Staff Report re New Fare Gates at Colma BART Station Page 1 of 3
STAFF REPORT
T
O: Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Dan Barros, City Manager
MEETING DATE: April 23, 2025
SUBJECT: New Fare Gates at Colma BART Station
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council provide direction to the City Manager on whether to engage in negotiations for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the County of San Mateo to reimburse the County for any costs not secured by grant funding for the installation of 15 new fare gates at the Colma BART station.
COUNCIL ADOPTED VALUES
Re
sponsible
BA
CKGROUND
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting on Friday, March 28. The Board approved bridge funding of $10,321,678 for the purchase and installation of new fare gates at the five BART stations in San Mateo County, including fifteen (15) gates at the Colma BART station. The new state-of-the-art gates are designed to prevent people from entering and exiting stations without paying fares. Fare evaders not only significantly reduce much needed revenue for BART but also contribute to crime and vandalism within and in the vicinity of the stations, including in Colma. Having the new gates will be beneficial to Town residents by enhancing public safety.
As noted above, BART’s Next Generation Fare Gate project includes system-wide replacement of the fare gates in all the BART stations located in San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, and Santa Clara Counties. The total project cost is approximately $90 million. San Francisco provides funding to BART through Measure AA, and the other counties provide funding to BART through Measure RR. Cities in San Mateo County are being asked to participate in the installation of the new gates because San Mateo County does not contribute funding to BART.
The San Mateo County Transportation Agency administers the Measure W Regional Transit Connection Program (RTC) Grant, which could cover all or a significant portion of the project costs for San Mateo County. BART has agreed to apply for this grant, with awards announced in July/August 2025. There is a timing issue in which BART needs to proceed with the project to secure lower pricing prior to the announcement of the grant application outcome. If the grant, AGENDA ITEM #8
Staff Report re New Fare Gates at Colma BART Station Page 2 of 3 or the full amount of the grant, is not awarded, the cities with BART stations are being asked to reimburse the County for the cost of installing the new fare gates in their respective cities. The Colma Station’s prorated share of the full cost is $1,888,112. Conditions agreed to by BART include that the agency will maintain the upgraded security gates after installation; BART will collaborate with the affected cities to strategize increased BART police presence, enhanced maintenance at the stations, and expanded retail operations. If reimbursement to the County is necessary, the County has agreed to negotiate with each city that payments may be made over time, as opposed to one lump sum payment.
In approving the County to provide bridge funding, the Board of Supervisors stipulated the following:
1. BART agrees to apply for the grant discussed above; if received, the grant will cover all or a portion of the costs, relieving the County and the relevant cities of the burden.
2. The Board’s resolution is contingent on the County executing five signed MOUs from each of the five cities that host BART stations (Daly City, San Bruno, South San Francisco, Colma, and Millbrae), guaranteeing reimbursement to the County if necessary.
3. BART will provide “transit ambassadors” alongside BART Police for fare enforcement and security.
ANALYSIS
Unlike the other four (4) cities mentioned above, the Colma BART station uniquely resides outside of Town limits and in unincorporated San Mateo County. This pertinent information has been brought to the attention of County Manager, Mike Callagy, over the course of several meetings as this topic was introduced to the five respective Cities involved.
Nevertheless, on behalf of the County of San Mateo, Mr. Callagy has requested that the Town engage in negotiations for the aforementioned MOU to establish a repayment plan to the County should the grant funding not cover the cost of the project.
FISCAL IMPACT
The financial impact of this proposal will depend on future events. It could range from zero if the RTC grant is awarded up to $1,888,112 if no grant funding is received. As noted above, if reimbursement is required, the Town will work with the County to negotiate as part of the MOU a payment plan spread over several years.
Staff Report re New Fare Gates at Colma BART Station Page 3 of 3
ENVIRONMENTAL
The City Council’s action in providing direction on this item is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Guideline 15378 as a governmental fiscal activity. It is also exempt pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15301 as the operation and minor alteration of an existing facility. Further clarity as to which agency will take the lead agency role will be clarified as part of the negotiations.
ALTERNATIVES
The City Council could choose to deny the County’s request to negotiate terms for potential repayment of the bridge funding. It is unclear at this time if the denial of this request would have any direct impacts on the Colma BART station and installation of the new Fare Gates.
CONCLUSION
Staff is seeking direction from the City council to authorize or not authorize the City Manager to engage in negotiations for an MOU for repayment to San Mateo County.
