ORINDA, CALIFORNIA – For much of 2026, Orinda residents faced an unsettling possibility: Their local BART station, a fixture of the community for more than 50 years, could close as the transit agency struggled with a massive financial shortfall.
Now, following Tuesday’s election, that possibility appears to be off the table — at least for the foreseeable future.
Voters across five Bay Area counties have apparently approved Regional Transit Measure RTM, a new sales tax designed to provide nearly $1 billion annually for public transportation.
According to preliminary results released by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the measure had received 61.5% support as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 4, comfortably exceeding the simple majority required for passage.
In Contra Costa County, approximately 56% of voters supported the measure.
The results are not yet certified, but the substantial margin means that the drastic station closures BART previously contemplated are now substantially less likely.
For Orinda, that’s particularly significant.
Orinda Was on BART’s Closure List
As Bay Area Telegraph reported in February, Orinda was among 10 stations identified as potential casualties of BART’s financial crisis.
Two other Contra Costa County stations — North Concord/Martinez and Pittsburg Center — were also on the list.
BART had been exploring sweeping reductions in service to deal with a structural deficit of approximately $350 million to $400 million annually.
The problem wasn’t simply a temporary downturn in ridership. The way Bay Area residents commute has fundamentally changed.
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Before the pandemic, thousands of suburban residents rode BART into San Francisco and Oakland five days per week. Today, hybrid work schedules mean that many commuters only make that trip two or three days per week, if at all.
Even as ridership has improved and BART has introduced new trains, upgraded fare gates, and implemented other changes, fare revenue has remained far below its pre-pandemic levels.
Some in the community also feel that BART has not managed the funds it does have available properly.
Earlier this year, BART’s board approved a contingency plan outlining what the system might look like without additional financial support.
That plan contemplated closing up to 15 stations, reducing service frequency, ending trains earlier in the evening, increasing fares, and laying off approximately 1,200 employees.
Orinda was among the stations most immediately at risk.
The prospect of losing the station was especially concerning given its location along Highway 24, where it provides a transit connection for residents of Orinda and surrounding communities.
What Measure RTM Changes
The passage of RTM provides a substantial new source of money for BART and other transit agencies.
The measure establishes a 14-year sales tax of 0.5 percentage points in Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, with a larger 1-percentage-point increase in San Francisco.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission estimates that the measure will generate approximately $980 million annually across the participating counties.
BART expects to receive approximately $310 million per year once the funding is fully implemented.
The money is intended to help transit agencies maintain existing service, rather than forcing drastic reductions to balance their budgets.
In its post-election announcement, MTC said the anticipated passage would allow BART, Muni, Caltrain, and AC Transit to avoid major service cuts.
“The passage of RTM is a huge win for the Bay Area,” said MTC Chair and Pleasant Hill Councilmember Sue Noack, who described reliable public transportation as essential to the region’s economy and quality of life.
Does This Guarantee Orinda BART Will Stay Open?
Not quite.
The measure’s apparent passage removes the primary financial scenario that prompted BART to consider closing Orinda and other lower-ridership stations.
However, BART has not issued a permanent guarantee that every existing station will remain open indefinitely.
The agency still faces substantial financial challenges. Even with approximately $310 million in expected annual RTM funding, BART’s structural budget deficit is not expected to disappear entirely.
According to BART’s financial-crisis overview, the agency has been relying on a combination of temporary assistance, spending reductions, borrowing, and other financial strategies to maintain operations.
The new funding makes it substantially easier to maintain service, but BART will still need to manage its expenses and make longer-term financial decisions.
For Orinda riders, though, the immediate prospect of losing their local station as part of BART’s worst-case budget plan has receded dramatically.
After months of uncertainty, the train should keep stopping in Orinda.
