Recently, this newsroom covered a push for funding for the long-awaited Irvington BART Station. On Feb. 12, the BART board of directors met to discuss a drastic scaling back of BART’s current functionality, starting with a 63% reduction of service in January 2027. BART may vote on the proposed reduction plans as soon as Feb. 26.
The room buzzed with an energy between anxiety and despair as directors advocated for stations in their districts. But the reality is the math ain’t mathing for BART to continue meaningful service with its current revenues. Shutting down all stations and retiring the cars is a real possibility within the next few years.
BART has always felt like an integral part of the Bay Area. I remember being a kid, going under the Bay on rides into San Francisco. I remember when half of Lake Elizabeth was drained to allow BART to progress past what had always been the end of the line, into Warm Springs—and then into Milpitas and Berryessa. When I had an internship at Berkeley, I took the train every day.
But as much as I pay lip service to the value of public transportation, I haven’t been on BART in years. Without my car, my commute would take hours. And forget about running errands on the way.
Unlike VTA, which gained the majority of its budget from taxes and grants in 2025, BART is supposed to be self supporting. Riders pay fares for a service that helps them in their daily lives, and their participation keeps that service thriving. Now BART is locked in a downward spiral: Funding comes from ridership, so they can’t cut back services to save money without also further reducing cash flow.
One bright spot in the bleak updates, particularly in the context of BART’s fare-reliant structure, was the effectiveness of new fare gates installed at all 50 stations. As a surprising bonus, the gates led to a 961-hour reduction in corrective maintenance in the paid areas over six months. Entrance canopies in San Francisco also protect new escalators and improve security by allowing stations to be locked after hours.
Director Mark Foley noted at the meeting, “This is the good news that the Bay Area needs to hear, but it’s not what’s going to be on the 6 o’clock news tonight.”
Seeing the difference it makes to require people to pay for their rides and respect the stations makes me wonder if public transit is failing us, or if we failed BART by taking it for granted.
Maybe in five years, we’ll be looking at grass growing on the skeletons of BART tracks, which weave around Bay Area cities like a dead Midgard Serpent. I hope not. As much as I like my car, I want people to have options for clean, safe and reliable trains.
