New report shows BART service would be set back to 1976 levels & close up to 15 stations, stressing urgency for five county regional funding measure
SF Bay Area — A new report released today detailed drastic and devastating service cuts at BART if a long-term funding solution isn’t found – demonstrating the urgent need to pass Connect Bay Area, a regional funding measure for transit.
Connect Bay Area is a five county sales tax measure that, if approved this November, will provide long-term operations funding for major Bay Area transit agencies, including BART, and support regional projects to strengthen transit throughout the Bay Area.
Today’s report reveals potential service cuts for BART if Connect Bay Area fails to pass and shore up BART’s budget for the long-term.
This would include cutting service on most of the system created after 1976, setting BART back by 50 years.
Included in the report are the following potential cuts to BART service:
- Closing up to 15 stations
- Shutting the Blue Line (Dublin/Pleasanton) down and reducing other lines to only peak hour service or shortening routes
- Cutting train service hours by 70%
- Cutting 25% of the miles off the system
These reductions would hurt riders who would face longer wait times and loss of service, impact drivers who would be stuck in worsening traffic as transit riders flood the roads, devastate the regional economy, and make the entire Bay Area less affordable.
Read the BART full report. This report will be discussed by the BART Board of Directors next week on Wednesday February 11th.
“The cuts that BART is contemplating are a looming disaster,” said Laura Tolkoff, Transportation Policy Director at SPUR. “But the good news is that we know exactly what to do to stop it from happening — pass a regional transit measure in November.”
“These cuts would eviscerate service and set BART back fifty years,” said Jeff Cretan spokesperson for the Connect Bay Area campaign. “The Bay Area needs public transit so people have a safe, affordable, and efficient way to get wherever they need to go. This will make the region less affordable for working people and jeopardize the Bay Area’s economic recovery.”
Transit Across the Bay Area at Risk
These proposed cuts reflect a broader regional emergency facing transit systems throughout the Bay Area, driven by declining revenues and the absence of long-term operating funding. The BART report follows on recent reports by other major transit agencies highlighting the devastating impacts these funding cuts would have on Bay Area transit.
Last week, San Francisco Municipal Transportation (SFMTA) set out a contingency plan for Muni if long-term funding is not secured. Included in the report are potential cuts that could include:
- Cutting up to 20 Muni lines & reducing service on main lines
- Slashing service on historic Cable Car and F Lines
- Ending regular Muni service at 9:00 p.m.
- Laying off up to 2,100 workers
In November, Caltrain issued a report highlighting the services that would be cut without long-term sustainable funding, including:
- Closing more than one-third of stations
- Reducing service to once an hour
- Ending operations by 9 p.m.
- No weekend service
Connect Bay Area
The Connect Bay Area campaign will bring a five county sales tax to the ballot in November 2026 through a citizen signature gathering effort. The rate will be set at ½-cent, with the exception that San Francisco will be set at a 1 cent rate to provide additional support for MUNI. This measure will provide long-term operations funding for major Bay Area transit agencies and support regional projects to strengthen transit throughout the Bay Area.
The campaign has already secured $3.8 million in early financial commitments from businesses, labor organizations, and civic leaders, providing critical resources to support signature gathering and voter outreach.The campaign is now actively collecting signatures across the Bay Area, building a grassroots movement to qualify the measure for the ballot and engage voters in the stakes for transit.
The Connect Bay Area measure will support the future of public transportation in the Bay Area:
- Protect and improve service on BART, Muni, Caltrain, SamTrans, VTA, and AC Transit
- Prevent catastrophic service cuts that could devastate the Bay Area
- Keep traffic and emissions down, preventing gridlock and protecting climate progress;
- Support the Bay Area’s economy, ensuring that downtown recovery and regional mobility remain strong.
The Connect Bay Area Transit Committee is comprised of labor, business, and transit advocates, including Bay Area Council, SEIU 1021, ATU 1555, SPUR, and SAMCEDA, alongside an advocacy council of more than 20 organizations representing transit, housing, environmental, equity, and senior and disability groups.
For more information about the Connect Bay Area campaign or to get involved, visit https://connectbayarea.com/
