ATU Fights for Transit Funding at the Ballot Box
With the impending fiscal cliff for many agencies, transit funding is top of the agenda for ATU Locals. Through state legislation, ballot measures, and city or county budget fights, ATU members have been lobbying to ensure full funding for our transit systems. Because our salaries and benefits come from public revenue and budgets, legislative and electoral work is key to our future.
Ballot Measure Victories
Ballot measures are an important part of our toolbox to fund transit agencies through a stable source of revenue rather than having to fight in the budget process year after year. Voters will approve tax increases if it means more reliable, more frequent, and safer public transit service. The ATU has already racked up wins on transit funding referenda in Michigan and Washington in the 2026 primary elections, with more coming in the November general election.
After the Michigan legislature passed a law that prohibits individual municipalities within a county from opting out of the tax that funds public transit, Wayne County voters authorized a countywide levy which will generate an estimated $57.6 million per year to fund ATU represented systems like DDOT (Local 26-Detroit, MI) and SMART (Local 1564-Detroit, MI). In Spokane, WA, voters renewed the existing 0.2% sales tax, generating about $30 million in funding each year for STA with the support of Locals 1015 and 1598 alongside the Washington State Legislative Conference Board.
Key Transit Referenda on the Midterm Ballots
In November, several important referenda to fund transit will go to a vote, and ATU Locals across the country have been getting involved. The ATU California Conference Board lobbied to pass SB 65 which authorized the Connect Bay Area initiative which would increase the sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and dedicate the revenue to transit. The ballot measure would create about $1 billion per year in additional dedicated funding for transit, including for the agencies represented by Locals 1555-Oakland, 192-Oakland, 1605-Concord, 1574-San Mateo and 265-San Jose.
In Washington, the Seattle Transit Measure (Local 587-Seattle, WA) would double the sales tax and is expected to raise an average of $138 million in transit funding annually. In Takoma, WA, the Keep Pierce Moving ballot measure which has been supported by Local 758 would expand transit service by 47% if approved.
In other jurisdictions, we are facing potential fightbacks from referenda set for November that would reduce or redirect public funding, making it harder to fund ATU represented agencies. Our Locals have been fighting in broad coalitions to save public funding.
Get Involved
The midterm elections and transit ballot measures will shape our future, at work and at home. Voting for transit ballot measures isn’t the only way we can support them. Our Locals have gotten involved by texting and phone banking their members and retirees to remind them to register and vote, as well as sending mailers.
Get involved by contacting your Local to help pass a transit ballot measure in your area!