The transit agency says it needs more state and federal support to meet its operating costs and avoid a growing budget gap.
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) riders in the San Francisco Bay will see a 5.5 percent increase in fares starting on January 1, reports Aidin Vaziri for The San Francisco Chronicle.
According to Vaziri, “BART officials say the increase is essential to support ongoing operations and to address a growing budget deficit, which is projected to reach $35 million by 2026 and balloon to $385 million by 2027.” The agency continues to rely on fares as an important source of revenue, but that model has become largely unsustainable.
Like other transit leaders around the country, BART officials are calling on state and federal governments to support public transit with more dedicated funding. “As part of its strategy to balance the budget, BART is also focusing on cost-saving measures, such as more efficient scheduling and reduced train sizes to lower operational expenses.”
Read the full story: BART announces another fare hike as agency struggles with budget woes
California Revives $750M Loan to Save Bay Area Transit
The state approved a $750 million loan as a stopgap measure to fund regional transit agencies until a 2026 ballot measure that could bring more permanent funding.
California Rejects Loan to Save Bay Area Transit
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
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How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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