CA: Editorial: As funding paths emerge, SMART must continue to build public support

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District — or SMART — just got a significant political helping hand from Sacramento.

There's no question that SMART's special bi-county sales tax is headed back to the ballot for renewal. The tax, approved by voters in 2008, expires in four years and the train's future relies on its extension.

The problem for SMART has been winning the two-thirds majority vote that's been required for passage. That is until the state Legislature changed the rules, passing a change in SMART's founding legislation to allow SMART's to require only a simple majority vote to pass.

The premise for the change is the legislation, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is that the simple-majority change would require the SMART tax renewal to be placed on the ballot by a voter initiative, a petition signed by at least 10% of voters.

The expected bid for renewing the SMART tax would come in the wake of SMART's failure to win voter approval of its 2020 proposal to extend its sales tax for another 30 years.

The pitch for such a lengthy extension came at a time when SMART was still far short of keeping the promises of the 2008 tax measure while asking voters to extend it for another three decades. On top of that, SMART went to the voters amid persistent questions about its ridership and controversy over officials' reluctance to provide clear figures. Both became fuel for the well-financed campaign opposing the extension.

That and SMART's leadership's failure to build a campaign until the last minute spelled defeat for the extension.

Now the rules are changed, thanks to Sacramento lawmakers who "updated" SMART's founding legislation.

Another possible option is the making, with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission getting ready to put a regional transit tax — possibly a half-cent sales tax increase for 30 years — on the 2026 ballot. The goal is to help larger transit operators, such as Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART, and San Francisco Muni, recover from the financial losses suffered during the pandemic.

Another proposal MTC is considering is a nine-county Bay Area-wide half-cent sales tax and a payroll tax.

MTC's focus has been on Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo counties, but the door is open for Marin and Sonoma counties to join, as well, and potentially provide long-term funding that would replace the 2008 SMART tax.

SMART has viable options and since its 2020 failure it has seen a change in management, one that's focused more at building ridership where the previous concentration had been on building and launching the service.

And SMART's ridership has been growing, surpassing its pre-pandemic numbers. Much of that growth has been the result of SMART lowering its fares, expanding its service and providing free rides to seniors and youth. In addition, SMART's been working on closing the so-called "last mile" challenge where riders have to figure out how to get from their stops to their destinations.

SMART, with the state's support, has been exploring a possible extension to Napa and Solano counties by tying in with existing tracks.

While SMART appears to be in a stronger position to win voter support, its critics will likely focus on the fact that fares generate just 2% of its revenue. Reliance on tax or toll support of public transit is a norm for most agencies with goals of keeping fares affordable and service accessible. SMART is no different and its farebox revenue underscores the critical importance of tax revenue to keep it rolling.

In approaching that goal before 2028, SMART needs to be heading in the right direction, both in terms of service to the greater public, marketing its benefits, managing its budget and being open and responsive.

Those are building blocks for SMART to build the public support needed before going back to voters.

___
(c)2024 The Marin Independent Journal (Novato, Calif.)
Visit The Marin Independent Journal (Novato, Calif.) at www.marinij.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.