New BART report paints dire financial picture

A BART-commissioned report found that, absent a new funding model, the agency would have to reduce service, with cuts imperiling transit access and the Bay Area’s climate goals.

The 62-page “Role in the Region” report published Tuesday claimed riders’ post-pandemic travel patterns have shifted away from commuting in favor of recreational trips, hampering the ridership-revenue-dependent agency.

The study’s authors said cutting BART’s operating expenses by 30% would reduce service by 85%. Those moves would disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities and impact other regional transit networks, they added, while worsening traffic congestion and increasing greenhouse-gas emissions.

In a statement, BART general manager Bob Powers said that “the Bay Area and our regional transportation network have undergone significant changes since BART last conducted a Role in the Region study in 2016.”

“The 2024 ‘Role in the Region’ report arrives at a crucial crossroads for BART and the region, and the data, analyses and stories within will serve as an important education resource for the pivotal years ahead,” he said.

The study’s authors found that since the pandemic, BART riders are taking more personal trips than professional commutes. Work trips are 61% of the agency’s trips, compared to 70% in 2018. Additionally, evening and weekend trips have recovered at higher rates than peak weekday trips.

BART officials said that they have met these emerging trends by adjusting service to meet off-peak demand while continuing to evaluate how to serve other emerging markets.

BART will need financial assistance to cover around 70% of its operating costs in the coming years, the agency said, thanks to the expiration of federal and state emergency assistance. The agency faces a $30 million deficit in the 2026 fiscal year that will balloon to $350 million in the following fiscal year, according to the report.

The study’s authors noted that the funding source could come from the state, the region or a combination of both. Absent financial support, the agency warned of grave consequences.

Transportation costs would go up for BART riders, as many would have to consider owning their own personal vehicles, while the proliferation of more drivers would increase traffic congestion. The study said that the Bay Area’s economy and quality of life would be reduced as more time would be lost sitting in traffic. More driving would also make it harder for the region to meet local and state climate goals , thanks to the increase in greenhouse-gas emissions.

BART has undertaken several efforts to win back riders, including a focus on improving rider safety . Agency officials have installed new fare gates throughout BART’s network to deter fare evasion. The agency has also worked with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and other transit operators to make fares more affordable and integrated.

Several agencies have also partnered on a project that brings unified maps and signage to public-transportation stations in an attempt to make transfers easier.

Ian Griffiths, the director and co-founder of Seamless Bay Area, told The Examiner that BART “has been a leader in championing regional efforts to create a more seamless integrated transit system — co-leading efforts to bring about integrated fares and harmonized signage and wayfinding.”

“Rapid deployment of integrated fares, including free transfers between agencies and more widespread multi-agency passes is one of the most impactful things we can do to increase ridership in the near term,” he said.

Bay Area Council president and CEO Jim Wunderman said BART had done well in addressing safety concerns by increasing police presence on trains and in stations.

“The shift to remote work has dealt a serious blow to BART ridership and finances but it remains a vital transportation system for this region,” Wunderman said.

Wunderman told The Examiner that the agency must also find a way to accelerate the installation of its fare gates to further improve system safety and generate new revenue.

“Some form of new, stable, sustainable funding will be necessary to ensure BART can maintain maximum service levels,” he said. “But riders and voters have made it clear they first want to see more progress from BART and other transit providers in creating a more efficient, connected and integrated transportation system.”