We Did It! Connect Bay Area Campaign Phase 1 Complete. 

We have reached a massive milestone in our fight to secure the future of Bay Area public transit! Thanks to an incredible, coordinated grassroots effort, Phase 1 of the campaign to gather petition signatures for a citizen-led initiative is complete.

The Connect Bay Area Act petition campaign has concluded with an astonishing total of signatures collected across the region. This puts us in a strong position to submit over the 180,000 valid signatures required to qualify the measure, officially securing our spot on the November 3, 2026 ballot. The exact number of signatures will be shared in the near future after the validation process is complete.

Because this is a citizen-led initiative built from the ground up by workers and riders, we have achieved a critical strategic advantage: the Connect Bay Area Act will only require a simple majority (50% plus one) to pass in November. Unlike standard regional tax measures placed on the ballot by government agencies—which face the steep hurdle of a two-thirds supermajority—our collective organizing has paved a much more achievable path to victory.

Thank You to Our Volunteers and Partners

This milestone would have been absolutely impossible without the dedication of our labor coalition and our tireless community partners.

• To our AFSCME Local 3993 members: Thank you to everyone who spent their own time talking to riders, holding clipboards, and collecting signatures. Your dedication to protecting our jobs, our agency, and our community’s transit network was the engine behind this success. Also, all the members played a role in this phase through your vote on passing the 2026 budget that included contributions to fund this campaign. Special recognition to Henry Symons and Brianna Darlington for their participation in this effort.

• To our transit advocacy partners: We want to extend a massive thank you to the Transbay Coalition, Seamless Bay Area, and Public Advocates. Their organizing expertise, strategic vision, and shared commitment to a world-class, integrated transit system made them invaluable partners in this historic push. We also recognize the efforts made by our union siblings at SEIU, ATU, TWU Locals across the region. And a special thank you to AFSCME Council 57 and AFSCME PEOPLE California for supporting this campaign. 

While we deserve to celebrate this moment with a party on May 30th, the real work begins now. Passing the Connect Bay Area Act is absolutely vital. BART is currently facing severe structural budget deficits; if this measure does not pass, we face catastrophic servcie and job cuts. 

Now that Phase 1 is behind us, we are pivoting our full focus toward the general election on November 3, 2026. Over the next few months, we will be ramping up our campaign efforts to educate voters, combat misinformation, and advocate for the passage of this critical measure.

We need every member engaged as we head into election season. Stay tuned to this space for upcoming phone banks, canvassing days, and community outreach events.

For updates on how you can get involved in the campaign, visit our campaign portal at www.afscme3993.org/connectbayarea.