Will Bay Area transit tax measure qualify for November ballot?

Transit advocates say they’ve surpassed their signature-gathering goal to put a sales tax on the November ballot, which would raise $1 billion annually for public transit service across five Bay Area counties and could save some stations from closure. Representatives for the Connect Bay Area campaign on Tuesday said canvassers gathered nearly 306,000 signatures — roughly 120,000 more than the 186,000 required — to provide long-term operational funding for transportation agencies including VTA in Santa Clara County. The sales tax would amount to a 0.5% increase in the South Bay, where some cities already have high sales tax rates. Approximately $264 million…