What is this measure about?
Measure RR proposes an eighth-cent sales tax to ensure that Caltrain continues to serve as the backbone of our public transportation system from San Jose to San Francisco. Caltrain has no stable source of funding and more than 70% of its revenue comes from fares. With most people working from home during the pandemic, ridership has dropped by nearly 95%, crippling Caltrain’s finances.
How does it align with yli’s values?
Passing Measure RR will support essential healthcare workers who depend on Caltrain during Covid-19, fund unprecedented new equity and connectivity policies that were recently approved by the Caltrain board.
These policies and programs will improve the racial and income diversity of Caltrain’s ridership, with more affordable fares, improvements to local transit connections, increased service and access to stations serving low-income communities of color, and schedules that better serve people traveling outside 9-to-5 commute hours, such as restaurant workers who leave late and work on weekends.
Many of yli’s youth come from low-income communities of color – they and their families rely on public transportation to conduct the most basic business of life: grocery shopping, going to school, getting to work on time, and showing up for job interviews and medical appointments. San Mateo’s youth have been working for years on transportation justice, including participating in the Transportation Equity Allied Movement Coalition, which helped to pass Measure W in 2018 to prioritize the needs of those who most rely on public transportation, including low-income families, people of color, youth, seniors, immigrants, transit users, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Our Fresno youth have also worked on this issue in their What the FAX? Campaign to improve local bus routes.
What is yli doing about it?
We have just endorsed this proposition, and we are voicing our support on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
