Let Friday’s BART meltdown be a warning of transit — and traffic — nightmares to come.
Lawmakers received word Saturday from the state Department of Finance that it would not be finalizing the $750 million bridge loan that many hoped would prop up cash-strapped Bay Area transit agencies.
The loan had been part of the June budget and would have been paid back over time by BART, Muni, CalTrain, AC Transit, and other regional agencies. Now they’re looking at deep service cuts until 2027, when other funding would kick in if voters approve a new tax measure.
“California has a long and bad history of not adequately funding public transportation, particularly compared to other large blue states,” State Sens. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Jesse Arreguín (D-Oakland) said in a statement (opens in new tab). “This failure by the Department of Finance is unacceptable. Public transportation is the lifeblood of the Bay Area.”
In an X post, Wiener called the decision “beyond disappointing.”
Muni is in the red by $320 million, a gap expected to grow to $434 million by 2030. BART faces a deficit that could reach $400 million by 2027 (opens in new tab).
Without the state funding, transit advocates and officials have estimated BART cuts of anywhere from 40% (opens in new tab) to 80% of service.