2026: A Defining Year for BART
Colma City Council
March 25, 2026
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The New BART – Safer and Cleaner
New Fare Gates Systemwide
Make Riders Feel Safer
High Customer Satisfaction
and Onboard Ratings
Focus on Presence
Crime Fell 41% in 2025
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The New BART – Station Enhancements
Improved LED Lighting Escalator Replacement
And Repair
Art, Culture & Activations
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The New BART- Technology & Coordination
Tap And Ride Payments
Innovative Fare Products
Like Clipper START and BayPass
Better Schedule Alignment
and Wayfinding
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• BART depended on fares to run service more
than almost any other transit agency
• Today, fare revenue is down $300-400M due
to remote work and post-pandemic travel
patterns
• $1.2B operating budget, with $370M+
structural deficit beginning in Fiscal Year 2027
• Ridership, fare revenue growth, and cost
controls are part of the solution, but other
revenue is needed
BART’s Cost and Revenue Structure
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BART Operations are Efficient
• BART has one of the lowest operating costs per
passenger mile for peer transit agencies
• BART operating costs are growing below
inflation and at the slowest rate of peer agencies
• Only 40% of BART’s operating costs scale directly
with service levels
• Cutting BART operating expenses requires
disproportionate service reductions and puts
revenues from fares at risk
US Heavy Rail Operators
Cost Per Passenger Mile FY23
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Delivering in FY26 for Success in FY27
Financial Stability
• Planning for multiple futures
• Ongoing efficiencies & cost saving
efforts
Focus on the Customer:
• Retain high customer satisfaction
• Continue clean and safe
• Next Generation Fare Gates
• Reliability & Strategic Systemwide
Investment
• Station & Infrastructure
Improvements
• Clipper 2
Measure Passes: Base Budget
Continue to Deliver High Quality Transit
& Ensure Financial Stability
Measures Fails: Alternative Budget
$300M+ in budget cuts and deferrals
FY26: Focused on Success FY27: Planning for Multiple Futures Nov 2026
General
Election
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November 2026 Ballot Measure
• SB 63 authorizes a 5-county sales tax
measure
• 0.5% in Alameda, Contra Costa, San
Mateo and Santa Clara and 1% in San
Francisco
• If citizen's initiative, simple majority to pass
• If approved by voters, provides BART
operations $310M annually beginning in
FY28
• Also provides funding for Muni, Caltrain, AC
Transit, other transit systems and road
repairs
Loans available to BART
• The State approved a loan to cover running
service until proceeds from a measure
become available
• Loans must be paid back with interest
• If a measure fails, BART cannot use the
funds, as it would not be able to pay back a
loan
Potential New Funding & Use of Loans
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Measure Fails-Alternative Service Plan
• Necessary to give direction to staff
• Must plan for a balanced budget under two scenarios
• A combination of solutions are needed to close $376M deficit • Service cuts
• Fare and parking increases
• Layoffs
• Reduction in system support services
• Deferrals and one-time resources
• Analysis was done to develop a reduced service plan that will retain as many riders as possible while achieving the highest net savings
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To take place January 2027:
• 63% reduction in service
• 9pm closure (previously midnight)
• 3-line service (previously 5-line)
• 30-minute frequencies (previously 10-20)
• 30% fare and parking increases
• $30M in cuts from non-service reductions
to fleet maintenance, policing, cleaning,
admin support
• Over 600 employee layoffs
• Deferrals and one-time sources
Measure Fails- Alternative Service Plan
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To take place July 2027 if feasible:
• Cumulative 70% reduction in service
• Maintain 9pm closure, 3-line service, 30 min
frequencies
• Close up to 15 stations and/or 25% of system track
miles
• Cumulative 50% fare and parking increase
• Cumulative $130M in cuts from non-service reductions to fleet maintenance, policing, cleaning, admin support
• Another 600 layoffs (total 1,200)
• Continue deferrals
Measure Fails- Alternative Service Plan
• No station names are
included in the plan
• The BART Board will
be responsible for all
decisions on station or
segment closures
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Safety Contingency:
• If BART can’t safely or legally operate with the available resources, we will stop passenger service
• Use District tax revenues to secure system assets and other ongoing obligations • Work to determine the system’s future
Measure Fails- Alternative Service Plan
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Connect with Us
Victor Flores
District 7 Director
[email protected]
Bradley Dunn
Manager of Local Government and Community Relations
[email protected]
(510) 406-2987
Find us on Social:
X: @SFBART
IG: @SFbayarearapidtransit
TikTok: @SFBART
Director Flores meeting with members of the
Rotary Club of Oakland #3
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Questions
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Revenue and Expense Comparison
Expense Revenue
Transportation
Rolling Stock & Shops
Energy
All Other Operating Expense
(Maintenance, Police,
Support Services,
Paratransit, Insurance,
Liabilities, etc)
Debt Service & Allocations
Fares, Parking, & Other
Operating Revenue
LCFS*VTA*
STA*
All Other Revenue
Emergency Assistance
$-
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
Revenue and Operating Expense Comparison (FY26 Operating Budget) Costs directly
impacted by train
schedule ($444M)
Revenues impacted by
train schedule or
ridership ($439M)
*Revenues from State Transit Assistance (STA), Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), and Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program 16 San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
Reducing Expenses & Revenue Development
Strategies between FY20 and FY25