BART’s Wednesday ridership was down 35 percent compared to an average Wednesday last month, the transit agency announced Thursday.
BART ridership on Wednesday was 268,192. On Tuesday, ridership also fell 30 percent compared to an average Tuesday in February from 415,760 to 292,011. The agency has announced that it will install hand sanitizer dispensers at all of its stations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“The governor’s call to cancel gatherings of 250 people or more includes an exemption for transit as it is an essential service,” the agency said in a statement.
In the coming days and weeks, BART officials plan to seek local, state and federal funding assistance to shore up the losses in fare revenue.
In the coming days and weeks, BART officials plan to seek local, state and federal funding assistance to shore up the losses in fare revenue.
Want your 35% back? Crack down on fare evasion.
Is it 35% decrease in total ridership or paid ridership?
Was that ridership loss paid ticket holders or everybody?
It’s crazy how ignoring rider safety and cleanliness can come back and bite ya in the arse, isn’t it?
One good thing can come of this budlight virus, sink Bart and burn baby burn! All of the guaranteed money they count on and piss away may finally be a wake up call to the board to make it right, I hope…
I hope, too . . .
Problem is new boards come a long and destroy BART all the time and the frontline employees get blamed for all their bad decisions. Things like making their police department do nothing about crime and telling all employees like Agents if they stop fare evaders they can be disciplined. Of course what the passengers see is the Agent ignoring it, It’s a crappy place to work, my nephew works there it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. The crazy part is people vote for the same directors every time even when BART is a mess.
I haven’t seen any stories about Bart making any effort to clean or disinfect the trains everyday. However they will make an effort to get more money from the government.
Does this mean all businesses and regular citizens may apply for assistance now for any losses occurred during this time? Didn’t think so, so why can Bart
Definitely the Bart thing to do. Complain about money they are no longer getting when they already do the least amount possible for their inflated salaries. I’m sure they will get 1% ridership back after they install those hand sanitizer stations. Bart trains, stations and bathrooms are all filthy.
Given the remarkable level of tolerance BART has for vagrants and fare evaders, it’s no wonder ridership by more hygienic riders is off so much. Today BART has become little more than a rolling Petri dish, as has been well documented long before the COVID-19 pandemic. My travels to Asian cities invoke shame and embarrassment in me about my native San Francisco. Public transit in Singapore is spotless and safe. BART once was, too, and invoked pride and and optimism about the future.
Where would you feel safer riding today? A subway in Wuhan or BART?
We reap what we sow.
I’ve heard that in Singapore one can be arrested for spitting on the sidewalk. Remember the incident where 2 Americans were caned for spraying graffiti?
Different culture.
I am in total agreement with my fellow citizenry about how BART sucks. They have let the filth, criminals and lawsuits continue to build up, do nothing but look the other way with regard to fare evaders, have men and women be victims to crimes daily and not allow LE to crack down. All the while the directors and over inflated union employees retain their salary at the cost of us tax payers.
NOTE: Those of us that are continually being silenced by the entitlement crowd are sick to death of these shams. Tighten your budgets like we must do to survive and support the constant money grab you demand from us. Ridership is down because BART is a disgrace.
All the loser politicians, directors, governor and such need to be recalled and folks that really want to make California a law abiding-non illegal state need to run for office. But then again, with the media ignoring what we have to say seems to be their game.
And do you know how those ~125,000 people that didn’t ride BART the other day got around instead? Their cars. Traffic has been off the charts recently and it will only get worse as people flee from crowded situations to the safety and solitude of their “shiny metal boxes” (Sorry, Sting).