The outages have left customers frustrated, and advocates warning of what the future of Bay Area public transit could look like without a major funding boost.
Transit agencies in the region have struggled to regain pre-pandemic ridership due to a rise in remote work. Prior, BART said 70% of its operating costs were covered by passenger fares and parking fees. Now, that’s down to 25%.
Earlier this year, the agency announced $35 million in budget cuts and cost controls to balance its books for 2025, but it said it is operating on emergency funds that will run out in 2026. BART’s deficit is expected to balloon to $400 million by 2027.
It’s warned that without significant new funding, it could cut weekend service, close stations, shut down lines or reduce the number of trains it runs per hour.
Advocates are aiming to put a five-county sales tax measure on next November’s ballot to generate up to $980 million a year for local transit agencies for 14 years. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed state Senate Bill 63, paving the way for the measure to be placed on the ballot.
A separate effort in San Francisco to support the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency would add a parcel tax to properties to generate up to $85 million a year, though the tax measure is still in early stages.
KQED’s Amanda Hernandez contributed to this report.