ATTACHMENTS
A. San Mateo County Staff Report, Fare Gates in San Mateo County BART Stations, March 28, 2025.
B. San Mateo County Resolution
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County of San Mateo
Inter-Departmental Correspondence
Department: COUNTY EXECUTIVE
File #: 25-260 Board Meeting Date: 3/28/2025
Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Fare Gates in San Mateo County BART Stations
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a resolution:
A) Authorizing the County to provide Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) up to $10,321,678 for the purchase of new fare gates to be installed at BART stations in Colma, Daly City, Millbrae, San Bruno, and South San Francisco, to the extent the costs for such purchase are not covered by a grant from the SMCTA Measure W Regional Transit Connection Program; and B) Authorizing the County to pay from the amount provided to BART a portion of the costs to improve the fare gates at the Colma BART station in an amount not to exceed $1,888,112; and C) Authorizing the County Executive, or designee(s), in consultation with the County Attorney, to negotiate and enter into a Memorandum of Understanding, or Memoranda of Understanding, with Colma, Daly City, Millbrae, San Bruno, South San Francisco, and BART regarding the County’s provision of funds for the purchase of new fare gates and for services provided by BART at stations in San Mateo County.
BACKGROUND:
BART provides essential public transportation services to residents throughout the Bay Area, including in San Mateo County. On March 6, 2024, BART unveiled its Next Generation Fare Gate project (“Project”) which involves a systemwide replacement of BART’s legacy fare gates with new, state-of-the-art fare gates at all BART stations.
The Project will cost approximately $90 million to complete. Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, and Santa Clara County transportation authorities have contributed their county fundings shares.
Four cities within San Mateo County host BART stations; specifically, Daly City, Millbrae, San Bruno, and South San Francisco. In addition, the Colma BART Station is located in the unincorporated area,
ATTACHMENT A
immediately adjacent to the Town of Colma.
The projected total cost of the Project for the above five BART stations in San Mateo County is $10,321,678. The allocation of the total cost among the jurisdictions-determined by how many fare gates are presently installed at each station-is itemized as follows:
Station Name # of Faregates Cost Per Station
Colma 15 $1,888,112
Daly City 13 $1,636,364
Millbrae 29 $3,650,350
San Bruno 13 $1,636,364
South San Francisco 12 $1,510,490
Total San Mateo County 82 $10,321,678
The San Mateo County Transit Agency (SMCTA) is responsible for overseeing transportation projects in San Mateo County, and part of its role involves allocating funds to various transportation agencies, including BART. BART intends to apply for a grant from the SMCTA Measure W Regional Transit Connection Program (“Measure W RTC Grant”) to cover the cost of the Project at the above stations in San Mateo County.
DISCUSSION:
As noted, BART intends to apply for a Measure W RTC Grant to cover the cost of the Project at BART stations located in San Mateo County. That indicated, it will not be known until July/August 2025 whether BART will receive the Measure W RTC Grant and, prior to that time, in order to avail itself of offered preferred pricing, BART must give notice to its contractor by March 31, 2025 as to whether the Project will include the stations located in San Mateo County.
Given the need to move this Project forward before it is known whether BART will receive a Measure W RTC Grant, staff recommends that the County agree to provide BART any amount, up to $10,321,678, that is not covered by the Measure W RTC Grant for Project costs at the above-listed stations in San Mateo County. The County, along with Colma, Daly City, Millbrae, San Bruno, and South San Francisco (collectively, the “Affected Jurisdictions”), would commit to send SMCTA letters of support for BART’s grant application.
In the event that BART does not receive a Measure W RTC Grant, or if such a grant is insufficient to cover the entire cost of the Project at the BART stations in San Mateo County, Daly City, Millbrae, San Bruno, and South San Francisco would repay the County for any funds the County provided for Project costs at BART stations in their respective jurisdictions, without interest over a time frame determined by the County Executive, in consultation with the County Attorney.
The cost to improve the fare gates at the Colma BART Station is $1,888,112 and, if any portion of those costs are not funded by the Measure W RTC Grant Grant, the County Executive, or designee (s), will work with the Town of Colma representatives to discuss the sharing of such costs since the Colma BART Station is located in the unincorporated area immediately adjacent to the Town.
The legislative councils of Daly City, Millbrae, South San Francisco, San Bruno, and Colma shall each take action to authorize repayment of any amounts ultimately advanced by the County for Project costs.
Staff further recommends that the Board authorize the County Executive, or designee(s), in consultation with the County Attorney, to negotiate and enter into a Memorandum of Understanding, or if appropriate, multiple Memoranda of Understanding, with Colma, Daly City, Millbrae, South San Francisco, San Bruno, and BART regarding the provision and repayment of County funds for the Project.
