BART Fights Continue Amid Push for Regional Funding Measure
A fresh bout of disruptions has hit the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, leaving passengers stranded on Wednesday morning as the yellow line service between Concord and Orinda was shut down due to a power loss issue involving the third rail. Service resumed around 6:40 a.m., just shy of the peak commute.
The latest incident is just the latest in a string of BART outages this year, raising concerns about the agency's reliability and capacity to serve its passengers. The problems have come at a critical time as regional leaders push for a new funding measure aimed at supporting public transit in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties.
The proposed measure would bring a five-county sales tax to the ballot in November 2026, with Connect Bay Area spokesperson Jeff Cretan arguing that it's essential to avoid a "fiscal cliff" that could cripple public transit services. Without new funding, BART faces the prospect of shutting down two of its five lines, drastically reducing service from 4,500 trains per week to just 500, with trains running only hourly and no weekend service.
"This would basically become a much less reliable service for people who need it every day to get around, people who don't have cars," Cretan said. "This would be devastating for public transit in the Bay Area."
Connect Bay Area is optimistic about the prospects of its measure, citing strong majority support among likely November 2026 voters. With funding still uncertain, Cretan believes it's not too late to make 2026 the year for Bay Area public transportation.
The proposed funding measure has sparked debate among regional leaders and residents, with many emphasizing the need for a sustainable operations funding plan to ensure that public transit services remain reliable and accessible to all.
A fresh bout of disruptions has hit the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, leaving passengers stranded on Wednesday morning as the yellow line service between Concord and Orinda was shut down due to a power loss issue involving the third rail. Service resumed around 6:40 a.m., just shy of the peak commute.
The latest incident is just the latest in a string of BART outages this year, raising concerns about the agency's reliability and capacity to serve its passengers. The problems have come at a critical time as regional leaders push for a new funding measure aimed at supporting public transit in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties.
The proposed measure would bring a five-county sales tax to the ballot in November 2026, with Connect Bay Area spokesperson Jeff Cretan arguing that it's essential to avoid a "fiscal cliff" that could cripple public transit services. Without new funding, BART faces the prospect of shutting down two of its five lines, drastically reducing service from 4,500 trains per week to just 500, with trains running only hourly and no weekend service.
"This would basically become a much less reliable service for people who need it every day to get around, people who don't have cars," Cretan said. "This would be devastating for public transit in the Bay Area."
Connect Bay Area is optimistic about the prospects of its measure, citing strong majority support among likely November 2026 voters. With funding still uncertain, Cretan believes it's not too late to make 2026 the year for Bay Area public transportation.
The proposed funding measure has sparked debate among regional leaders and residents, with many emphasizing the need for a sustainable operations funding plan to ensure that public transit services remain reliable and accessible to all.
I think it's great that BART is having these issues, to be honest! 
It's like they're telling everyone that their service is unreliable and they can't trust them. Maybe people should just consider alternative modes of transportation, like driving or biking 
? I mean, the Bay Area has some of the best roads in the country, why not use them? 
Plus, if BART can't deliver on its promises, maybe it's time for a change. Let's face it, the service is outdated and needs a complete overhaul. A new funding measure sounds like just what the doctor ordered... to further cripple public transit services 
. Bring on the traffic jams and gridlock! 
... like what even is the point of having public transportation if it's just gonna be down all the time? 
My daily commute would literally break me if this keeps happening 
. And can we please get a stable funding plan already?! 
I don't think I could handle living in a Bay Area where you can barely count on getting to work without some sort of disaster 
... we need that reliable service to keep our communities moving 
. Can't they just get it together?! 
But at the same time, I get it - they need new funding to stay afloat... or should I say, underground? 
But what's with the five-county sales tax thing? Some people are totally on board with it, but others are all like "no way, José" 
I mean, the thought of shutting down two lines and reducing service to 500 trains a week? 
Anyway, it's all super complicated, so what do I know? 
. I'm all for a new funding measure, but it feels like we're just delaying the inevitable - BART is gonna shut down some lines if they don't get more money 
just had to sit on the train for like an hour because of some stupid power loss issue... I get it, mistakes happen, but can't they just prepare for this kind of thing? 
Maybe some public-private partnerships or something?