Officials from BART and other transit agencies across the country called for more federal relief funding Wednesday as they face debilitating budget shortfalls due to the coronavirus pandemic.
BART General Manager Bob Powers and transit agency executives from New York, New Orleans, Denver, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and Cleveland outlined the multi-million budget shortfalls their agencies face in the
coming fiscal years, even after considering the $25 billion for transit agencies included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
BART is facing a deficit of roughly $30 million for the current fiscal year, which will end June 30, 2021. The following fiscal year, Powers said, the agency’s budget officials are projecting a deficit of more than
$200 million.
“We are proud to continue to offer service seven days a week, although our trains are less frequent than before the pandemic and although we have been forced to close the system earlier at night,” Powers said during the virtual news conference. “We cannot continue at this current pace without help.”
BART has already taken multiple cost-saving steps, implementing a hiring freeze through next year and offering incentivized early retirement packages to some 40 percent of its workforce.
The incentivized retirement program, which BART’s Board of Directors approved last month, is expected to save the agency $45 million during fiscal year 2022.
BART also approved new labor contracts last week with its three largest labor unions, tying potential wage growth in fiscal years 2023 and 2024 to how much average weekday ridership rebounds post-pandemic.
Those contracts will still not prevent the agency from laying off employees if need be, according to agency officials.
“The prospect of deeper cuts and gutting service is unconscionable,” Powers said. “We cannot turn our back on our essential workers. Scaled-down transit does not build resilient cities and will not help with economic recovery.”
Powers previously joined executives from 12 other transit agencies in July to call for more federal funding in addition to that in the CARES Act, which federal legislators passed in March.
At that time, transit officials were asking Congress to allocate at least $32 billion for their beleaguered agencies in the next pandemic relief bill.
The roughly $900 billion funding package currently being considered by federal legislators includes around $15 billion for transit agencies, according to New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye.
“That would be important funding and each of us wants that funding to pass if at all possible in the month of December,” Foye said. “But to be clear, each of the agencies … has dramatically higher needs for federal
funding in 2021 and ’22.”
Powers agreed that $32 billion is still the ballpark figure transit agency officials are asking for, but said that it also assumes widespread public availability of a vaccine in the next year will push ridership much closer to pre-pandemic levels.
“What we’re looking for and what we really need is something in this lame duck session right now to kind of bridge that gap,” he said.
30 comments
here we go
all the unions want fed money
and everyone else gets nothing
welcome to your socialist democrats government
First of all, rather than stop giving yourselves raises; slash your existing benefits and salaries. BART is a Tax Burden. The public needs tax relief.
No government worker should make more than twice the the the median public salary. Which is $200.000 at MOST. Government workers are paid an unfair exorbitant salary. Stop crushing the Populous with this draconian tax burden!!
Not to state the obvious…but how about BART lay some people off, or not give into Union demands so quick when they have zero to no revenue? My answer to the BART board would be you get paid nothing until you can show us a self sustaining path and see how quick they leave…hahaha
You know most companies are allowing their employees to work remotely after the BS pandemic is over. Is BART going to continue to ask for federal funding because ridership will be down forever? Looks like BART is going to have to cut their exorbitant salaries and cut positions. Hmmmmm, no, they’ll just charge more to the few that are still taking BART.
That’s rich, it was just a short time ago the head of BART told Trump to pound sand when he offered assistance…
I feel guilty with my giddiness about how BART is dying and then I remember the strike and how filthy it is, how they ignored rider safety for decades and how most of the Board of Directors (except Deborah Allen) are trying to run it like a giant social experiment and we’re really having a moment.
So they raise salaries for the next 3 years and then cry poor? They are getting funds from local and state taxes as well as funds from the Feds. The have automated fare increases and charge for what used to be free parking to encourage people to use their system. They mismanage nearly their entire operation and want additional money so they can keep on doing the same old, same old. Big, loud, NO, don’t give them anymore until they learn how to live within their existing funds.
Money down a rathole, as my grandmother used to say. What should happen is that the current BART structure should collapse and be replaced with something smaller, more efficient, better run, and profitable.
They should relief rats from duty, all of them.
