The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved guaranteeing over $10 million for the Bay Area Rapid Transit to install 82 fare gates at its five stations located in the county, a last-minute contribution to cover the potential for funding gaps.
At a special meeting March 28, the board discussed its responsibility in putting forth $10,321,678 to install the fare gates at the stations in Daly City, Millbrae, San Bruno, South San Francisco and in unincorporated Colma.
BART is looking to pay for the cost through a grant from the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, but will not know if funds will be awarded until late summer, and must give notice to its contractor for the cheapest possible price by March 31.
The proposed upgrade is part of a major systemwide replacement of existing and aging fare gates totaling $90 million. The new gates are not only an effort to “improve safety and security for riders” but to also provide a financial boost to the system, County Executive Mike Callagy said. In areas that the improved fare gates have been implemented, there has been a 15% increase in fare revenue, he said.
Such improvements will work to restore ridership to pre-pandemic levels, reduce greenhouse gas emission and restore faith in public transportation, David Canpea, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, said. He added that this collaboration with BART will work to “improve relations between the cities and BART.”
“Transportation has really been struggling to survive and your actions today is helping in the survival of transportation,” Gina Papan, member of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, said at the meeting. “You had no obligation to do this, but stepping up to do this shows leadership and concern for the public safety of all riders on BART.”
Supervisor Noelia Corzo noted that two-thirds of ridership of transit in this county uses BART.
If BART does not receive the Measure W Regional Transit Connection Program grant, the cities would ultimately repay the county for the installation of gates at their respective jurisdictions. This agreement would be made by the county and the cities in coming weeks, Callagy said. If the cities do not agree to such financial responsibility, which would be paid back over an agreed timeframe, BART may not move forward with implementing the improved gates at the respective stations.
The cost breaks down to approximately $125,874 per fare gate, 15 at Colma, 13 at Daly City, 29 at Millbrae, 13 at San Bruno, and 12 at South City.
In return for this quasi-loan from the county, BART said it would maintain the upgraded security gates, coordinate to increase fare enforcement and provide police presence at the five stations, improve maintenance at stations, and support retail operations nearby.
Supervisor Ray Mueller questioned why it would take $10 million to get BART to maintain their facilities.
“I don’t believe them to be concessions, I believe them to be obligations that BART should already be meeting,” Mueller said.
Still, the board passed the resolution unanimously, guaranteeing the funds for BART to move forward with the project. Construction for the gates is slated to begin in June.
(65) 344-5200 ext. 106
Daily Journal staff
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(1) comment
“Transportation has really been struggling to survive and your actions today is helping in the survival of transportation,” Gina Papan, member of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC).
That is rich coming from Gina Papan. In all her other jobs Gina Papan has been sabotaging public transportation and now pretends to be a defender?
Sen Dave Cortese is considering a bill asking to put the MTC under audit. Apparently under the watchful eye of lawyer Gina Papan the MTC was creating a slush fund as a way to re-route funds that should have gone to Public and Active Transportation projects and planning to use them on more car-centric infrastructure and bond shenanigans. Papan stayed very quite. But she was very instrumental in getting the 101 highway expansion underway and helped finding money to pay for it, while taking down at least two ped/bike crossings over 101 in the process.
In summary her actions are of course an outright attack on ridership of BART, Caltrain, SamTrans.
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