Council Calls for Efficiency Review to Restore Voter Confidence in Transit Funding

As the region grapples with how to ensure that our trains, buses, and ferries continue to run, a new poll by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) last week revealed a narrow path to securing the voter approval for a transportation revenue measure. While a majority (54%) support a tax measure to avert severe service cuts on BART, Caltrain, Muni, and AC Transit, the support was well below the two-thirds approval required. The poll also revealed voter distrust in how the public transit agencies would use the funds and skepticism about how efficiently current funds are spent.

So, in an effort to restore voter confidence and set us on a path to success, the Bay Area Council this week offered a solution by calling for a financial efficiency review of Bay Area transit operators to identify areas to cut costs while also maintaining and improving service. Other regions of the country have made progress on addressing this exact challenge, and we hope to replicate their success in the Bay Area.

The Council is working with MTC and Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin on their legislation (SB 63) that would authorize the placement of a measure on the November 2026 ballot, and we believe an efficiency review is the first step towards sustaining public transit in the Bay Area going forward. See the letter we submitted to MTC here (download). To learn more about the Council’s transportation work, please contact Vice President Emily Loper.