New Legislation Aims to Put Future Of Bay Area Transportation in Voters' Hands

Key Facts

• Bill Lays Out Sweeping Vision for 2026 Ballot Measure , /PRNewswire/ -- State Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco this week joined with State Senator Aisha Wahab of Hayward to jointly author a bill that would allow voters throughout the Bay Area to consider as early as November 2026 a comprehensive transportation revenue and reform measure that would preserve and enhance public transit operations, improve the condition of local streets and roads, and promote mobility and access for all people, including pedestrians, bicyclists and scooter and wheelchair users.
• Declaring the nine-county Bay Area needs a world-class, reliable, affordable, efficient and connected transportation network that meets the needs of its residents, businesses and visitors while also helping to combat the climate crisis, Senate Bill 1031 proposes that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) allocate at least $750 million each year to support Bay Area transit operations if voters approve a regional payroll tax, regional parcel tax, regional sales tax, or a regional vehicle registration surcharge — though the bill specifies that voters would not be asked to consider a registration surcharge before 2030.
• SB 1031 would make MTC responsible for implementing a seamless transit experience throughout the Bay Area, and would require the Commission to adopt and update rules and regulations to promote the coordination of fares, fare-payment methods and fare integration among various transit agencies.
• The Clipper BayPass now being piloted by MTC and Bay Area transit agencies is providing a group of more than 30,000 test users — including private and public sector employers, college students and residents of affordable housing communities — with free access to all bus, rail and ferry services in the nine-county region.

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