The deadline for Santa Clara County’s public transportation agency to join a regional funding measure is approaching, and transit advocates want to see the South Bay take action.
The VTA board of directors is weighing whether to opt into Senate Bill 63, which would allow transit agencies or voter initiatives to put a regional half-cent sales tax on the 2026 ballot. About 30 people rallied in front of the Santa Clara County Government Center on Tuesday, calling for VTA to join the effort. Supporters say it’ll bring stability to VTA and other Bay Area transit agencies, such as BART and Caltrain, which are all facing fiscally uncertain futures.
VTA is holding a workshop Friday on SB 63, with the board of directors set to decide whether to opt in at its Aug. 7 meeting. The deadline to opt in is Aug. 11.
Eugene Bradley, founder of Silicon Valley Transit Users, said the momentum behind SB 63 is inspiring. He attended the rally to show support for the bill and has been organizing in support of South Bay transit and riders since 2000.
“I feel the momentum is finally building for transit agencies to work together,” Bradley told San José Spotlight. “We’ve gotten people together from San Francisco and North Bay to come to San Jose.”
@sanjosespotlight The deadline for Santa Clara County’s public transportation agency to join a regional funding measure is approaching, and transit advocates want to see the South Bay take action. The VTA board of directors is weighing whether to opt into Senate Bill 63, which would allow transit agencies or voter initiatives to put a regional half-cent sales tax on the 2026 ballot. About 30 people rallied in front of the Santa Clara County Government Center on Tuesday, calling for VTA to join the effort. Supporters say it’ll bring stability to VTA and other Bay Area transit agencies, such as BART and Caltrain, which are all facing fiscally uncertain futures. VTA is holding a workshop Friday on SB 63, with the board of directors set to decide whether to opt in at its Aug. 7 meeting. The deadline to opt in is Aug. 11. Read more at SanJoseSpotlight.com. #transit #sanjose #siliconvalley #vta #bart #localnews
SB 63 is spearheaded by state Sens. Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín. The bill passed the state Senate along party lines in June and is now in the Assembly. It names four transit agencies that could benefit from the tax — AC Transit, Caltrain, BART and San Francisco MUNI. Like VTA, San Mateo County’s transit agency known as SamTrans has yet to opt in.
VTA predicts multi-million dollar deficits in coming years and is exploring new revenue sources. The board has considered SB 63 in the past, but directors questioned how much of the funds generated locally would return to benefit Santa Clara County.
VTA Board Chair and Campbell Mayor Sergio Lopez said he’s been in multiple conversations with Wiener and Arreguín over the past few months. Amendments to the bill reflect those conversations, as a VTA analysis of the latest version shows the agency expects to receive more than $264 million annually over the potential 14-year lifetime of the tax.
“The board’s going to make its determination, but I think it’s pretty clear that what will come back is a much better deal for Santa Clara County than what was initially being considered,” Lopez told San José Spotlight.
The public transit agency is also weighing whether to renew Measure A, a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2000. It’s scheduled to sunset in 2036 and expected to bring in $290 million in fiscal year 2025. That revenue helps operating expenses and contributes to 14 capital projects, including the BART Silicon Valley expansion. Polling from VTA released in May found that either measure would be supported by about 57% of voters. However, renewing Measure A would need a 67% approval vote, while a voter initiative under SB 63 would need a simple majority.
Advocates have called for better regional connectivity for years. Adina Levin, executive director of Seamless Bay Area, said the regional measure will be critical for supporting local transit. While VTA is the main transit agency serving Santa Clara County, residents also rely on Caltrain and BART for travel, and both are facing steep financial cliffs.
Levin said the measure will bolster all of these agencies, along with services to improve regional connectivity, such as free or reduced transfer prices between different agencies. Levin said she hopes the rally energizes transit riders and supporters, as public outreach will be key at every stage of this process.
“We want to urge the VTA board to join and also motivate our people to succeed in getting legislation passed, and then be motivated to be part of the campaign and getting the funding passed,” Levin told San José Spotlight.
South Bay transit advocate Harry Neil spoke in support of SB 63 at the rally and said VTA could urge the bill’s authors to explore a gross receipts tax rather than a sales tax. He said a tax on businesses that earn more than $5 million annually would alleviate some of the burden on residents having to pay increased sales taxes, especially given the uncertainty of tariffs.
“Historically, we’ve relied on sales tax and that’s been very regressive,” Neil told San José Spotlight. “This an opportunity to push for something more progressive and to no longer be taxing the most vulnerable to get money to support them with transit service.”
Story updated July 31 at 7:41 a.m. Original story published July 30 at 4 p.m.
Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at [email protected] or @SakuCannestra on X.
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