The California Legislature passed a bill that would give Bay Area voters in 2026 the power to pass a sales tax, which would fund regional transit, Sen. Scott Wiener announced Saturday.

Senate Bill 63, named the Connect Bay Area Act, allows for a regional funding measure to be placed on the November 2026 ballot. The sales tax would be .5% with the possibility for San Francisco to increase it to 1% to help fund Muni, according to Wiener and Sen. Jesse Arreguin's bill.

"None of us like to pay more taxes, but we're going to have to really explain to the voters and make the case that this is essential and it's worth doing this because the alternative is just not tenable," said Wiener. 

Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco counties would be included in the measure. And it would help fund AC Transit, BART, Caltrain, Muni, San Francisco Bay Ferry, Alameda and Contra Costa small bus operators and Golden Gate Transit.

The bill still needs to go to Gov. Gavin Newsom, and he has until Oct. 12 to either sign or veto the bill. If voters pass the measure in 2026, it would be in place for 14 years.   

"Keeping our trains and buses running frequently and reliably is essential for the future of the Bay Area," said Wiener. "The risks to our essential transit systems are real, and we have a long road ahead to securing this long-term funding and stabilizing our transit systems. I'm confident that in spite of these challenges, with partnership from leaders across the region we can ensure our public transportation systems remain vibrant and reliable."

According to Wiener, the bill requires transit agencies to improve their financial efficiency in order to get the funding.

For transit advocate and co-founder of the Transbay Coalition advocacy group, Carter Lavin, public transit is an everyday part of his life. 

"I used it all the time," Lavin stated.

Lavin usually takes the bus, BART and even the ferr. He uses his bike to get around in between and said that all of those options are necessities for those who use them and for those who don't.

"Without BART, freeways are a parking lot," Lavin explained about how the loss of funding would impact everyone. "Without the local bus, people are not able to get to work."

Lavin said this measure could change the trajectory of Bay Area transit.

"If it passes this fall of 2026, that will provide hundreds of millions of dollars every single year for transit throughout the big 5 Bay Area counties for 14 years to come, so this is a long-term investment," said Lavin. "This is this foundational piece of transit funding that the Bay Area has always lacked."

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency released a statement on lawmakers passing the bill.

"Transit is a public necessity, connecting people to jobs, students to schools, healthcare professionals to hospitals, and all of us to the places we love most in our neighborhoods. In San Francisco, the passage of SB 63 is a step towards protecting essential Muni service and will equip us with resources to continue investing in our infrastructure, safety, and accessibility, all of which are critical to meeting the growing needs of San Francisco.  

The SFMTA faces a significant budget deficit of $307 million beginning in 2026, despite recovering ridership. We are tackling this fiscal crisis from every angle and taking action, bringing our deficit down from over $440 million. Our work to find savings internally and becoming more financially efficient has resulted in $130 million in savings. We know more is needed to keep Muni service and programs, and move boldly towards a faster, cleaner, and more connected transit system that our customers count on."

BART also released a statement on SB63's passing.

"Senate Bill (SB) 63 is a historic opportunity to allow voters in five counties of the Bay Area to consider a 14-year sales tax measure in November 2026 to preserve and improve transit. BART, and the entire transit network that keeps the Bay Area moving, stand to benefit from this bill. 

The legislation is needed because remote work has caused a decline in operating revenue for various operators and deficits are too large to solve through cuts alone.  Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been clear that BART's outdated funding model no longer works. BART is facing annual operating deficits of $350-400 million once the emergency assistance we have been provided runs out at the end of Fiscal Year 2026."

As for funding in the meantime, Newsom has said he would work with the Bay Area to help secure funding for transit.