Bay Bridge delays could more than double without approved transit tax measures, study warns
A SPUR analysis warns that rejecting two transit-funding taxes would more than double rush-hour delays on the Bay Bridge and sharply increase congestion at other key bottlenecks.
SPUR’s new brief projects that a “no-vote” on the Regional Transit Measure and Proposition H would more than double morning and afternoon delays on the Bay Bridge, pushing average wait times to 63 and 73 minutes respectively. The Caldecott Tunnel’s afternoon slowdown could triple to 40 minutes, and other major corridors such as I-580 and I-880 would see similar deteriorations. To close budget gaps, BART and Caltrain say they would shutter their lowest-ridership stations, while Muni plans to cut 20 routes and reduce frequencies, affecting tens of thousands of riders each day.
The analysis, prepared with Jacobs, also highlights that 430,000 people living within a mile of a station slated for closure would lose convenient transit access, and that people with disabilities—who make 80,000 daily trips on the four major agencies—would be hit hardest. SPUR argues that the half-cent sales tax proposed in the RTM would cost taxpayers about $82 per year, far less than the estimated $3,280 extra annual cost for commuters forced to drive. The study underscores the broader economic, environmental and quality-of-life stakes tied to the upcoming November votes.
Why it matters
The findings show how rejecting transit funding could cripple Bay Area mobility, raise commuting costs and worsen congestion for millions.
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