San Mateo leaders are voicing their transit needs — such as better East Bay connectivity and improved bus shelters — as SamTrans starts collecting feedback on how to invest $50 million it may receive if a potential regional ballot measure succeeds this November.
The regional transit measure would impose a 14-year, half-cent sales tax in several Bay Area counties, including San Mateo, to narrow gaping deficits some of the largest transit agencies in the region face.
Much of the revenue from the sales tax would go toward closing the rail agencies’ shortfalls, with about $50 million going directly to the county, which can be used more flexibly as part of a SamTrans-administered local investment plan.
SamTrans has been visiting cities throughout the Peninsula to solicit feedback on how it could potentially spend the $50 million should the measure pass. The funds would be in addition to money that major transit agencies, like Caltrain and BART, would receive to narrow their deficits.
Projects would fall into one of 10 possible investment categories, ranging from increased bus routes to pothole repairs. During a San Mateo City Council meeting April 20, city leaders discussed a number of transit needs in and around their communities, including better connectivity to the East Bay, improved bus shelter accessibility and enhanced technology.
Focusing on the east-west connection could also get other jurisdictions like Foster City on board with the measure, Councilmember Rob Newsom said, adding that some leaders in cities without a Caltrain or BART station don’t see how the measure currently benefits them.
“After the pandemic, we lost the Transbay Express. We really need that restored. One of the biggest challenges with Foster City and San Mateo is people trying to cross the San Mateo Bridge, and there is not a good alternative solution for that,” Newsom said. “If we don’t have a way for a bus to get across faster than sitting in traffic, then people are going to sit in their own cars.”
Noelia Corzo, Transportation Authority board member and president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, previously said she’d also like to see better cross-Bay transit during a meeting earlier this month.
Others, such as San Mateo Councilmember Danielle Cwirko-Godycki said she was concerned about which communities would get funding priority.
“I do remain concerned that there is a lack of clarity on how the funding would be distributed … when every city has unique situations around where or how that funding could be utilized,” she said. “For example, on the east side of the freeway, where my community is, there are several bus stops that don’t have accessibility for seniors, don’t have benches, don’t have coverings for people to sit in.”
The measure, authorized via Senate Bill 63, is a citizens’ initiative, meaning it needs to secure a certain number of signatures before it can go before voters in the upcoming election.
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(4) comments
Folks, this article attempts to distract taxpayers with possibilities (which include wasting money in non-infrastructure projects) in the hopes voters will authorize this ballot measure. But don’t be fooled by this wishlist because that is all it is – a wishlist. Chances are that most, if not all the money will be used to pay ever-increasing union transportation salaries, pensions, and benefits. Remember, if bus service across the bay were important, it would have been prioritized and funded. Unfortunately, as is the case with all forms of public transportation, you have the final mile issue. Vote to not authorize the ballot measure and vote NO if the ballot measure is placed on the ballot. Otherwise you’ll continue to subsidize union workers.
But Terrence, Nancy said they need to sign it to find out what it's in it and since there is "no clarity in how the money would be spend and distributed" the sheep will simply vote baa or meh. And while San Mateo is asking for more money that they can waste, maybe San Mateo should hire some seasoned preschool teachers from Minnesota so San Mateo can get more funding for the Somali children who don't exist.
It is disappointing to hear SM City Councilmembers not supporting a regional transit measure which could save constituents from drastic cuts to the Caltrain and Samtrans schedules that they rely upon. Why should the San Mateo Council care whether Foster City electeds support the measure if it benefits San Mateo voters?
The Transbay Express was cut because ridership was low. This was an AC Transit service that SM County has no control over (unless Samtrans wants to foot the bill. Demand for transbay bus service won't increase unless there is a dedicated HOV lane across the SM bridge, making the bus faster than driving solo.
Isn't it wonderful that the money that may come their way is already spent. Let's make sure we don't vote for this tax increases and force these leaders to look into reducing spending in their own sphere. The cross-bay initiative is just another poorly proposed initiative. The big problem remains with where to direct the traffic once it gets to the other side of the bridge. The traffic will back up as it does now onto our west-bay freeways.
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