Bay Area voters back transit, highway funding

A measure to fund highway and public transit improvements via increased tolls on state-owned bridges in 2019, 2022 and 2025 is leading in San Francisco and five other counties.

Regional Measure 3 needs a simple majority of combined voters from nine Bay Area counties for the measure to pass. The measure would provide more $4.45 billion that will go towards funding highway infrastructure projects and public transportation improvements.

Overall, 55 percent of voters have so far have said yes to the measure, as of 11:50 p.m. Tuesday.

In San Francisco, 65 percent of voters approved the measure with 99 percent of the precincts reporting, according to results from The City’s Department of Elections.

At 11:24 p.m. with 34 percent of precincts reporting, 61 percent of voters in Santa Clara County had voted in favor of the measure.

Results in Solano County are painting a different picture. Sixty-nine percent of voters said no to the measure with 46 percent of precincts reporting.

The measure will help pay for more BART cars, expand Muni’s vehicle fleet, and increase ferry service.

BART would also get funding to study a second Transbay Tube.

Funding from the measure will also help with highway improvements, such as an additional freeway connector from northbound U.S. Highway 101 in Marin County to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.