Despite receiving one of the highest honors in public finance, BART is warning riders that major service cuts, station closures and fare increases could be on the horizon if new funding isn’t secured.
The Bay Area transit agency has been awarded the Triple Crown Award by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), recognizing excellence in budgeting, financial reporting and financial planning. Only 441 government agencies across the United States and Canada earned the distinction for the fiscal year ending in 2024.
The award recognizes organizations that meet rigorous standards in three key areas: the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the Popular Annual Financial Report and the Annual Budget. It places BART among a small percentage of public agencies recognized for outstanding financial transparency, accountability and stewardship.
“This recognition reflects BART’s ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability and responsible stewardship of public funds,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers. “As we face significantly challenging financial times for public transit, we remain focused on ensuring taxpayers, riders and stakeholders have confidence in how we manage every dollar entrusted to us.”
The recognition comes as BART continues implementing cost-saving measures while confronting a projected $367 million budget deficit next fiscal year. Earlier this month, the BART Board adopted a balanced FY27 budget and approved several strategies to increase revenue and reduce costs, based on recommendations from an independent financial efficiency review commissioned by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
Those measures include improving fare compliance through BART’s new fare gates, increasing parking revenue, leasing communications assets, expanding the Clipper BayPass program, operating shorter trains during lower-demand periods, improving service reliability through schedule changes, identifying contract savings and exploring additional retail partnerships.
An independent review found BART reduced operating costs by more than $516 million between 2019 and 2025 through service reductions, workforce controls and operational efficiencies. In addition, the Federal Transit Administration recently found BART in compliance with all 23 federal standards reviewed during its FY2025 Triennial Review, including financial management, procurement and grant administration.
Even with those efforts, BART officials say the agency faces a structural funding gap of between $350 million and $400 million, driven largely by ridership that remains about 50% below pre-pandemic levels.
To prepare for the possibility that additional funding does not materialize, the BART Board has approved a contingency plan that would dramatically reduce service beginning in January 2027. Under the plan, trains would operate on just three main lines every 30 minutes, the system would close daily at 9 p.m., service hours would be reduced by 63%, and fares and parking fees would increase by 30%.
A second phase, which could take effect in July 2027, would bring even deeper cuts, including the possible closure of up to 15 stations, a 70% reduction in service hours and fare increases of up to 50%.
BART has not identified which stations could close. Officials say the contingency plan would only be implemented if the agency fails to secure new revenue, including a proposed regional sales tax measure expected to appear before voters.
Ridership has continued to recover gradually, with January passenger exits increasing 10.7% compared to the same month a year earlier. BART officials say that while national recognition validates the agency’s financial management, long-term funding remains critical to maintaining service for Bay Area riders.
Thank you BART for the joke of the day. Got any other funnies for us? 😎
Can they glaze themselves anymore!?!
We have checks, therefor we have money . . . . . . “Oh, that’s not true” ? ? ?
.
What is different between bart and PRIVATELY owned rail transit
systems that operate at a profit and run on time ? ? ?
Using scare tactics because they don’t want to cut the fat. Vote for no more money.
Bart is ripping us off. Always has, always will. Carpool.
I refuse o ride.
I’m repeating myself, but there are critical questions that I need answered before considering a ‘yes’ vote. What plans do the BART labor unions have should this ballot measure pass? Will the unions threaten and/or commence with a strike? Will the BART board cave in to the union demands, as is their history? When do the union contracts expire?
Observer,
.
The bigger problem is that we’re only hearing about BART and not all of the other transit agencies that’ll be funded should this sales tax measure be passed by voters. BART will only be receiving about 30% of the funding that this annual $1 billion in revenue sales tax is suppose to generate, the bigger question is how will other transit agencies be spending the other $700 million in annual revenue?
That’s so ridiculous I won’t even go point for point with it… obviously somebody is getting some kind of payoff with axx kizzing like that. Great at budgeting? – you mean experts at using the public as your ATM machine and fear mongering….
A meaningless award for BART from the Government Finance Officers Association, a meaningless professional organization. This is nothing but more propaganda being used to convince the public to vote for the public transportation agencies sales tax increase bailout on the November ballot, of which BART will receive approximately 30% of the revenue raised. VOTE NO!!!
WOW! what a bunch of Horse sh#!t, chapter two “Begging for money”
When is BART going to go to all of their labor unions and do concessions on their benefits? Why aren’t they doing one day a month furloughs for those not represented by a Union? Have them stopped future salary increases and COLA’s? Why do BART police make what municipal cops make when they don’t have the same job responsibilities? They should be making less than municipal cops.
They need to start cutting back internally before they start threatening cuts to people using the service who have paid for it.
radar,
.
The BART Board won’t go to the unions and ask for concessions.
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The BART Board uses the excuse that they have to pay BART Police the same as city police in order to retain and recruit police because they have to remain “competitive” with other police agencies.
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BART won’t make meaningful cutbacks unless they’re forced to do so. They find it easier to use the same tactics as government always does, threats of doom, gloom, and catastrophic cutbacks and a majority of voters will fall for it, as they always do.
Close the North Concord Bart Station. The parking lot is always empty.
FPN,
.
There’s really no point in closing the North Concord/Martinez Station unless all east county stations are closed. It’d make more sense to keep the North Concord/Martinez Station open and close all east county stations, so that east county commuters will once again drive to the North Concord/Martinez Station.
“…$367 million budget deficit…”
And you get an award?
Only in government is that kind of nonsense celebrated.
I’d call that a failure.
In the real world you’d be finished.
It’s been reported that in 2024 BART spent $80 million on overtime costs. This enabled some of their employees to *double* their salaries through overtime. Does that qualify as great budgeting?