CITY OF SAN MATEO
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CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 16 Section Name: NEW BUSINESS Account Number: 10-4661 File ID: 26-11040 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: April 20, 2026
SUBJECT:
Connect Bay Area Local Investment Plan — Informational
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive an informational presentation from the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) on the Connect Bay Area Local Investment Plan.
BACKGROUND:
SamTrans is the principal public transportation provider in San Mateo County, managing SamTrans bus, Ride Plus on demand ride-share, and Redi-Wheels and Redi-Coast paratransit services throughout the County. These transit services connect residents to jobs, healthcare, their communities, and regional transit systems.
Several San Francisco Bay Area transit operators – including Caltrain, BART and SF Muni, all of which serve San Mateo County – are facing significant budget deficits. Senator Scott Wiener introduced the Connect Bay Area Act (SB 63) to authorize a regional sales tax measure to be put before Bay Area voters in hopes of minimizing or avoiding public transit service reductions and other cuts because of these deficits. SB 63 authorized a tax measure to be placed on the November 2026 ballot in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Mateo, and Contra Costa Counties, to take effect in 2027 and last 14 years. Governor Newsom signed SB 63 on October 13, and the bill officially became law on January 1, 2026.
This potential measure is currently being circulated as an initiative petition by an independent group of citizens. If the measure qualifies for the November 2026 ballot and is approved by voters, the resulting regional tax would stabilize public transportation funding to offset planned transit service cuts and prevent station closures across the Bay Area, including in San Mateo County.
Additionally, the measure would provide approximately $50 million in annual, locally controlled funding dedicated to public transit in San Mateo County to be administered by the San Mateo County Transit District (District). This local funding would be entirely for transit within San Mateo County — no funds could be taken by the State or outside counties.
The District is developing a local plan for how to invest this additional $50 million in annual local transit funding should the measure be approved. Potential uses for this funding include:
1. Improve transit routes to reduce traffic on the most heavily traveled corridors
2. Continue free and reduced fare programs for seniors, students, and people with disabilities
3. Protect transit infrastructure against sea-level rise, flooding, and extreme weather
4. Increase safety, cleanliness, and accessibility at bus stops
5. Enhance bus service to be more efficient, faster, and more reliable
6. Expand access to transit for communities that are currently underserved
CITY OF SAN MATEO
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7. Make repairs and upgrades to aging paratransit vehicles to ensure reliable service
8. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality by transitioning to zero-emission buses
9. Repair potholes and fix streets along bus routes
10. Offer affordable ride-share and on-demand programs to more communities Stakeholder engagement and community input are critical components of this planning process. The District has held Agency Advisory Group and Stakeholder Advisory Group meetings to gather input on local transit priorities from senior city staff and community partners, including business, labor, special districts, and nonprofits. The District also launched a brief public survey asking residents to rank investment priorities for potential local funding.
District staff are presenting to city councils and other groups and bodies across the county in late March and April to promote the public survey and collect additional feedback. They also are asking agency and stakeholder partners to help amplify this outreach by sharing multilingual fact sheets, social media content, and printable flyers with tear-off survey materials available at samtrans.com/projects/Local Funding Plan.
BUDGET IMPACT:
There is no funding impact in receiving this information item.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This informational presentation from SamTrans to the City Council is not a project subject to CEQA, because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Connect Bay Area Local Investment Plan City Council Presentation
STAFF CONTACT
Jay Yu, Engineering Manager
[email protected]
(650) 522-7323
Matt Fabry, Public Works Director
[email protected]
(650) 522-7309