Bay Area MTC signs off on aid for BART, but expects improvements
SAN MATEO COUNTY - Amid concerns of safety, fare dodging, and reduced ridership numbers, BART is set to receive a cash injection from the Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
The Bay Area MTC has signed off on more than 300 million dollars to help keep BART afloat over the coming years. It's a portion of the state's $5 billion rescue package for struggling transit agencies. The approval comes with some reservations.
"I voted yes with the contingency that the board at BART needs to approve the accountability measures," said Gina Papan, MTC Board member representing the cities of San Mateo County.
Papan voted yes, but not without voicing her discomfort with giving BART $350 million dollars in state transit funds to help cover operating deficits through fiscal year 2026. She wanted the money to come with yearly assessments of how it's being spent.
"I'm sorry, they need to be accountable now," Papan said. "Absolutely now. The fact that they've been losing 30 million a year at the
raregates."
"This means we won't need to make any big service cuts or do anything drastic to our budget for the next couple of years," said BART Board of Directors member Rebecca Saltzman
BART's deficits are driven by the loss of passengers. A high farebox recovery ratio is great, until there aren't enough people going through the turnstiles, or at least paying to.
"The Bay Area has the worst return to office rate of anywhere in the country," Saltzman added. "Ridership has tracked almost exactly with San Francisco office occupancy. Still, even with modest increases in ridership we expect to have large deficits for many years to come."
"They are cleaning the stations and cleaning the cars," Papan said. "That's great. But they act like it's a surprise. Customers have wanted that forever. And customers want more public safety."
Where does she think BART will be two years from now?
"I think we're talking about legislation," Papan predicted. "I think we're talking about a regional manager."
$30 million a year is estimated to be lost at the faregates. The new faregates, which are just starting to go in, will cost $90 million, but those are going take two years to install. The budget is a long term challenge for BART, and this additional funding only covers part of that deficit.
