2/22/24: Poll: Seamless transit, expert oversight, streamlining key to winning 2026 transit funding measure
Exciting and breaking news! We recently commissioned a poll to better gauge voters and their desires for the upcoming 2026 regional transit funding measure. Read on to learn more about the poll results, an upcoming Transbay Coalition meeting to learn about volunteer opportunities, and our recent blog highlighting the progress being made right now on transit coordination.
Poll: Seamless transit goals vastly popular with voters, key to winning 2026 transit funding measure
Integrating the Bay Area’s 27 transit agencies’ schedules and fares, safety improvements, repairing potholes, and streamlining systems to improve efficiency are the most popular transportation outcomes and reforms, and may be key to winning a future transportation regional ballot measure. This is according to a new poll we commissioned in partnership with the Beneficial State Foundation to gauge voters' top priorities for this important initiative.
Overall, 57% of voters support an income tax targeted at high-income earners to fund public transit and transportation improvements. Voters were most receptive to hearing information about the ballot measure from public transit experts. The most popular messaging focused on coupling improvements to public transportation with reforms to streamline the system so that funding is used more efficiently.
“This poll validates what we have long known - voters still are strongly supportive of public transit, but are frustrated with the status quo and want to see a more seamless network.” said our Policy Director Ian Griffiths. “To win voter support for more funding in 2026, the region must offer a clear vision of a transformed system - and a realistic plan for getting there. We look forward to working with MTC, transit agencies, and our state legislators to establish a Network Manager with expert-led decision-making that truly puts riders first and streamline Bay Area public transit into a more efficient and effective system.”
Read more about the poll results and its findings on our press release.
Also, join us on March 6th from 12-1pm PST for an online webinar to discuss how including these priorities in the funding measure will be key for winning at the ballot box. We’ll also discuss how advocates, elected officials, and transit agencies should be thinking about messaging in support of the regional ballot measure. Impact Research will be joining us to help explain how their team conducted the poll and the methodologies used.
Panelist will include:
Ian Griffiths, Policy Director, Seamless Bay Area
Darnell Grisby, Senior Fellow, Beneficial State Foundation
Nadia Perl, Senior Associate, Impact Research
February 29th, 5:30pm – Transbay Coalition General Meeting
Join the Transbay Coalition General Meeting to get the latest on what’s going on with California transit policy, what's happening with the future of funding for transit throughout the region, how to get engaged in the Candidate Questionnaire project that is educating hundreds of candidates about transit, and other ways you can get more involved in improving transit in the Bay. All are welcome at this meeting – whether you’ve been a superstar volunteer or if you’re just poking your head in to get a better look. The featured special guest speaker will be Nailah Pope-Harden, ClimatePlan's Executive Director.
Check our new blog posts!
It’s really happening: Bay Area Transit GMs ramp up integration agenda
Riders are beginning to see real progress on many of the long-discussed initiatives to integrate the region's transit systems, from fare integration to wayfinding to transit priority and more. It’s important to recognize how far we’ve come - seamless transit is finally taking shape in the Bay Area thanks to riders speaking up, elected officials championing integration, and greater than ever attention from Transit GMs and MTC. We summarize the impact and timeline of some important collaborative efforts in this post.