Voters just bailed out BART, Muni and other public transit agencies facing severe cuts by approving new taxes to help fund the Bay Area’s struggling transit systems.

The Regional Transit Measure (RTM), a 14-year sales tax, passed with 65% of the vote, as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to preliminary tallies. The measure is meant to keep BART, Muni and other Bay Area transit systems from making the deep service cuts agency leaders have warned about. The measure will impose a sales tax of half a cent per dollar in Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Contra Costa counties, except San Francisco, where it would be one cent per dollar. It is expected to raise $980 million total annually across the five counties.

The passage is a win for transit agencies, and a surprise after a recent poll showed voters were split on whether to pass it. Only 48% of voters said they’d vote yes, according to a poll released a week before Election Day.

RTM will fund BART, Muni, Caltrain, SamTrans, VTA and AC Transit, and support regional projects to better connect the systems. SFMTA has said Muni would get about $155 million a year, money it says is needed to address its structural deficit.

San Francisco voters also passed Measure H, with 72% of the vote, according to preliminary results Wednesday. It is a separate parcel tax that had the backing from Mayor Daniel Lurie and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, would impose a tax on residential and commercial properties, based on square footage and will fund $180 million annually over the next 15 years.

While the other measure will allocate funds to an array of agencies, Measure H will provide dedicated funding for solely fund Muni, which has faced a $320 million deficit due to a drop in ridership and other COVID-19 related deficits. If the measure did not pass, Muni would potentially lead to a 50% cut in service and the elimination of discount programs for students, seniors and people with disabilities.

Under the measure, single-family homeowners will pay $129, and homes that are over 3,000 square feet will have to pay additional fees. Multifamily properties will pay at least $249, and other nonresidential and mixed-use parcels will start at $799.

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