I think that this is a pretty hefty hit to get voters to swallow, even in the Bay Area. And, I've seen my fair share of focus groups and polls over the years, asking questions about transportation behaviors and how to finance our roads and transit.

I think that with the price of gas going up, and the repeal effort on the State Gas Tax, it is pretty bad timing to ask folks for more.

I also agree that there are some credibility issues on how that money would be doled out. It has credibility problems with the fact that clearly bridge uses will be "tolled" (an actual "tax" to do this would require a 2/3 vote, does this, I could not figure that out?)to fund regional projects that are more likely to benefit non-bridge users.

Of course, in the Bay Area, that "tax that guy on the bridge" finance strategy also might be a selling point with some voters, since it will hit those "yuppie scum" driving up the cost of living, who are the ones "on the bridges", and not, of course "me" (the overwhelming number of Bay Area voters who don't use the bridges every day......).

I also note that there are no congestion benefits from a "fixed" price toll increase, as opposed to a peak-off peak demand based pricing strategy.

As to BART, it will be good for BART Ridership from the East Bay to the City, the same as any other cost increase in auto operating costs will shift some folks to transit, starting at the margins, and going up with higher prices. This, being a more specifically targeted "geographic" cost penalty to access the City for the East Bay, it will probably have a more significant impact on those trips.

As to the usual array of nutty conspiracy theories and the purported impacts of the wholesale political corruption of all of civilization as we know it......., well? If only we had the Avengers to root out such dastardly evil......?

Meanwhile, this is another interesting measure to watch.