Measure RTM had 61.5% yes in early returns, The San Francisco Standard reported, calling it approved by wide margins. KQED showed 61.4% yes (708,996 votes) as of 12:59 a.m. Wednesday. It needs a simple majority across all five counties combined, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
The measure sets a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and a 1-cent tax in San Francisco for 14 years. KQED says it would raise an estimated $1 billion a year for more than 20 agencies, plus repaving of transit routes, wayfinding and accessibility programs.
What it averts
The Standard reports BART faces a $375 million deficit, Muni a $307 million gap that could reach $434 million within five years, and Caltrain a $75 million shortfall. Without new money all three planned to begin cutting service in 2027, and BART and Caltrain warned they could shut down entirely within two years after that. Together they carry nearly 8 million riders a month.
By county
Preliminary MTC figures early Wednesday showed yes votes in every county: about 77.6% in San Francisco, 64.9% in Alameda, 59.6% in San Mateo, 56% in Contra Costa and 53.8% in Santa Clara.
All results are unofficial election-night and early-morning counts as of Wednesday, Nov. 4. Counties keep counting mail and provisional ballots for days, and certification comes later, so margins can shift, especially in close contests.