The BART Board of Directors is considering for approval a $3.5 billion general obligation bond measure at this Thursday’s regularly scheduled 9:00 am board meeting. If approved, the measure under consideration will appear on the November general election ballot and provide capital funds dedicated to improving BART infrastructure.
A press conference will be held after the board votes on approval. Over a dozen community leaders will be joining Board President Tom Radulovich for commentary on how BART plans to reinvest and rebuild while protecting the public’s investment.
According to the BART press release:
The measure before the board is a no-frills plan to ensure the continued safety, reliability, and traffic-relieving utility of the Bay Area’s most heavily used regional transportation network. Thanks to record ridership, many of the projects needed to upgrade capacity (such as new train cars) at BART have been funded. However, aging infrastructure such as worn rail, deteriorated power transmission systems, leaking tunnels, and faulty track circuitry requires a major capital reinvestment plan, of which the $3.5 billion bond under consideration is a key component. The measure includes the requirement of an independent audit committee to publish transparent reports on how the money is being spent, with open, frequent and public meetings.
9 comments
More taxes… yes, a bond is a tax if you have any understanding of how bonds work and who pays the interest on them – YOU.
The public can’t let this happen!! BART has been falling apart for years and they can’t make everyone pay for it. They need to increase their fares or parking fee’s and make the riders pay, and not the entire bay area, most who don’t ride BART. I would much rather pay fifty cents the one time a year I ride the train, rather than the $50 they want to add to my property tax.
Remember this is the BART, who handed out bonuses to its employees last year between $500 -$1000 a person and the administrators who make upwards of 250k a year. Also this is BART who when they were not happy went on STRIKE and screwed up traffic for almost (2) weeks because they watned more money.
It is on the ballot for ALL Bart counties. If it fails in Contra Costa County but gets the combined total it needs in all other counties it then PASSES. So we are stuck for it regardless. Most likely it will pass everywhere else.
I have two reactions…”No”, and “Hell, NO!”
I don’t see any county passing this as BART has so badly managed what they’ve gotten so far. I’m still trying to figure out how East County gets “E-BART” while San Jose gets the whole thing with no buy-in.
Exactly !
E-Bart stands for East County Bart. You can thank Joel Keller and the rest of the Bart Board. They are in a virtual tie with the East County Fire Protection district board for the worst board on the planet award.
Just like the measure AA tax, even if CCCounty votes it down, we still might have to pay. What a racket.
San Jose voters approved two ballot measures, Measure A in 2000 and Measure B in 2008, that are providing funds to build, operate and maintain the extension to San Jose. Measure A passed with 70% support and increased the sales tax in Santa Clara County by 1/2 cent, this money combined with other funds is being used to build the current extension. Measure B passed with 66.7% support and increased the sales tax in Santa Clara County by another 1/8 cent, this money will be used by Santa Clara County to pay BART, to maintain and operate the extension.
Santa Clara County voters passed Measure A in 2000 and Measure B in 2008 to build, maintain and operate the BART extension to San Jose. Measure A increased the sales tax in Santa Clara County by 1/2 cent and the money is being used to build the BART extension to San Jose. Measure B increased the sales tax in Santa Clara County by another 1/8 cent and that money will be used to annually pay BART to operate and maintain the extension.
Phule Me Twice. As long as San Francisco and Alameda counties pass it East County is once again on the short end. Joel Keller is responsible for this. We cannot elect him again. Unfortunately he is not up for reelection.
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