With BART meltdowns, Muni service cuts, and huge budget deficits for each agency, San Francisco public transportation is in trouble. State lawmakers in Sacramento have pushed for more funding, but Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to sign off on two major stopgaps.
Update, 10/13/25: Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed one of those stopgaps, SB 63. This will put a regional measure on the Nov. 2026 ballot for a sales tax boost to fund Bay Area transit agencies. See below for updates on other legislation.
Adding complications, the Trump administration is threatening to pull federal funding for projects deemed ‘hostile’ to cars. In SF, projects with federal grants include an overhaul of an aging bus yard ($9 million) and traffic safety improvements in the Tenderloin ($8 million). So far the grants remain intact, according to SFMTA.
SF officials have expected federal hostility since President Trump’s re-election. More surprising is Gov. Newsom’s seeming reticence to approve two financial safety nets — one long-term and one stop-gap measure.
The longer term fix doesn’t even include money — yet. But Newsom still hasn’t signed SB 63, which would place a regional sales tax measure on five Bay Area county ballots in November 2026 to fund several transit agencies.
San Francisco’s sales tax, currently 8.625 percent, would get up to a one-cent tax increase. Other counties would get a half-cent bump. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission estimates that Muni could receive $170 million annually from the tax.
If voters approve, money would begin to flow in mid-2027. But agencies need significant funding sooner than that. SFMTA faces a $320 million deficit in the 2026-27 fiscal year, and BART’s could hit $400 million.
That’s why SB 63 author Sen. Scott Wiener, who represents SF, and other regional officials have pushed Newsom for a short-term loan for the Bay Area. The $750 million proposal is supposed to bridge the gaps that begin next summer.
But after months of negotiation, Newsom seemed to walk away from the loan agreement about a month ago. He then reversed course, offering “hundreds of millions of dollars” on Sept. 10. He hasn’t specified an amount.
Negotiations are ongoing, according to Wiener’s spokesperson Erik Mebust. The loan doesn’t have to be finalized this week, but the longer the delay, the less clarity transit agencies have about their financial outlook, Mebust said.
The stopgap funding is “absolutely necessary,” says SPUR transportation policy director Laura Tolkoff via email. All Bay Area agencies “will hit their ‘fiscal cliff’ by the end of June 2026, months before a regional measure could come before voters,” she said.
Newsom’s signing deadline for the bills is Oct. 12. Those aren’t the only streets and transit bills in Sacramento that could affect San Francisco. Here’s a rundown of what’s been signed, what’s still pending, and what fell short.
TI congestion, paratransit, worker protection
We’ll start with a bill that got some ink from Newsom’s pen this week. The omnibus SB 506 tackles a grab bag of issues, not all about streets and transit. Specifically for SF, it changes transportation management rules for Treasure Island. It’s the city’s smallest neighborhood but ambitious development plans could add some 20,000 residents in the next couple decades.
SB 506 removes some red tape from the SF Board of Supervisors’ decision-making process around Treasure Island transport. It also sets up the board’s authority to install congestion pricing fees for cars entering or exiting the island via the Bay Bridge. (It’s the only way on or off the island except for the ferry.)
Congestion pricing brings back a contentious issue of tolls for island businesses, low-income residents, and people who use the island’s launching spots for water sports.
Another transit-related bill, AB 1250, would let disabled paratransit users renew their access every two to five years without requiring a medical certification — that is, a trip to the doctor, which can dissuade people from reapplying. Newsom has yet to sign.
Update, 10/13/25: Gov. Newsom signed AB 1250 today.
Newsom signed a bill last week to expand protections for more types of transit workers. Since the pandemic, threats and other abuse have been on the rise. Current law mostly protects bus and train operators but leaves out janitors, station agents, and fare collectors. AB 394 also allows agencies to seek a restraining order if a court finds that a person convicted of assault continues to pose a threat.
Feeling more secure on transit is one way to get people out of cars and into buses and trains. Making streets safer for them is another.
Red light cameras, slower roads, e-bikes
California first allowed red-light cameras in 1995. SF operates red light cameras at 13 intersections and in August approved cameras at six more. SFMTA says they’re working, cutting injury collisions due to red-light running by 66 percent citywide between 1997 and 2022.
If Newsom signs SB 720, SF could use red-light camera ticket fees — a $100 fine — to fund street safety projects such as bike lanes, raised crosswalks, and curb extensions. (The measure would also ensure violation information remains confidential.)
Update, 10/13/25: Gov. Newsom signed SB 720 today.
Last week, Newsom signed AB 1014 to allow Caltrans to lower speed limits on streets in SF, like Lombard Street and 19th Avenue, that are under state jurisdiction. This will complement the Complete Streets legislation signed last year, which requires Caltrans to more actively plan around the needs of pedestrians, transit riders, and cyclists on state streets.
E-bikes were a hot topic in Sacramento this year. Newsom has already signed bills that require e-bikes to have flashing lights; outlaw modifications that make them go faster; and prevent sales of Class 3 bikes to kids under 16.
Yet another bill inked by Newsom allows a police officer to confiscate bikes considered “moped-style.” These have the look of motorcycles and dirt bikes but have operable pedals. Riders can take them faster than 28 mph, the upper legal limit of e-bikes.
CEQA delay slowdown
There was a time in San Francisco when just two people could hold up bike lane projects, transit-only lanes, and pedestrian safety measures by filing appeals under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
In 2020, a Wiener bill temporarily suspended CEQA reviews for these projects. Without these delays, the city has been able to approve 28 transit projects including the Geary Boulevard Improvement Project.
But the exemption is set to expire at the end of 2029. Wiener wants to make it permanent with SB 71, which will apply to the city’s Biking and Rolling plan, pedestrian safety plans, bike parking, and changes to signal timing. It would also extend the exemption for bus-only lanes to 2040.
Update, 10/13/25: Gov. Newsom signed SB 71 today.
One notable attempt to speed up street projects failed to reach Newsom’s desk. Since 2019, SFMTA’s Quick Build program has used plastic posts, paint, and parking-protected bike lanes (like these on Fell Street) to make low-cost improvements. A bill to give Caltrans the same powers on state-run roads failed in committee.
Bills that don’t pass the legislature can be revisited next year.
