Adds a sales tax of 1% in San Francisco and 0.5% in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, from April 2027 to April 2041, for transit operations and related programs.
Measure RTM · Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara) · Nov 3, 2026
Regional Transit Measure
Official title: RTM - Regional Transit Measure
A 14-year sales tax in five Bay Area counties to keep BART, Muni, Caltrain, AC Transit and other transit running and avoid deep service cuts.
At a glance
Regional sales tax- Does it raise taxes?
- New tax
- Estimated cost or revenue
- About $980 million a year across the five counties, according to the ballot question. San Francisco's share is about $230 million a year, all spent on SF transit, per GrowSF's analysis.
- Who pays
- Shoppers in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Food, medicine and other items already exempt from California sales tax stay exempt.
- Where the money goes
- Transit operations for BART, Muni, Caltrain, AC Transit, VTA, SamTrans, ferries and other operators, plus rider discounts, accessibility, wayfinding and county transportation priorities.
- How long
- 14 years: April 1, 2027 to April 1, 2041.
Worth knowing: Revenue rises and falls with taxable sales.
Figures come from the ballot question and GrowSF’s published breakdown, not our own estimates. Check the official voter guide for the full text.
Your choice
Saved privately on this device.What your vote does
No new regional sales tax. Transit agencies, including BART, have said they would make deep service cuts and raise fares without new money.
How the money works
TypeRegional sales tax
Rate or threshold1% in San Francisco (from 8.625% to 9.625%); 0.5% in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara.
Cost, who pays and where the money goes are in “At a glance” above.
What your guides say
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Why they disagree
Supporters say it prevents severe cuts to BART, Muni, Caltrain and AC Transit. Opponents point out that a sales tax is regressive and that San Francisco pays twice the rate of the other counties.
Who’s funding it
We haven’t loaded campaign-finance filings for Measure RTM yet. You can look them up directly:
Sources
- www.sf.gov Checked Nov 3, 2026
- my.lwv.org Checked Nov 3, 2026
- mtc.ca.gov Checked Nov 3, 2026