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SamTrans briefs council on Connect Bay Area (SB 63): $50 million a year for San Mateo County if the measure qualifies
Summary
SamTrans briefed council on the Connect Bay Area Act (Senate Bill 63) and asked for local input on priorities for an estimated $50 million per year to San Mateo County if voters in five Bay Area counties approve the sales-tax measure.
Anna Vasadev, manager of government and community affairs for SamTrans, presented the agency's overview of the Connect Bay Area Act (Senate Bill 63), a regional ballot effort that would place sales-tax increases on the ballot in up to five counties. Vasadev said that if the measure qualifies and passes, San Mateo County would receive roughly $50 million annually for 14 years to support transit operations and local transportation investments. She emphasized that the plan remains subject to the statutory requirements of SB 63 and that 63% of the regionally pooled funding is intended to prevent service cuts on major operators (Caltrain, BART, Muni, AC Transit) while the county—omponent would be administered locally.
Vasadev described a short public-engagement timeline and asked the council and community to complete a short survey and attend stakeholder workshops; she also left fact sheets and a social-media toolkit for city staff. Councilmembers praised the outreach and raised operational questions, including whether SamTrans is considering autonomous vehicles as a future cost-reduction tool — Vasadev said she would check with operations staff — and whether funds would be applied to frequency and affordability concerns in East Palo Alto. Several councilmembers urged SamTrans to prioritize frequency, reliability and equity for low-income and car-free riders.
Public commenters and local advocates also urged the city to help amplify the survey to ensure East Palo Alto voices are included in the local investment planning process.
Next steps: SamTrans will continue stakeholder outreach, present a draft local-investment plan to its board (with a May 6 meeting noted) and seek community input through a closing survey.