You made your bed, now lie in it–
BART needs to do what Washington (DC) Transit did (note DC’s System in the same as BART), the seized the opportunity to reduce overhead, stream line operations, and operate at a lower break even point. Yes, there were layoffs, elimination of positions, and hard decisions. Unfortunately, BART does not have the courage, fortitude, or Political will to do anything but ask for more money to keep a dysfunctional transit authority in operation
WMATA has a farebox recovery ratio of 42%, so About 58% of the cost of running the system comes from taxes.
BART has a farebox recovery ratio of 70%, so about 30% of the cost of running the system comes from taxes.
using WMATA as an example of how BART should be run shows that you have no clue what you’re talking about.
But the trains must operate to fulfill the ‘great reset’…..hunger games dystopian future!
Everyone has had to cut back in order to make ends meet, BART is no different. Remember when BART went on strike and thought they had the public by the gonads??
Never say Never. You thought you all had the upper hand and now look at you.
BART has been in operation since 1972. If BART was part of a secret plot to create a “great reset” (which nobody seems able to define), it has been a slow burning conspiracy. It’s been 48 years. How long does a “great reset” take?
Natalie,
It went right over your head as most things do.
The “rulers” have public transit plans for the serfs, cars offer too much autonomy and they cannot have that.
Which is why Amtrak EMPTY trains have been operating (same schedule ) since March.
If you want to call ‘The Great Reset’ “conspiracy theory” then I have no more to say to you. You are not woke and not well researched.
Without getting into the weeds about janitors making $275K/yr or not allowing video footage from TAXPAYER-FUNDED cameras of FELONIES due to concern over “racial insensitivity”.
Among many issues, their irresponsible and UNSUSTAINABLE pensions are THEE number one issue…ALL pensions for public employees should be ended and converted to a 403b. Got no problem with a fair or even “generous” employer (taxpayer) match, WHILE they are employed. But after retirement, just like everyone in the real world they are ON THEIR OWN to manage THEIR financial affairs, no more of the taxpayers being the safety net. Do that and THEN we can talk. Until then, kindly FO.
Great idea.
Bart parking lot ( N. Concord ) on Port Chicago is empty. No more than maybe a dozen cars every day. It is a ghost town.
Same for Lafayette bart. Pretty much just vacant parking lots.
Did they consider layoffs when ridership was 10%??
No, and labor costs were even higher than the pre-pandemic budget.
Before government agencies and special district receive one cent of Federal funds, they should lay off all non-essential employees, reduce hours of the remaining employees to what is actually required, and reduce salaries and benefits to a level which is sustainable long-term.
Frankly, when I look at my property tax “invoice” and see all of the lines which show my money lining BART’s pockets, I get a little hot under the collar and want to grab one of those Mitchoff hammers and apply it.
well unfortunately bart and other unions pay off democrat politicians of this state …errrr contribute i mean
so the people are forced to pay while unions and politicians party in their mansions
again i ask the demorat voting public
how is voting demorat helping you or us
please we all want to be informed of how your voting is best
because it appears that is is not ….
or are you just a follower or programmed at college
inform us ..school us …..talk down to us what ever
we just want to know why you detest freedom and support unions with bloated taxes
help us to understand …..
.
NO BAILOUTS.
.
Time to go back to the unions, accept pay and benefits cuts or get ready for layoffs. What are they going to do strike? Telecommuting means the employee unions will never be able to hold the public hostage again. Of course the union will try to get allies on the board.
Shut BART down, too much crime and too dirty. More workers could work remote.
108RS
First some concessions by BART, then it’s a big NO!!!
Lol high speed rail
Yeah that has been canceled because they found out after the idiots voted for it that it is not feasible as it would cost over 3 times the amount they bonded for and take over 15 years depending on future cal scam contracts
So In other words
We still have to pay off the 20 billion dollar loan
But we see none of the money
It has no ties and is being split up amung the politicians who lied to you and made you vote for it
I have to laugh because it is so hard to imagine how ignorant and manipulated the dem voters are
I mean are you being paid to screw us over or what
https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/docs/BART%20FY19%20Audited%20Financial%20Reports.pdf
Read all about it…start with the first paragraph of Page 5. Millions and millions of dollars in salaries and benefits. And now they want taxpayers from Oklahoma and Idaho to pay for this bulls**t. They ain’t payin’ and neither am I.
BART needs to reduce its workforce to match the downturn in ridership just like any business has to do when business drops.
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