Bay Area voters will see a half‑cent regressive sales tax on the November 2026 ballot. It is for BART and other assorted Bay Area transit agencies. But this isn’t as simple as “funding BART.” Everyone loves transportation, but BART faces many problems, including an unsustainable cost structure. Even if this tax increase passes, the proceeds primarily cover ongoing operating deficits and debt repayment. They do not fund substantial improvements that could permanently enhance rider safety, the rider experience, train noise, or station cleanliness, which could increase ridership. The ballot language literally commits to no specific tangible improvement for BART.
As taxpayers including the poorest, we’re being asked to pour money into a bathtub with the drain wide open.
How did we get here?
Many reasons. But most fundamentally, when BART ridership (currently less than 50% of pre-pandemic levels) cratered after the pandemic, operational costs rose 43% from fiscal year 2021 to 2024. In 2024, BART paid over 100 employees $285,000 or more.
Taxpayers must insist on improvements first: reform labor agreements; expand part-time operators; implement fully autonomous BART trains; contract out more transit service; cut administrative costs; and halt expensive planning of unnecessary projects like Link 21 and Valley Link. Vote NO.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.