Ridership on Bay Area Rapid Transit continued to rebound during the first three months of 2026, as the transit agency reported major improvements in on-time performance, cleanliness and safety across the system.
According to BART’s latest quarterly performance report, the agency achieved a 94.4% passenger on-time performance rate during the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2026 – the highest quarterly mark since early 2014. March 2026 also recorded the highest monthly passenger on-time performance since August 2013.
BART officials said ridership increased 15% year-over-year to 14.6 million trips during the quarter, while customer satisfaction climbed to 90%, up from 70% during the same period in 2023. Customer complaints also dropped nearly 26% from the previous quarter.
The agency credited the improvements to investments in newer train cars, upgraded fare gates, increased police presence and infrastructure improvements aimed at reducing delays. Crime on the system fell 42% compared to the previous year, including major declines in electronic robberies, thefts and auto burglaries.
Despite the gains, BART continues to face significant financial challenges. Officials said the agency still faces a projected budget deficit of between $350 million and $400 million due to long-term changes in commuting patterns and remote work.
Pretty easy to be on time if the trains are mostly empty. 94% of what number? This 1960s pie-in-the sky is a sad joke. And the idea that they had to have custom made trains was also a bungle. Anyone knows what other metropolitan area have better transit and why?
Self reported numbers again? yeah…… let me see an independent 3rd party auditors results paid for somebody other than the state
To add some context:
Top earners in 2024 Transparent California+1:
Other high earners in 2024 Transparent California:
Notable past top payers OpenPayrolls:
I have friends who have painted, did electrical work and other various trades for BART. BART is a gravy train of fraud and nothing more, call out sick on scheduled shifts during the week receive full pay work that other job and then lap up that time and a half on the weekends. Ridership is not up and the crime is rampant. I have had to ride BART several times in the last half decade and the trains are empty. It cost an enormous amount of money to maintain and operate BART. It either needs to be privatized or disband all together.
Why would anyone in the police department at BART need that much OT when you never see any of them on the train? Anytime BART thinks I am going to vote yes on a tax to support them, it will be a hell no!
Why should upper management care, it’s not like OT pay is coming out of their pockets.
Next contract bart needs to hire EXPERT LABOR NEGOTIATORS and if there is a
strike let it run however it takes to get wages back under control.
The riders are the ones that suffer and are the ones asked to subsidize this trainwreck so I don’t care what upper mgmt thinks or is concerned about. The statement was regarding the absolute corruption from the top down.
More propaganda from BART being used to influence the outcome of the proposed sales tax Measure that’ll appear on the ballot in November.