Homeless BART riders a concern for Millbrae officials

Millbrae Mayor Reuben Holober hoped to identify a lasting solution — the need for which is amplified amid a global pandemic and regional stay-at-home order designed to stem the spread of coronavirus.

“There needs to be, especially with the shelter-in-place order, a place for these people to go,” he said. “It’s not really humane to leave them on the street.”

Riders who are homeless or experiencing housing insecurity are frequently taking the train to the end of the line in Millbrae, where officials said they are ushered out of the station.

Without a place to go, the riders often migrate into downtown Millbrae or surrounding shopping centers. Discussions with police officers determined riders invariably started their trip in San Francisco, but do not have the means to return, said City Manager Tom Williams.

Williams added the issue is especially pronounced amid the pandemic, when homelessness is a growing problem and trains are not running late into the night due to BART service reductions.

Millbrae also does not have the support services or resources to accommodate the needs of riders, who often do not accept offers for assistance. Stuck without a viable solutions, Millbrae officials turned to transportation colleagues for support, said Williams.

Initial efforts to collaborate with officials from BART or San Francisco yielded limited progress, until state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, and Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, intervened to help unify the sides, said Williams.

Following a discussion earlier this month, BART agreed to announce the final San Francisco stop on trains headed south, with hopes of alerting riders that staying onboard could lead them to an undesired destination.

Councilwoman Gina Papan said the initial effort has not been successful.

“That is not helping at this point,” said Papan.

For her part, Papan shared hope that the transportation agency would step up with a better plan that could involve more than just pushing riders from the train into the night.

“They need to be more responsive,” she said. “We are looking for solutions.”

Vice Mayor Ann Schneider also said a resolution will only be identified through collaboration and partnership.

“It’s bigger than the city of Millbrae,” she said.

BART did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Williams framed the issue as a matter of equity, claiming transportation officials dedicate countless hours to building complex plans designed to help workers seamlessly navigate long commutes. But when the riders are homeless, the efforts are limited.

“I think people that are homeless, or in and out of shelters, deserve the same thing. How do we get them to their desired destination, instead of just kicking them off the train? That is one of the things we’d like the transit agencies to plan for,” he said.

For his part, Holober expressed confidence all sides would keep working together with hopes of eventually meeting the interests of all parties.

“We will continue to work with them … to come up with a more complete solution,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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