2025 election results: More than 80% of U.S. public transit measures pass

Public transit was on the ballot across the U.S. on Nov. 4, with 13 of 16 measures passing, equating to more than $11.6 billion in funding being captured for transit. 

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reacted to the wins in a recap webinar, highlighting the success transit had at the ballot box.

“Voter response to 2025 transit ballot measures reaffirms voter consensus from prior years. Communities want a future with a strong presence of public transportation. Hardly any, if any at all, other ballot questions receive the approval rate of public transportation, which is consistently over 80%,” said APTA Vice President of Policy and Mobility Art Guzzetti during the webinar. “Such support for public transportation comes from across the country, from a wide mix of communities and regions, both large and small.”

Ballot measures ranged from bonds, millage funding and taxes to enshrine funding for agencies, to the establishment of a new regional transportation authority and adjusting policy to make building transit more streamlined. 

Ballot measures that passed

Albuquerque, N.M.

Albuquerque residents voted to issue $1.63 million of its general obligation bonds to support acquiring transit property, vehicles, equipment and facilities. Activities funded under the bonds include:

• Planning
• Designing
• Developing
• Constructing
• Rehabilitating 
• Renovating
• Expanding
• Modernizing
• Automating
• Studying
• Furnishing 

The measure passed with 63% of the vote, receiving 78,291 yes votes.

Elgin, Texas

Elgin voters decided on a measure that would eliminate the requirement that the city must demonstrate that the public bus line reaches a certain number of boardings before the city council can spend money on a passenger rail project, meaning the council can determine if tax money is spent on passenger rail without additional requirements. The measure passed with 68% of the vote, receiving 555 yes votes.

Ellensburg, Wash.

Voters in the city of Ellensburg decided on a 0.2% sales tax for funding the operations, maintenance and capital needs of the city’s public transportation systems. The measure passed with 64% of the vote, receiving 2,325 yes votes.

Kalamazoo, Mich.

Kalamazoo voters decided on the renewal and increase of a property tax from 0.9 mills to 1.1 mills that would continue funding the Central County Transportation Authority for the next five years. The tax is estimated to raise $7.8 million in the first year. The millage passed with 67% of the vote, receiving 21,820 yes votes.

Mecklenburg, N.C. 

Mecklenburg voters decided on whether to implement a one-cent sales tax increase that would raise nearly $20 billion for the region over the next 30 years, part of which would aid the Charlotte Area Transit System. A total of 40% of the revenue will go towards roads and bridges, 20% to buses—including on-demand microtransit services—and 40% to rail. The measure passed with 52% of the vote, receiving 92,251 yes votes.

Niles, Mich.

Niles voters decided on the renewal and increase of 0.49 mills to fund public transportation in the region, including Dial-A-Ride services, for the next four years. The measure is expected to generate approximately $132,375 annually and does not count toward the 20-mill property tax limit imposed by the city. The measure passed with 67% of the vote, receiving 760 yes votes.

Yampa Valley Regional Transportation District

Voters in Craig, Hayden, Oak Creek, Rout County, Steamboat Springs and Yampa, Colo., were asked whether to establish the Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority. The authority would plan, finance and operate a year-round, valley-wide transportation system governed by a board of elected officials representing each member community. All municipalities voting on the measure passed it with an average of 69% of the vote.

Ballot measures that failed

Delta Township, Mich.

Delta Township residents voted on whether or not to continue local bus services with the approval of a 0.75 mill property tax ($0.75 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) that would fund public transportation in the region via the Capital Area Transportation Authority. The measure failed, with only 47% of the vote, or 4,154  yes votes.

Pitman Borough, N.J.

Pitman voters were asked whether they support the construction of the Glassboro-Camden Line, a diesel-powered light rail project that would operate through Pitman with regular service. The measure failed with only 33% of the vote, receiving 1,426 yes votes.

Mixed results

Mountain Village to Telluride Gondola

Voters in Mountain Village and Telluride, Colo., voted on whether to add a 5% excise tax to ski lift tickets sold in the area to fund operating, maintenance and capital expenses for the free gondola that connects the towns to each other and San Sophia. The measure failed in Telluride by just 20 votes, receiving 49% of the vote in total, though passed in Mountain Village with 77% of the vote. While the vote failed in Telluride, the tax will still be levied wherever taxable lift tickets are sold based on the 2018 Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v Wayfair that set precedent for the situation while dealing with another tax.

Looking to 2026

Looking forward, Mass Transit magazine has already begun tracking issues slated to be on 2026 ballots. From funding to new transit action plans and the readjustment of zoning rules around transit, 2026 is already shaping up to be another big year for transit on the ballot.