passage, BART has announced that 10 low-ridership stations—including Castro Valley, South Hayward, West Dublin/Pleasanton and Oakland International Airport—could close as early as January 2027. Opponents favor pausing projects like Valley Link and the San Jose BART extension rather than imposing a new tax.