SamTrans outlines how proposed Connect Bay Area measure could return $50M/year to San Mateo County

SamTrans officials briefed Redwood City Council on the county'portion of the Connect Bay Area citizens' initiative and asked for local feedback on how potential return-to-source funds should be prioritized.

Jessica Epstein, director of government and community affairs at SamTrans, said the measure (SB 63) would create a new transit district covering several Bay Area counties. If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, the San Mateo County portion could generate roughly $50 million annually and a total of about $700 million in discretionary local funds over a proposed 14-year tax term; those funds must be used for public transit purposes.

Epstein said SamTrans is developing a local investment plan and a public ranking survey that asks residents to prioritize among ten categories derived from prior work and outreach. Council members thanked SamTrans and expressed support for retaining funds for core transit operations and for prioritizing bus frequency and safety to attract a broader ridership.

Councilmember Chu emphasized that transit must be framed as a service for everyone, not only those without other options, and urged a preference for zero-emission buses and avoiding funding that would effectively subsidize single-occupancy vehicles. Vice Mayor Aiken and other councilmembers asked SamTrans to ensure robust outreach — multilingual and door-to-door — and to return detailed survey results to the SamTrans board and local councils.

SamTrans staff said the board will consider a local investment plan in May with a hopeful adoption in June for their committee processes; signature gathering for the citizens' initiative is ongoing.