This article is reprinted from the Speak Out Now newsletter at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in California.
The Covid pandemic has exposed a key problem in BART’s funding model – relying on fares for a large part of operating expenses. San Francisco is now one of the leading urban centers of office vacancies in the country, as tech companies have laid off thousands of people, and also have people working from home.
Where does that leave Bay Area public transit systems? Underfunded – because they depend on fares. No money? Depends on how you look at it. The number of corporations that launched their operations have made billions.
Time for them to pay up.