Did the Bay Area just save its transit system from the brink of certain death? – The Guardian

Did the Bay Area just save its transit system from the brink of certain death?  The Guardian

Voters approved two measures to save the region’s financially distressed public transit agencies Voters in the San Francisco Bay Area overwhelmingly approved two transit measures this week that advocates hope will save the region’s financially distressed public transit agencies from a potential death spiral that could have had massive repercussions for the area’s residents and its economy. The Regional Transit Measure (RTM), a 0.5% sales tax across four Bay Area counties and a 1% sales tax in San Francisco, will generate approximately $1bn annually to fund the region’s four largest transit operators. It received a strong 62.2% support across all five counties that voted on the measure, winning with a landslide of 78.6% in San Francisco.

In San Francisco, 73.6% of voters also approved a parcel tax to fund Muni, the first publicly owned and operated transit agency in a major US city. Had the measures not passed, Bay Area Rapid Transit (Bart) would be forced to close as many as 15 stations as soon as early next year, dramatically reducing frequency of service and increasing the cost of rides and parking. Caltrain, a commuter rail that connects San Francisco with the South Bay region, would have closed 10 stations and ended weekend service. And Muni, the city of San Francisco’s main transit system, would have been forced to reduce