Regional Measure 3 is a Bay Area bridge toll increase that was approved on the June 2018 ballot. It was the result of an MTC-sponsored law, SB 595. The law allows MTC to ask each of the nine Bay Area counties to place a measure on the ballot, proposing a total $3 increase in bridge tolls on the 7 state-owned bridges, phased over a period of years. A majority of all votes cast in the nine counties would approve the measure. Here is the MTC Press Release announcing the adoption of a resolution to go forward with the measure. Funds raised would be spent on this Final_RM3_Expenditure_Plan. This is the official RM 3 Ballot Description to Registrars that was in the Voter Guide for each of the 9 Bay Area counties. A compendium of press articles and the blog posts containing them is available on this site.
Regional Measure 3, known as RM3, is heavily supported by the business lobby: Bay Area Council, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and SPUR. Note the exaggerated claim of “A Big Fix to Solve Traffic in the Bay Area” in the email subject line below.
RM3 received 55% of the vote in 2018. An challenge was filed by Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and Randall Whitney, asserting that RM3 was a tax, which therefore required a 2/3 supermajority of the vote to pass. The denial of the challenges by a San Francisco Superior Court were appealed to the Court of Appeal.
Respondent MTC/BATA’s Opposition Brief
Respondent California Legislature’s Opposition Brief
Respondent’s Request for Judicial Notice
Amicus Brief by TRANSDEF and its allies
MTC/BATA Opposition to Filing of Amicus Brief