SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Sixty minutes between trains, closed stations, and a discontinuation of weekend service are some of the measures BART is apparently considering when federal emergency funds run out in 2025. In a post on the BART website, the transit agency laid out what it described as a financial crisis, imploring riders to “Don’t Let BART Go Broke!”
Since the onset of the pandemic three years ago, BART has been receiving financial support in the form of federal funding to make up for a massive loss in revenue from ridership falling off. Now, although the pandemic has largely receded on a health basis, its lasting impact on the Bay Area apparently still threatens the future of BART.
“We are in an unprecedented moment, with the survival of BART at risk,” the post reads. “While many workers, students, and our neighbors who depend on BART to continue to ride, others have returned to transit more slowly and less frequently,” the post reads. “The Bay Area has the highest work-from-home rates in the nation, and slowest downtown recovery, resulting in fewer commute trips.”
In order to weather these challenging economic straits, BART is seeking multiyear funding in the form of financial support from the state for transit operations. According to BART, these funds will help:
- Bridge the gap until the agency can secure more sustainable funding sources through a regional transportation measure
- Improve the current system so it is safer, cleaner, more accessible, more affordable and more reliable
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If some new funding it not secured, BART says it is “facing devastating cuts that will have serious impacts on the quality of life in the Bay Area.” Among the possible consequences of falling of a fiscal cliff BART warns of are:
- 60 minute train frequency
- 9pm closure
- Stations closed
- Line shutdowns
- No weekend service
- Mass layoffs
- Increased traffic congestion
- Negative impact on state climate goals
- Priority populations disproportionately impacted
- No BART service
BART’s board will receive an update on the system’s financial stability later this month. In the meantime, BART urges residents to use transit more often and contact local elected leaders about funding public transportation.
