# Bay Area Voters Face Transit Tax Vote

> Bay Area voters decide if a one-cent sales tax will fund transit after service cuts threaten disabled riders.
- Title: Bay Area Voters Face Transit Tax Vote · Mother Jones
- Summary: Bay Area voters decide if a one-cent sales tax will fund transit after service cuts threaten disabled riders. Bay Area voters will decide in November whether…
- Keywords: caltrain, barn, bay area, sales tax, transit cuts, disabled riders, nearly 50 percent, san francisco, alameda, contra costa, san mateo, santa clara
- Source: Mother Jones — https://motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/california-bay-area-transit-ballot-measure-funding-service-cuts
- Author: Julia Métraux
- Published: 2026-10-15T09:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: caltrain, barn, bay area, sales tax, transit cuts, disabled riders, nearly 50 percent, san francisco, alameda, contra costa, san mateo, santa clara
## Caltrain service cuts
Caltrain could discontinue weekend service and shutter up to a third of its stations.
## BART service cuts
BART could cut 70 percent of its service and close up to 15 of 50 stations.
## Paratransit impact
Paratransit users face longer waits and fewer slots as fixed-route cuts reduce service.

> The biggest thing about paratransit [that] people don’t realize is it’s tied to our fixed route
## November ballot measure
Voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties will vote on a one-cent sales tax to fund transit.
## Tax funding estimate
Proponents estimate the tax will bring in just under $1 billion annually for transit projects.
## Disabled riders' concerns
Disabled riders face longer waits and reduced service as transit cuts threaten their autonomy.

> For Jackie Liu, an autistic artist with Long Covid who lives in Daly City, the fact that a region like the Bay Area has allowed transit funding to reach a crisis point feels like a "slap in the face"
## Transit funding crisis
Bay Area transit funding crisis worsened by pandemic ridership drops and lack of federal support.
## Key takeaway

Bay Area voters will decide in November whether a one-cent sales tax will fund transit services amid service cuts that disproportionately impact disabled riders.