BART Ridership Surges Past Budget as Board Backs Transit Tax Ballot Measure

The BART Board of Directors met June 25 with a string of good news — record ridership, smooth FIFA World Cup operations, and a prestigious finance award — but a sobering sustainability report cast a shadow, revealing the agency's greenhouse gas emissions spiked 54% after it chose cheaper, dirtier electricity to save money.

• Ridership running 15% above budget in June, with midweek averages topping 220,000 riders and back-to-back post-pandemic records
• Board votes 7-0 to back SB 830, reshaping how the regional transit sales tax measure appears on November ballots
• Greenhouse gas emissions jump 54% after BART suspends $3.3M in annual sustainability spending and buys the cheapest available power
• Three members appointed to Transit Security Advisory Committee after chronic vacancies threatened the panel's ability to function
• BART handles record FIFA World Cup crowds, serving 39,000 transit passengers on a single match night with extended late-night service

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Ridership Boom Hits New Highs, but Red Line Crowding Emerges

Why it matters: BART's ridership recovery is outpacing its own projections — a crucial signal heading into a November ballot fight over a five-county transit sales tax.

Where things stand: General Manager Bob Powers told the board that June ridership is running well ahead of projections, with the strongest sustained numbers since the pandemic began.

"Ridership continues to exceed our expectations. June to date, we're about 15% above budget. Midweek ridership, our Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, we've been averaging above 220,000 for the month," said General Manager Bob Powers.

Tuesday and Wednesday of the week before the meeting were the second and third highest ridership days since the pandemic. The Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday average has consistently exceeded 220,000 riders — a threshold previously reached only three times.

The other side: The surge is creating pressure points. Director Janice Li flagged growing crowding on the system's busiest corridor.

"We're starting to see some of our trains during certain times, particularly the Red Line during commute hours, getting pretty packed, especially where we have shorter trains," said Director Li.

Powers said operations staff are reviewing ridership heat maps and that the agency has the fleet to respond. "We have plenty of rolling stock out there, and for us to flex from a 6 to an 8 or an 8 to a 9 or a 9 to 10, it's not that challenging," he said. He committed to sending the board a memo on capacity adjustments.

What's next: The ridership numbers bolster BART's case for the regional transit revenue measure headed to voters in November. Whether the agency can translate ridership momentum into voter support — and match growing demand with longer trains — will be the test.

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Board Backs Ballot Positioning for Regional Transit Tax

Why it matters: SB 830 changes how Bay Area voters will encounter the five-county regional transit sales tax measure on November ballots — affecting visibility, voter guide arguments, and potentially the measure's chances of passage.

The basics: SB 830, authored by Senators Irigane and Weiner, amends election procedures for the regional transit revenue measure authorized by SB 63. It does not change the expenditure plan or accountability provisions.

Where things stand: Staff presented three key provisions: each county's elections officials would select voter guide arguments rather than a single lead county; the measure would be officially designated the "regional transit measure" and placed immediately after state propositions on the ballot; and an urgency clause would allow the bill to take effect as soon as the governor signs it.

"This bill is about the voter guide arguments, ballot positioning, and the urgency clause — it doesn't change the expenditure plan or accountability measures," said Director Robert Raburn, summarizing the scope before the vote.

Staff noted the bill is expected to clear both legislative houses before the summer recess.

Decisions: The board voted 7-0 to support SB 830. Director Victor Flores recused himself; Vice President Edward Wright was absent. Director Raburn thanked Senators Irigane and Weiner and the Bay Area delegation for their support.

What's next: The bill is expected to move through the legislature before the summer recess. If signed, it will immediately reshape how the transit measure appears on November ballots across all five counties.

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GHG Emissions Spike 54% After BART Buys Cheaper, Dirtier Power

Why it matters: BART's decade of climate progress hit a sharp reversal in 2025, raising uncomfortable questions about whether budget austerity is undermining the agency's environmental commitments just as it prepares to ask voters for new revenue.

The basics: Principal Energy Analyst Lauren Reiser presented the final report under BART's 2015–2025 Sustainability Action Plan. Over the decade, BART cut greenhouse gas emissions 68%, primarily by procuring GHG-free electricity, and expanded the system with five new stations while keeping total energy consumption flat.

Where things stand: The 2025 numbers told a different story. For portions of its electricity needs not covered by long-term renewable contracts, BART chose the cheapest available power rather than purchasing renewable or GHG-free supply products.

"In 2025, for the portions of our electricity needs not covered by our long-term contracts — that gap between our renewable and GHG-free contracts and our total electricity need — rather than seek out specific energy supply products, we sought out the lowest cost electricity available to keep our costs as low as possible," said Principal Energy Analyst Lauren Reiser.

The result was a 54% year-over-year increase in GHG emissions. The decision stems from the board's suspension of $3.3 million in annual sustainability spending during fiscal years 2024 and 2025 to close budget gaps.

Bright spots remained: non-revenue vehicle energy use dropped 32% through fleet electrification — BART now operates more than 30 electric trucks and vans. Station waste audits established baselines with a 53% recycling capture rate. A new 2026–2035 plan targets a 5% energy reduction and 56% GHG reduction with 72 actions.

The other side: Board members did not mince words. Director Robert Raburn called the spike a warning sign.

