Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Low BART ridership could lead to drastic measures like cutting weekend service
SF Gate ^ | November 22, 2022 | By Silas Valentino

Posted on 11/22/2022 11:03:05 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

SAN FRANCISCO - The Bay Area’s largest transit agency is considering drastic measures to replace its funding model — such as cutting weekend service — as it attempts to resolve the financial instability spurred by the pandemic.

BART is looking ahead to 2025, when the agency is expected to fully exhaust the $1.6 billion in federal assistance it received to remain afloat during the pandemic. The funding model for BART before the pandemic relied mostly on farebox recovery, which amounted to about 70% of its overall funding.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the agency responsible for regional transportation planning and financing, ordered BART and the other regional transit agencies to prepare a five-year transit plan.

MTC asked the agencies to create three scenarios for the near future: what would happen if ridership returned to its pre-pandemic levels, what would happen if there was “some progress” for ridership, and what would happen if ridership remained stagnant and the federal funds run out.

The worst-case scenario describes a future where BART needs to close a $233 million average annual gap.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: bart; california; crime; publictransport; rail
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last

1 posted on 11/22/2022 11:03:05 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Who wants to visit a downtown station with a hundred homeless sitting along the walls and the elevators turned off, due to those homeless using them as toilets?

That, coupled with some very loud sections when beginning to go into under water tunnels, is likely just the start of issues.


2 posted on 11/22/2022 11:06:16 AM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

How’s that high speed train coming that America paid for?


3 posted on 11/22/2022 11:09:50 AM PST by Dogbert41 (Baruch Ha Ba Ba Shem Adonai!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

The lefties will just turn it over to the homeless in less than 3 years....


4 posted on 11/22/2022 11:12:03 AM PST by Hambone 1934 (Dems love playing Nazis.....The republicans love helping them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

The urban rats are tired of being urban rats.


5 posted on 11/22/2022 11:13:59 AM PST by Wuli (ur)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer
when the agency is expected to fully exhaust the $1.6 billion in federal assistance it received to remain afloat during the pandemic.

Its the USA in a microcosm - particularly, urban/blue/leftist.

Without massive Fed.gov debt, and Federal Reserve money printing and QE to buy that debt, America's progressives would have died off years ago

6 posted on 11/22/2022 11:14:54 AM PST by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

GREAT-—SHOVE people OUT of their vehicles & then shut down MASS TRANSIT.


7 posted on 11/22/2022 11:16:37 AM PST by ridesthemiles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Could it be rising crime ?


8 posted on 11/22/2022 11:18:19 AM PST by George from New England
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dogbert41

“high speed train”

They gave up on the Fresno to Modesto route—decided to go big—Moon to Mars!

;-)


9 posted on 11/22/2022 11:19:17 AM PST by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer; All

Maybe these jerks should consider: Crime and filth on the BART train, on your way into crime and filth in San Francisco.


10 posted on 11/22/2022 11:19:52 AM PST by Cobra64 (Common sense isn’t common anymore.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Ridership and revenues are way down in almost all urban transportation systems in Democrat run areas Fare beating and the fact that decent,rational people prefer to utilize the new technologies, work from home and avoid going to crime ridden cities. These transportation systems have all been losing huge amounts of money and have been subsidized by Biden bucks approved by the Democrat controlled Congress. If a Republican House refuses to fund these money losers, things will really get interesting.


11 posted on 11/22/2022 11:21:21 AM PST by allendale
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Does BART use electric trains? I have heard that is a great way to face the future.


12 posted on 11/22/2022 11:23:18 AM PST by Bernard (“the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God." JFK 1-20-61)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

I’ve used public transportation in the Bay area.
BART, Buses, and Shuttles. And of course POV, rental car, or walking.
I would not ride a bike in the bay area.

BART SUX!
It is just a very high priced jobs program for Black people.
Much like Amtrak.


13 posted on 11/22/2022 11:25:50 AM PST by rellic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dogbert41
How’s that high speed train coming that America paid for?

It's coming along great. 30 years after the first public bonds were sold, they finally decided on which route it will take.

14 posted on 11/22/2022 11:28:54 AM PST by monkeyshine (live and let live is dead)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

BART was getting very crappy when I used to ride it into the City from Walnut Creek every day fifteen years ago - I can only imagine how much worse it is today. There seems to be almost no way for the system to make money if the nearly insatiable commuter demand of two decades ago is becoming a thing of the past. It will just be another permanent government giveaway like Phoenix light rail - a rolling homeless shelter offering nice contractor kickbacks to Democrat politicians.


15 posted on 11/22/2022 11:32:07 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: allendale

People won’t willingly blow hours of their day wasting time on a train or in traffic if they aren’t required to by their jobs. It’s a total ripoff.


16 posted on 11/22/2022 11:32:56 AM PST by GulliverSwift
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Whatever.

They were touting how ridership had increased to some 70% prepandemic just 6 months ago and I called “BS!”

Go to any BART parking lot and they are largely, mostly or completely empty....

Further, ain’t no one going to downtown San Francisco, which only has a 31% daily occupancy rate and of the people I know who are still going: They use to ride BART but, it is too dangerous and the routes are inconvenient as they are only in the office part of the day.


17 posted on 11/22/2022 11:38:05 AM PST by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

Kind of like riding around Jurassic Park with Jeff Goldblum, hoping the muggersauruses aren’t on the loose.


18 posted on 11/22/2022 11:39:27 AM PST by hardspunned (Former DC GOP globalist stooge )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Like NYC subway, why would I want to get on mass transit when there are punks riding who could rob or kill me??


19 posted on 11/22/2022 11:39:39 AM PST by Kaiser8408a (z)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: monkeyshine

The first of the pure HSR segments, the Initial Operating Segment (IOS), is planned to begin operations in the southern-part of the Central Valley in 2029. Maximum train speeds will be about 220 miles per hour (350 km/h) in the dedicated HSR segments and about 110 miles per hour (180 km/h) in the blended segments. Extending the IOS to connect to the north and south metropolitan segments is dependent on future funding, so its timing is uncertain.


20 posted on 11/22/2022 11:40:39 AM PST by Jim Noble (The Decline of America is a Choice )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson