San Mateo County Transportation Authority, BART leaders discuss rail agency’s future: Leaders flag concern over long-term consequences of potential tax measure

While many San Mateo County leaders support the measure, others, such as supervisors Ray Mueller and Jackie Speier, have been skeptical, frequently citing the agency’s lack of financial prudence and accountability.

During a San Mateo County Transportation Authority meeting May 7, BART Deputy General Manager Michael Jones presented strides the agency has made systemwide and specifically within the county. He noted that overall crime on the BART system has dropped by 41% in 2025 compared to the previous year, customer satisfaction has climbed to nearly 90%, the highest in a decade, and new fare gates have generated about $10 million in additional annual revenue.

“Riding BART today is a different experience than it was just even a year ago,” Jones said during the meeting. “We are safer, cleaner and easier to use than ever before.”

However, like Caltrain, BART’s ridership and fare recovery costs have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, which agency leadership said is the main reason for the dire financial predicament. Recently, Caltrain leadership stated it would have to severely reduce service and possibly eliminate passenger service altogether within just a couple years if a massive injection of funds doesn’t come to fruition soon. Similarly, Jones said BART would have to cut service by 63% beginning in January, close stations and potentially suspend passenger service altogether.

County leaders have pointed out that if the measure passes, rail agencies like BART could become reliant on these types of sales tax solutions, rather than making the necessary decisions to achieve long-term financial sustainability in 14 years time.

“It behooves all of us to look at additional revenue sources. Are there ways to help sustain BART operations in the future because we don’t want to come back in 10 years or 12 years … and to make sure that this does not become a perpetual taxpayer-supported transit system,” Board Member Anders Fung, also a Millbrae councilmember, said during the meeting.

Board Member Julia Mates, also the Belmont mayor, said she remains concerned that there aren’t well-articulated plans on how the agency will achieve a significantly better financial position over the next one to two decades.

“If, when BART is back at the drawing board and there is not a way you can tell voters, ‘we will be self sustaining in 14 years,’ then I think we just have to say that we are headed toward a tax-supported transit and that way we’re being honest,” Mates said.

Jones reiterated that the agency plans to recover from pandemic-induced financial hits and become more self-sustaining, adding that it will also be subject to accountability audits and reviews if the measure passes.

The board discussion also highlighted an at-times contentious relationship between San Mateo County and BART, with county leaders often criticizing the lack of BART investment in Peninsula stations and its overall financial leadership and decision making which has led it to its widening shortfalls. The financial predicament isn’t unique to BART, as Caltrain, Muni, AC Transit and other agencies throughout the region are also set to receive significant amounts of funding to close their deficits if the measure passes