BART, SF Muni See Huge Win As Voters Approve Regional Measure, New Tax – Patch

BART, SF Muni See Huge Win As Voters Approve Regional Measure, New Tax  Patch

The measure and new tax seek to help Bay Area transit back from financial ruin. SAN FRANCISCO, CA — After a year filled with dread over whether BART and San Francisco's Muni transit system could continue their normal operations, voters this week offered both agencies a glimpse of hope. Voters in San Francisco overwhelmingly approved the five-county Regional Measure RTM and Measure H, according to the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED. The regional measure would impose a 0.5% sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and a 1% sales tax in San Francisco. In San Francisco, all precincts have reported, and the latest results show the measure received 134,191 "Yes" votes and 38,663 " No " votes.

In Alameda County, 193,325 people voted "Yes" while 103,295 people voted "No." Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, as of Wednesday morning, also lead with a majority of "Yes" votes. Through the tax, BART hopes to raise nearly $1 billion annually over the next 14 years. "This is a huge win for public transit," Jeff Cretan, spokesman for the Connect Bay Area coalition, said, according to KQED. " I think these results show that people believe in the importance of our buses and trains running to get people to work, to get seniors to appointments and