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BART warns Emeryville-area riders of steep service cuts, fare increases if new funding falls short
Summary
At an Emeryville City Council meeting, BART Director Victor Flores outlined a $370 million operating shortfall looming in FY2027 and described two budget scenarios: a status-quo plan if a regional sales-tax measure passes, or an 'alternative service plan' with severe cuts, station closures and 30% fare and parking increases if it does not.
BART Director Victor Flores told the Emeryville City Council that the transit agency faces a structural operating shortfall of roughly $370 million beginning in fiscal year 2027 and is preparing two budgets to respond.
Flores said BART has made visible safety and customer-service gains — new fare gates, LED lighting, a fully modernized rail fleet and expanded cleaning — and that the agency’s rider-satisfaction numbers have improved. But he said ridership and fare revenue remain well below pre-pandemic levels and that fares now cover only about 32% of operating costs, down from roughly 71% before COVID.
“The reality is that BART needs a new funding model,” Flores said. “We are passing two…
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