BART Adopts FY2027 Budget 8-1 as Record Ridership Meets Looming Fiscal Cliff

BART's board approved a budget that keeps full service running and fares flat — but the 8-1 vote exposed a fault line over whether the agency is doing enough to close a structural deficit that hinges on a November ballot measure no one can guarantee will pass. The same meeting delivered a unanimous stamp on eight state-mandated efficiency strategies, a $285 million bridge loan, and a Transbay Tube investigation that found no smoking gun — just a complex, aging system that produced its best reliability month on record after millions in emergency upgrades.

• FY2027 budget passes 8-1, with Director Liz Ames casting the lone no vote over $14 billion in unfunded capital needs and $80M+ in overtime spending
• Board unanimously adopts all eight SB63 efficiency strategies required to unlock a regional revenue ballot measure, including a new station retail study
• $285 million MTC bridge loan approved 9-0, giving BART operating cash through FY2027 backed by state transit assistance
• No single root cause found for Transbay Tube disruptions, but three new substations and modern relays produced the lowest train delay month ever recorded
• Community members clash over BART PD hiring of Deputy Chief Antoinette Turner, with advocates demanding termination and supporters urging due process
• Engineers and commenters warn VTA's Silicon Valley extension is collapsing, potentially saddling BART with $500M/year in unfunded costs