"I too believe that the 54% increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which is mostly from electric traction power for our trains, it serves as a wake-up call because we have been greenhouse gas free in the past," said Director Raburn. He urged the board to end the sustainability spending suspension before FY28 budget discussions begin.

Director Rash Ghosh tied the issue to the November ballot measure: "I do hope that if the measure passes and we have a budget, I hope our budget will sustain electricity sources that are renewable or GHG free."

Public commenter Alita Dupree questioned why BART isn't buying 100% renewable electricity given declining costs, noting that Caltrain runs on 100% renewable power. She advocated for solar installations on BART parking lots and rooftops.

What's next: The sustainability report was informational — no vote was taken — but board members signaled clearly that restoring green energy purchases will be a priority in upcoming FY28 budget deliberations. Whether BART's fiscal constraints will allow it is another question.

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Board Fills Three Transit Security Committee Seats After Chronic Vacancies

Why it matters: The Transit Security Advisory Committee issues prohibition orders that bar repeat offenders from BART property — a direct safety tool for riders and frontline workers. Chronic vacancies have threatened the panel's ability to maintain quorum and do its job.

Where things stand: Staff from the District Secretary's office presented four applicants. Two appeared before the board: Ayaka Habu, a daily rider who commutes from 24th Street to West Oakland, and Kaboshi Mbokwa, a volunteer program manager at Glide who serves on a behavioral review committee. Omar Farmer, the current TSAC chair, applied for reappointment.

A fourth candidate, Siddhant Marar, was not present. Director Rash Ghosh initially proposed appointing all four, including Marar as an alternate, but Director Janice Li objected, noting Marar's application was lacking and the candidate was non-responsive. Ghosh withdrew the amendment.

Legal counsel confirmed the bylaws allow only four at-large members total, creating confusion about available slots. The board directed staff to review and revise the bylaws for clarity.

Director Raburn highlighted TSAC's real-world impact, citing an example where judges had directed parents to use BART parking lots for child custody exchanges — leading to altercations involving station agents and system service workers. "We would have judges suggest go just use a BART parking lot for that child custody exchange. And our system service workers and station agents often were involved in altercations that came out of those exchanges," he said. TSAC prohibition orders helped end the practice.

Decisions: The board voted 8-0 to appoint Farmer (effective July 1), Habu, and Mbokwa. Vice President Wright was absent. ATU president Chris Finn was noted in the audience.

What's next: TSAC will review and revise its bylaws to clarify seat composition and membership limits.

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BART Delivers on FIFA World Cup Crowds

BART's preparations for FIFA World Cup matches at Bay Area stadiums have already been tested — and the results are strong. General Manager Powers reported that a single match night drew 39,000 public transit passengers around midnight, and that he shifted a police MRT deployment from Tuesday evening to Wednesday evening to coincide with the U.S. team's July 1 match.

"We have our act together. We are wired tight. We're ready for tonight, 8 p.m. start," Powers said.

President Melissa Hernandez noted BART's extended hours and credited multi-agency coordination with AC Transit and other operators. Director Matthew Rinn highlighted that Capitol Corridor is running two extra trains on match nights. The event operations demonstrate the kind of cross-agency coordination that could shape service planning for future large-scale events.

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Violence Prevention Worker Fills Police Oversight Vacancy

Director Janice Li introduced her appointee to fill the long-vacant District 8 seat on the BART Police Civilian Review Board: Elijah Mercer, a program manager with Roadmap to Peace at Instituto Familiar de la Raza, where he works on community safety and violence prevention with youth and transitional-aged youth. Mercer also serves on the Juvenile Probation Commission and has a background in data and information sciences.

"He is a program manager with Roadmap to Peace. I work at a similar community safety collaborative in San Francisco called the Coalition for Community Safety and Justice," Director Li said, explaining the connection.

Public commenter Alita Dupree emphasized the importance of full staffing for the CRB to maintain quorum, noting the board has been understaffed for too long. The appointment was approved as part of the consent calendar (8-0, Wright absent).

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar approved 8-0 (Wright absent), covering approval of May 28 and June 11 meeting minutes, a Dell Technologies agreement for Microsoft Azure VMware disaster recovery service, Microsoft enterprise software licenses, an extension of Modern Railway Systems' proprietary software maintenance contract, a single-source contract with NSH USA Corporation for wheel truing machine equipment at Richmond, Daly City, and Hayward yards (requiring a two-thirds vote), and extension of the East Bay Paratransit Consortium coordinator agreement through Paratransit, Inc.
• BART received the Elite Triple Crown award from the Government Finance Officers Association, reported by Director Matthew Rinn from the June 18 Audit Committee meeting. The Office of Inspector General found six previously implemented recommendations are no longer fully in place; management provided a response memo.
• Station glow-up progress: Interim AGM Joyce Sharma reported deep cleaning at South San Francisco station is complete, contractors have moved to San Bruno station for overnight work, and LED lighting was completed at Millbrae station with three more stations upcoming.
• Federal funding presentations: Congressman Garamendi will present a $500,000 check at El Cerrito del Norte station on July 7 for LED lighting at three stations; Congressmember Latifah Simon will present approximately $850,000 at downtown Berkeley station on July 10 for LED lighting at nine stations.
• Closed session on King vs. BART litigation produced no reportable action.
• Meeting adjourned at 10:35 a.m.