Regarding “San Mateo split on supporting regional transit measure” on Tuesday, May 27: There is no doubt about it that mass transit systems like BART are critical to our quality of life in the Bay Area. But we need responsible and well-managed transportation systems and as San Mateo County Supervisor and Transit Authority member Jackie Speier said, “BART has not proven responsible enough for such high levels of funding.” For decades, BART disregarded fare jumpers at its gates, and after lots of negative press admitted it was losing approximately $30 million a year to fare evaders. A subsequent and independent study reported that number to be closer to $60 million. And then BART got religion and reported it was going to harden the toll gates and also acknowledging that a high number of those fare evaders were the ones committing crimes on BART.
Thank you Supervisor Speier for your leadership and looking out for us, we the people who pay the bills.
Thanks for your letter, Mr. Altscher, providing more reasons to vote NO on any proposed measures to provide more hard-earned-money from our wallets into BART. Not only has BART ignored fare jumpers for decades but BART is also not willing to talk about or impose any form of fiscal management to control their finances. Until they do so, continue voting NO to provide any funds to BART or any other mass transit systems. If folks have voter remorse, just wait – as another measure will pop up, year after year after year.
Every single public transit agency seems to be in the business of buying more real estate. BART has a new HQ and another one for BART police. SamTrans, Caltrain, VTA got into the HQ business too. They are all increasing their administrative footprint while trying to skim on service and reliability.
But people at MTC (Canepa, Papan), SMCTA and SamTrans (Canepa, Medina, Gee) make sure additional tax income for public transit will be rerouted again to car centric projects.
As long as voters are easy prey, they will be asking for more money and we will get more highway widening, more noise, more air pollution, more GHG, more health issues.
San Mateo Democrats aren't as "sustainable" as they claim to be ... if they were, we would be seeing bike lanes around our schools.
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(2) comments
Thanks for your letter, Mr. Altscher, providing more reasons to vote NO on any proposed measures to provide more hard-earned-money from our wallets into BART. Not only has BART ignored fare jumpers for decades but BART is also not willing to talk about or impose any form of fiscal management to control their finances. Until they do so, continue voting NO to provide any funds to BART or any other mass transit systems. If folks have voter remorse, just wait – as another measure will pop up, year after year after year.
Every single public transit agency seems to be in the business of buying more real estate. BART has a new HQ and another one for BART police. SamTrans, Caltrain, VTA got into the HQ business too. They are all increasing their administrative footprint while trying to skim on service and reliability.
But people at MTC (Canepa, Papan), SMCTA and SamTrans (Canepa, Medina, Gee) make sure additional tax income for public transit will be rerouted again to car centric projects.
As long as voters are easy prey, they will be asking for more money and we will get more highway widening, more noise, more air pollution, more GHG, more health issues.
San Mateo Democrats aren't as "sustainable" as they claim to be ... if they were, we would be seeing bike lanes around our schools.
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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.