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SamTrans outlines Connect Bay Area ballot measure and asks for local input on $50M/year for San Mateo County
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Summary
Charles C. Chang of SamTrans briefed the Atherton City Council on SB 63 (the Connect Bay Area initiative), describing a potential half-cent sales tax to fund regional transit and asking for Atherton input on how roughly $50 million a year for San Mateo County could be invested locally.
Charles C. Chang, government and community affairs officer for SamTrans, told the Atherton City Council on April 15 that a citizens’ initiative based on the Connect Bay Area Act (SB 63) is collecting signatures and, if it qualifies for the November 2026 ballot, would ask Bay Area voters to approve a half-cent countywide sales tax for 14 years (a full cent in San Francisco).
Chang said the measure would raise nearly $1 billion regionwide if approved, with about 33 percent of revenues allocated for county-level investments; San Mateo County’s share is roughly $50 million annually. He said the revenue must be used for public transit and described SamTrans’ work to draft a local investment plan using past strategic documents, stakeholder workshops and a public survey that closes April 30.
Council members and residents asked for more route-level and mode-specific ridership data (buses vs. trains) to help evaluate local priorities. A council member asked about utilization on local bus routes and whether making buses fare-free had been considered; Chang replied that ridership varies by route and that SamTrans has adjusted service based on customer feedback. Chang said SamTrans projects an operating deficit beginning in fiscal 2028 and estimates an average operating shortfall of about $30 million per year over the next decade without additional revenue.
Chang encouraged Atherton residents to complete the survey (available in English, simplified Chinese, Spanish and Tagalog), participate in public outreach, and noted the SamTrans board plans to discuss the local investment plan at its May 6 meeting with a goal of board adoption on June 3.
The presentation included a summary of priorities SamTrans is surveying and offered a staff contact for follow-up questions; several council members pressed for clearer local data on ridership and route utilization before the board finalizes the local plan.
