# Regional Ballot Measure is a $14 Billion Bet on Bay Area Transit

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728/regional-ballot-measure-is-a-14-billion-bet-on-bay-area-transit
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728/regional-ballot-measure-is-a-14-billion-bet-on-bay-area-transit.md
Podcast: [KQED's Forum](https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728)
Published: 2026-09-24T18:11:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC7077032705.mp3
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC7077032705.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/kqed-s-forum-910728/episodes/regional-ballot-measure-is-a-14-billion-bet-on-bay-area-transit
Duration seconds: 3288

## Resource

Years after the pandemic emptied trains and buses, Bay Area transit agencies still face anemic ridership and rising costs. A new regional transit measure that voters put on the November ballot aims to shift the tides. It would add a 0.5% sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties and 1% in San Francisco, to raise an estimated $14 billion over 14 years. Supporters hope it will fund BART, Muni, Caltrain, SamTrans, VTA and AC Transit and better connect the systems, while critics call it a regressive tax that hits lower-income residents hardest. We’ll talk about how we got here and the future of public transit with – or without – these funds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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## Transcript

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