Santa Clara County's main transit agency would not have to shrink if voters reject the Bay Area's regional transit tax in November, but it also would not grow, and two rail systems that serve the county are warning of steep cuts, San José Spotlight reported Wednesday.
The Connect Bay Area measure, authorized by Senate Bill 63, would raise the sales tax by half a cent in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties and by 1 cent in San Francisco for 14 years starting April 1, 2027. It would raise about $980 million a year, with roughly $245 million, about a quarter, going to the Valley Transportation Authority.
It needs a simple majority to pass.
What each agency says
Sergio Lopez, a Campbell council member who chairs VTA's board, told the news site the agency is financially stable now. "Your transit service would not get better if the measure doesn't pass," he said, adding that the money would allow improvements other counties cannot make.
Caltrain expects a $75 million deficit in the fiscal year that begins next July. Its plan if the measure fails includes cutting peak weekday trains from every 15 minutes to once an hour, ending service at 9 p.m. instead of 1 a.m., closing more than a third of its stations and dropping weekend service.
Pat Burt, VTA's representative on the Caltrain board, said service south of San Jose to Gilroy would be most at risk because it carries the highest subsidy per rider.
BART, facing a projected $370 million gap, has outlined a 70% cut in operating hours, a 50% fare increase and 15 station closures. Its two Santa Clara County stations, Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose, are run by VTA and are unlikely to be affected, according to the report, and the BART extension to downtown San Jose would get no money from the measure.