In consideration for the provision of funds, as described above, the Memorandum(a) of Understanding with BART would also include the following terms:
1. BART shall maintain the upgraded security gates after they are installed.
2. BART will coordinate with the Affected Jurisdictions to discuss strategies for increasing fare enforcement and BART police presence at BART stations in San Mateo County.
3. BART will coordinate with the Affected Jurisditions to improve the level of maintenance at each BART station in San Mateo County, including with respect to matters such as station and bathroom cleanliness, painting and graffiti abatement, elevator and escalator maintenance, lighting, repair of roofs and replacement of stained roof tiles, and replacement of bird netting,
4. BART will coordinate with the Affected Jurisdictions to discuss and support-in alignment with existing or future BART District retail plan(s)-retail operations, including those led by the Affected Jurisdictions, in appropriate areas of the BART stations in San Mateo County.
The County Attorney has reviewed and approved the Resolution as to form.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
The County’s financial support of new fare gates at BART stations in San Mateo County will help to enhance an efficient, affordable, reliable, environmentally friendly, and accessible form of public transportation for all community members, increasing economic vitality and reducing reliance on vehicular traffic.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact associated with adopting the Resolution will depend on future events. If, as expected, BART receives a grant to cover the entire cost of the Project, there will be no fiscal impact.
If a grant were not awarded, it is expected that the affected cities will contribute their respective shares of the cost, and the County could contribute up to $1,888,112 for new fare gates at the Colma BART Station. But the Board is authorizing the County to provide BART up to $10,321,678 for the Project.
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RESOLUTION NO. .
BOARD OF SUPE
RVISORS, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
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RESOLUTION: A) AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT (BART) UP TO $10,321,678 FOR THE PURCHASE OF NEW FARE GATES
TO BE INSTALLED AT BART STATIONS IN COLMA, DALY CITY, MILLBRAE, SAN
BRUNO, AND SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, TO THE EXTENT THE COSTS FOR SUCH
PURCHASE ARE NOT COVERED BY A GRANT FROM THE SMCTA MEASURE W REGIONAL TRANSIT CONNECTION PROGRAM; AND
B) AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY TO PAY FROM THE AMOUNT PROVIDED TO
BART A PORTION OF THE COSTS TO IMPROVE THE FARE GATES AT THE COLMA BART STATION IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,888,112; AND
C) AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, OR DESIGNEE(S), IN
CONSULTATION WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER
INTO A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, OR MEMORANDA OF
UNDERSTANDING, WITH COLMA, DALY CITY, MILLBRAE, SAN BRUNO, SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, AND BART REGARDING THE COUNTY’S PROVISION OF
FUNDS FOR THE PURCHASE OF NEW FARE GATES AND FOR SERVICES
PROVIDED BY BART AT STATIONS IN SAN MATEO COUNTY
_____________________________________________________________ RESOLVED, by the Board of Supervisors of t he County of San Mateo, State of California, that:
WHEREAS, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) provides essential public transportation services to residents throug hout the Bay Area, including in San Mateo County; and
WHEREAS, on March 6, 2024, BART unveiled it s Next Generation Fare Gate project (“Project”) which involves a systemwide replacement of BART’s legacy fare gates with new, state-of-the-art fare gates at all BART stations; and WHEREAS, the Project will, in total, cost approximately $90 million to complete, and the transportation authorit ies for Alameda County, Cont ra Costa County, City and County of San Francisco, and Santa Clara County have contributed their respective fundings shares; and
WHEREAS, in San Mateo County, the cities of Daly City, Millbrae, San Bruno, and South San Francisco, host BART stations and the Colma BART Station is located in the
ATTACHMENT B
unincorporated area, immediately adjacent to the Town of Colma (collectively, “San Mateo County BART Stations”); and
WHEREAS, the projected total cost of the Project at the San Mateo County BART Stations is $10,321,678, which total amount is divided among the jurisdictions based on the number of fare gates to be replaced at each BART station; and WHEREAS, the San Mateo County Transit Agency (“SMCTA”) oversees transportation projects in San Mateo County, and its responsibilities include allocating funds to various transportation agencies operating in San Mateo County, including BART; and
WHEREAS, BART intends to apply for a gr ant from the SMCTA Measure W Regional Transit Connection Program (“Measure W RTC Grant”) to cover the cost of the Project at the San Mateo C ounty BART Stations, but it wil l not be known until Summer 2025 whether a grant will be awarded for the Project; and WHEREAS, because of contract and project timing, BART must notify the Project contractor of whether the Project will include fare gates at the San Mateo County BART Stations before it is know n whether a Measure W RTC Grant will be awarded for the Project; and
