Bart -Shutdown emphasizes the fragility of the Bay Area transit system

Friday Bart shutdown A large part of the Bay Area brought and offered a sobering preview of a daily reality, when public transit agencies are forced to carry out drastic service abbreviations due to impending budget deficits.

For a long time, transport officers warned of a “financial cliff” that was expected in 2026, as a unique pandemic aid in federal pandemic. Without new income, agencies such as Bart are exposed to several million dollar deficits that can lead to serious service reductions.

Bart officials confirmed that their remaining unique federal funds will be exhausted next year, so that the agency stares at $ 350 to $ 400 million from the 2027 financial year.

“If we don't do anything, we will see massive service abbreviations, elimination of one or two lines, closures of the stations, the back tension or the elimination of the evening and weekend service,” said Senator Scott Wiener (D -San Francisco).

The effects of the closure on Friday were immediately and widespread. Morning commuters sought alternative ways to work and school and led to long delays, packed ferries and costly employees.

“I looked at the alert and saw the traffic. I saw that everything was not red, but dark red,” said Ian Ratzer, who took the ferry in San Francisco Bay from Oakland to San Francisco.

“Your suggestion is to take a few buses. But I thought that and there were five different buses and it would have taken two hours,” said Laura Braun, who was late for her job in the city center.

“The ferry was quite busy for a Friday,” added the precious Bautista, who traveled to the city from Vallejo.

Angelica Galang, a resident of San Francisco, was too late for her retreat in Oakland due to the disturbance.

“Bart is closed everywhere, so I went to the ferry building. There were $ 50 for six miles. Now I take the ferry to Alameda and then take another over to Lake Merritt,” said Galang. What should have been a 30-minute beard ride, she made herself in an expensive 90-minute ordeal.

“That is why we have to finance public transport, as this leads to this when we don't,” added Galang.

The leaders and transit representatives of San Francisco repeated these concerns.

“It affects everyone. And if you are a driver, even if you never complete Transit, it affects Bart, since this means countless traffic jams,” said Senator Wiener, who works with the Senator Jesse Arreguín (D -Berkeley) the State Senator, Jesse Arreguín (D -Berkeley), to ensure 2 billion US dollar for public transport.

The two legislators also create a regional ballot of 2026-a proposed half cent sales tax to support beard, muni and other transit systems in Bay Area. Wiener hopes to take the measure on the ballot in November 2026.

Cyrus Hall, a supporter of the Bay Area Transit, emphasized the more comprehensive economic consequences of the deterioration in public transit.

“The Bay Bridge would be insufficient, it would be completely overloaded and full of cars. The way to the city would take hours longer. And we simply cannot accept this future as a region. It would be economically devastating,” said Hall.

The mayor of San Francisco, Daniel Lurie, also emphasized the importance of a robust transit network.

“Bart and Muni are of crucial importance for our revival here in San Francisco and obviously for the region. So we need a well -functioning beard, a well -functioning Muni. And we have to go to the voters to discuss them next year,” said Lurie.

At the moment I hope that drivers like Galang hope that they will not have to endure another chaotic morning commuter.

“A lot of stress. My company understands – but it was a morning,” she said.