BART Board Approves Fare Increases Through 2026, Set to Hire More Cops

Bay Area Rapid Transit announced Thursday its Board of Directors has approved a $2.3 billion Fiscal Year budget which includes expanding and investing in Quality Life Issues while also includes a fare increase.

According to BART, there is a 5.4% inflation-based fare increase set to begin January 1, 2020. This series of inflation-based fare increases that will go into effect in 2022, 2024 and 2026.

Meanwhile, BART will also participate in the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Regional Means-Based Fare Discount Pilot Program. The program will offer a 20% discount per trip to adult riders earning 200% or less of the federal poverty level.

In terms of quality of life issues, BART plans to increase police staffing by adding 19 police officers and four unarmed fare inspectors.

“This budget is designed to make BART safer,” said BART Board President Bevan Dufty. “Adding officers and establishing a community ambassador program shows our riders that we’ve heard their concerns and we’ve taken action.”

The FY20 budget supplements and continues Quality of Life initiatives added in prior years. Among the highlights:

• $2.1 million towards 19 additional police officers.
• $500,000 to fund four additional fare inspectors.
• $2 million to continue funding efforts to address the impacts of regional homelessness in the BART system, including outreach programs, elevator attendants and Pit Stop restrooms.
• BART station hardening efforts are incorporated into many projects and programs throughout the District, using operating and capital funds. In FY20, $2.4 million of new and ongoing funds ($400,000 of new FY20 operating funds augments $600,000 of prior year parking revenue held in reserves and $1.3 million of capital staffing) will support station hardening projects, including raising railings and securing swing gates. Additionally, BART directs grant funds to station hardening, including federal formula funds for the fare gate modification program and often redirects existing engineering and maintenance staff to projects such as the fare gate cinch modification program as well as the camera upgrade program. BART’s Station Modernization Program also incorporates elements of station hardening in design, guided by the BART Facilities Standards. Six stations in the Station Modernization Program are spending or will spend a combined $16 million on station hardening elements. In addition, the $61 million Market Street Escalator Canopies project includes installing roll-up grilles at the street level, security cameras and handrail lighting. In summary, station hardening is a substantial, multi-year systemwide effort, leveraging new and existing operating and capital funds from a variety of sources into a wide range of projects.

BART also will dedicate $1.4 billion for capital improvements which is a 5% increase from last year with 46% coming from Measure RR funds.

• $101 million for station modernization and elevator/escalator improvements across the system, including replacement of escalators at downtown San Francisco stations, and station modernization efforts at El Cerrito Del Norte, 19^th Street, Downtown Berkeley, Concord, Powell, and Pittsburg/Bay Point stations. The station modernization program also includes many elements of station hardening.
• $303 million is budgeted for expenses related to the procurement of 775 new rail cars
• $151 million towards the continuation of a multi-year program of traction power infrastructure replacement, including replacement of traction power cables in San Francisco and in Alameda County.
• $71 million towards the Hayward Maintenance Complex, a modern facility to maintain the new rail cars.
• $86 million for planning and engineering for the Train Control Modernization Program and for renewing components of the existing train control system, including transformers, switch machines and speed encoding equipment at stations.

BART also stated their revenue and ridership challenges with a decrease of $5.6 million from last year which reflects lower ridership.

The FY20 budget is balanced and includes $17 million in budget cuts made by all departments in the district.

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