WHEREAS, given the foregoing, and contingent on BART applying for a Measure W RTC Grant to cover the full cost of the Project at the San Mateo County Stations, this Board desires to authorize providing to BART any amount not covered by the Grant , up to $10,321,678, that is not covered by a Measure W RTC Grant to fund the costs of the Project at the San Mateo County Stations; and
WHEREAS, if BART does not receive a Measure W RTC Grant, or if such grant is insufficient to cover the entire cost of the Project at the San Mateo County BART Stations, and the County therefore provides BART funds to pay for the Project, Daly City, Millbrae, San Bruno, and South San Francisco will agree to repay the County for the share of funds provided by the County that corresponds to Project costs at the BART station in each respective jurisdiction, without interest ov er a time frame determined by the County Executive, in consultation with the County Attorney; and WHEREAS, the cost to improve the fare ga tes at the Colma BART Station is $1,888,112 and, if any portion of those costs are not funded by the SMCTA grant, the County Executive, or designee(s), will work wit h the Town of Colma representatives to discuss the sharing of such costs since t he Colma BART Station is located in the unincorporated area immediately adjacent to the Town; and WHEREAS, this Board desires that the Count y Executive, or designee(s), in consultation with the County Attorney, ne gotiate and enter into a Memorandum of Understanding, or if appropriate, multiple Memoranda of Understanding, with Colma, Daly City, Millbrae, San Bruno, S outh San Francisco, and BART regarding the provision of County funds for the Project; and
WHEREAS, the Memorandum of Understandi ng entered into with BART would also include the following terms:
BART shall maintain the upgraded security gates in the San Mateo County BART Stations after they are installed; and
BART will coordinate with the jurisdicti ons where upgraded security gates are installed in the San Mat eo County BART Stations under the Project to discuss strategies for increasing fare enforcement and the presence of BART police or Transit Ambassadors presence at such San Mateo County BART Stations; and BART will coordinate with the jurisdicti ons where upgraded security gates are installed in the San Mateo County BART Stations under the Project to improve the level of maintenance at each such San Mateo County BART Station, including with respect to matters such as station and bathroom cl eanliness, painting and graffiti abatement, elevator and escalator maintenanc e, lighting, repa ir of roofs and replacement of stained roof tiles, and replacement of bird netting; and BART will coordinate with the jurisdicti ons where upgraded security gates are installed in the San Mateo County BART Stations under the Project to discuss and support—in alignment with existing or futu re BART District re tail plan(s)—retail operations, including those led by such ju risdictions, in appropriate areas of the San Mateo County BART Stations; and
WHEREAS, any provision of funds to BART by the County to pay for Project costs at any of the San Mateo Count BART Stati ons shall be contingent on the legislative councils of Colma, Daly Cit y, Millbrae, South San Franc isco, San Bruno, each taking action to authorize a Memorandum of Under standing with the County to provide for the repayment of any funds provided by the C ounty to pay for Project costs at the BART station in their respective jurisdiction.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that, contingent on the negotiation of the Memoranda of Understanding described herein, the Board authorizes the County to provide BART any amount, not to exceed $10,321,678, contingent on BART’s application for, and that is not covered by, a Measure W RTC Grant (or not otherwise funded) to fund the costs of the Project at San Mateo County BART Stations.
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that, from the funds provided to BART, the County is authorized to pay a portion of the costs to improve the fare gates at the Colma BART Station, which costs total $1,888,112, and the County Executive, or designee(s), is authorized and directed to negotiate with the Town of Colma the portion to be paid by the County not to exceed $1,888,112.
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the County Executive, or designee(s), in consultation with the County Attorney, is authorized and directed to negotiate and enter into a Memorandum of Understanding, or if appropriate, multiple Memoranda of Understanding, with Daly City, Millbrae, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Colma, and BART regarding the provision and reimbursement of County funds for the Project and the agreed upon services performed by BART at affected San Mateo County BART Stations, in a manner consistent with the Board’s intent, conditions, and findings set forth herein.
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the County Executiv e, or designee(s) is authorized to enter into amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding, or Memoranda of Understanding, entered into pursuant to this Resolution which modify the County’s maximum fiscal obligation by no mo re than $25,000, and/or modify the term and/or services so long as the modified term or services is/are within the current or revised fiscal provisions, and to also negotiate, agree to, enter into, and/or execute any additional documents necessary, advisable, or appropria te to effectuate or carry out the Memorandum of Understanding, or Memoranda of Understanding, consistent with the Board’s intent, conditions, and findings reflected herein. * * * * * *
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