KQED's Forum BART Proposes Station Closures and Fare Hikes to Deal with Massive Budget Shortfall
Feb 18, 2026
Jesse Arreguin, California state senator pushing a regional sales tax and emergency funding, and Robert Powers, BART general manager guiding operations through post-pandemic recovery. They discuss BART’s $376M shortfall, the prospect of closing many stations and raising fares, and the ballot measure, funding options, and operational changes under consideration.
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Prioritize Safety, Punctuality, Cleanliness
- Focus service improvements on safety, on-time performance, and cleanliness to drive ridership growth.
- Maintain those core areas as the primary strategy to bring riders back incrementally.
Federal Aid Was Temporary Lifeline
- Federal COVID operational aid is ending and was covering much of the shortfall.
- Depletion of those funds creates the $300–$400 million annual deficit BART now faces.
Stack Small Efficiencies To Save Big
- Pursue many small operational efficiencies rather than a single large fix to close budget gaps.
- Examples include running shorter trains to cut energy, maintenance, and cleaning costs.