Current pricing encourages people to drive. Two couples can drive from the East Bay to San Francisco and back for a show and park for less than BART charges. If it's free, maybe we'll go downtown to work and shop more and not compete for parking when we arrive. A lively downtown, whether in San Francisco or elsewhere, is good for everyone's quality of life.
But even if usage had recovered, the way we pay for transit is simply nuts. Now would be a good time to come to our senses, pay for transit operations entirely through taxes and give rides away for free the way we give away access to sidewalks and parks.
The pandemic-devastated ridership is still not at half of pre-COVID levels. But even if usage had recovered, the way we pay for transit is simply nuts. The 2026 BART budget foresees about $1.1 billion a year for operating costs.
Replacing the fares and emergency assistance would cost each person in the three BART counties about $3.23 a week, less than your Monday latte. A free San Francisco Muni would be more expensive by about $7 a week, but it would provide about three times as many rides as BART.
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