State lawmakers announced the creation this week of a select committee in the state Senate that will focus on how to assist Bay Area public transit agencies that are still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, will chair the Senate Select Committee on Bay Area Public Transit. The committee will also include state Sens. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley; Steve Glazer, D-Orinda; Bill Dodd, D-Napa; Aisha Wahab, D-Fremont; and Mike Maguire, D-San Rafael.
Many Bay Area public transit agencies are still struggling to rebound to pre-pandemic ridership levels as some industries have permanently moved to working remotely.
BART ridership routinely sits between 50 and 70 percent of its expected ridership on weekends, but weekday ridership has hit a ceiling of roughly 30 to 40 percent of expected ridership.
Transit officials have argued the long-term lack of ridership will require either public subsidization of public transit agencies or deep and wide-ranging cuts to service.
“The Bay Area relies on public transportation, and we are in a critical moment to decide its future,” Wiener said in a statement. “The select committee will help by calling leaders and advocates to testify on how our transit system can recover from the pandemic, adapt to increased levels of remote work, improve the experience for riders, transition to clean energy, increase system integration and improve project delivery.”
Oh, I know! I know! Reduce bloated salaries. Until then, none of us should fund these grifters.
NAILED IT
BART needs to hear from those that have stopped riding the system. I know they were doing interviews of those that do ride. But that does not take into account the thousands that have stopped riding because they’re tired of the bums, druggies, troublemakers and the fairgate jumpers.( probably most of the aforementioned)
Riding Bart is not a pleasant experience anymore, but rather a scary and disturbing one.
I only ride it when absolutely necessary now. So maybe one day a week versus five.
Maybe Bart would not have economic troubles if they made sure that everyone pays and if they made it more pleasant experience for the rest of us to ride. Frankly it would be a good start to boot off all the scum that just seems to ride around the train all day long.
Remember when Steve Glazer rode the wave of anti-BART feelings after the strike and got elected by promising to have them stop ripping off the riders with fare increases and greedy unions? And now he’s figuring out how to shovel money at them. He is the perfect California politician.
Typical politician
“Transit officials have argued the long-term lack of ridership will require either public subsidization of public transit agencies or deep and wide-ranging cuts to service.”
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Ah yes, the great transit circle of . . . . . .
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Ridership declines, baffled, times between service are increased, fares are raised in an attempt to make up for revenue loss, still baffled times between service are increased, fares are raised . . . . . you should get it by now.
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BUT this time,
a select committee in the state Senate will straighten it all out and make it all better.
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Hey, there’s this bridge they’re not using . . . and it’s for sale . . . . no really, it’s cheap . . . .
I hate to think of the kind of creep stuff wiener will want to incorporate. The fact he is chair is a bad start to this committee. Funny how the initial strategy is how to throw (our) money at this.
It’ll be dark whatever it is. I maintain public transportation is no place for pillories and spanking benches.
It’s the California democrat government doing what they do best: bleed and tax honest responsible working class citizens.
A select committee? That in itself will be a joke.
First thing on their agenda should be how to make a budget, Second thing would be how to stay within the budget. Third thing would be a complete audit of every penny spent. Then maybe, just maybe, some of the riders would return – provided the fares aren’t increased automatically.
Here a hint clean it up, people will ride it more. The smell of urine and the pan handling isn’t a selling point.
California democratic politicians care about three things only. Votes, Money and Power. That is, it. Not the people, not the children, not the poor. Thats why they never solve any of the problems we the people are facing every day. It wouldn’t help their three personal goals.
No way! Live within your means like we have to…. cut the inflated salaries and bonuses… get BART out of caring for the homeless business and make them do the business they’re supposed to do – deliver transportation reliably on time and with adequate capacity for all without having “sardine cars”
If BART was run as a private business they would be cutting cost instead of asking for a tax payer go fund me. Time to make reduced train schedules and reduce staffing starting at the top. Sell off unused property and sell advertising space on their trains and stations.
SF has turned into a scene from Escape from New York. Address the real problems, and all the other problems will magically heal themselves.
End the subsidies and start providing service on fares alone.
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When the BART Board proposes programs to pay the homeless $20.00 an hour to ride the trains as BART Ambassadors they’ve proven they aren’t worthy of more tax payer funding.
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The first requirement for BART to receive anymore tax payer dollars is to BAN BART from any forays into any social programs.
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Central and Eastern Contra Costa County was better served by the Sacramento Northern Railroad and the Oakland, Antioch, and Eastern Railroad that served the area with passenger service and many more stops on most of the same right-of-way that BART runs on today.