Looks like the folks in the Bay Area do not feel taxed enough. Nor are they willing to give up poor government transportation. Now they are looking at spending $2 billion for 27 failed government transportation/union run transportation systems.
“If legislators pass the bill, voters would decide in November 2026 whether or not to send at least $750 million in tax revenue each year to Bay Area transit agencies in an effort to better fund their operations. The senators noted Monday that absent financial relief, these agencies would have to make numerous service cuts to shore up their operating costs.”2
WhenWhen failing ind:51
avid on 1-yr deal worth up to $10m
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The bill would also study merging the Bay Area’s 27 transit agencies, assessing the potential benefits for each operator. Wiener and Wahab said the mergers could lead to cost savings and service improvements.”
When industries fail, a sign of the collapse is the merger of the failed systems—and that is really want this is about. Trying to hold off the inevitable—at a starting cost of $2 billion. Bay Area folks have money to burn.
State could put Bay Area transit relief in voters’ hands
By James Salazar, SF Examiner, 3/18/24 https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/transit/bay-area-transit-relief-could-head-to-2026-california-ballot/article_691b1866-e56d-11ee-8fa1-3b2e495a7474.html
State Sens. Scott Wiener and Aisha Wahab announced California Senate Bill 1031, also known as the Connect Bay Area Act, on Monday in a press conference at Hallidie Plaza near the Powell Street BART station entrance.
If legislators pass the bill, voters would decide in November 2026 whether or not to send at least $750 million in tax revenue each year to Bay Area transit agencies in an effort to better fund their operations. The senators noted Monday that absent financial relief, these agencies would have to make numerous service cuts to shore up their operating costs.2:51
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The bill would also study merging the Bay Area’s 27 transit agencies, assessing the potential benefits for each operator. Wiener and Wahab said the mergers could lead to cost savings and service improvements.
If voters approve the tax measure, the revenue generated would fund capital improvements to transit, public roads, electric-vehicle infrastructure and pedestrian and bike safety improvements, the lawmakers said.
Each Bay Area county’s transportation commission would decide how revenue is sourced for each project, such as vehicle-registration fees, parcel taxes or sales taxes.
“We know that transit ridership continues to increase and that our transit systems continue to struggle,” Wiener, who represents San Francisco, said during Monday’s press conference. He noted that $400 million was secured in California’s state budget last year for Bay Area transit operators, allowing them to avoid immediate service cuts. However, he said another $2.5 billion is needed to avoid those cuts in the next four years.
Wiener said that the legislation would give the region “the most modern and integrated and improved public transportation possible.”
“The quality of our roads has deteriorated and many roads are not safe for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders,” he added.
The bill’s first component would require the Bay Area’s transit agencies action to integrate its systems, including through fare payments, schedules, transfers and coordinated maps and signs. Funding, Wiener said, could depend on whether or not agencies participated.
The measure would also create a regional transit network manager who oversees whether or not the agencies are meeting their goals.
“This is not just about the pandemic,” Wiener said. “We have never funded our public transportation that we see in a way that will allow them to fully succeed.”
Jeffrey Tumlin, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s director of operations, said Monday that the bill’s financial aspect was just one step in how agencies are committed to focusing on riders, as well as building trust in their systems.
Actions like removing fare penalties for people making transfers, coordinating schedules and improving maps would help agencies deliver a system that feels like it is meeting riders where they are at in terms of needs, Tumlin added.
Wahab said that the bill offered an opportunity to expand how efficient public-transportation could be for all Bay Area residents based on each county’s demands. A concerted effort to invest in public transportation, she added, would help the Bay Area tackle its climate crisis, while also making sure that transit is the “most viable option” for residents, regardless of the type of trip.
“We deserve a world-class transit system that sets the standard for safety, speed, efficiency, affordability and technological innovations directly enhancing daily travel,” she told the crowd.
Wiener said that he envisioned a system that gave people a variety of travel options, with public transportation being the most enticing.
Both senators said the bill doesn’t necessarily seek to consolidate all of the Bay Area’s 27 transit agencies, as some operators might not be best served by a sweeping approach. Data collected from the assessments would allow legislators to determine how best to serve each county.
“We need to make sure that whether or not agencies are consolidated, that they are better integrated,” he said.
