March and D.C. Lobby Recap

Dear Reader, 

Yesterday was another huge shock to the world as the new president imposed careless tariffs on countries across the world. The impacts on steel, lumber, and other goods will have enormous impacts not only on BART but also on housing, manufacturing, and other industries. The challenges BART faces will likely worsen if the economy fails, as people lose their jobs and stop taking transit. People will face difficult decisions about which bills to pay and how to keep a roof over their heads in one of the most expensive regions in the world. While concerned about this, I came back from Washington, D.C., thankful for the congressional delegation we have and the public servants on staff who are trying to make things work in all the chaos.

I’ll recap my quick trip and share what I’ve been up to, as well as upcoming events and news. Please feel free to email me any questions you have and follow me on Instagram to get more frequent updates!

Washington D.C. Recap

On March 24th, I took a flight early in the morning from SFO to DCA (Reagan). The next day was full of meetings with our congress members and/ or their staff. I spent most of the day with my colleagues on the House of Representatives side of the hill bouncing back and forth from Longworth, Rayburn, and Cannon. The tips I received about wearing comfortable shoes were 100% correct. We made sure to inform the appropriate staff of the progress BART has made in safety, cleanliness, and keeping our costs down, but we were also honest about our challenges. Wednesday was also packed full of meetings before heading back to DCA to fly home.

Here are some of the things we shared with our Congress Members.

In fiscal year 2026, we were expecting a $35 million deficit, but we were able to eliminate it through cost-cutting measures like strategic hiring freezes and operational changes. Our overall costs only grew by 1% over the last year, less than inflation. We doubled police presence and deep cleaning of our car, and customer satisfaction is at its highest in ten years, at 80%. While the progress has been good, we can and should do better because you deserve it. Financially, it still doesn’t address our long-term issues. Starting in fiscal year 2027, we are expecting deficits every year from $350 million to $400 million. Why? Our funding model has always relied heavily on fares. Before the pandemic, we achieved 71% of our operating budget being funded by fares. The rest was covered by other sources and a half-cent sales tax across our three counties: San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa. With many people still working a hybrid schedule with an average of two days in the office, we are still seeing about 40-45% of pre-pandemic riders. The gap has been covered through stretching emergency federal dollars and SB-125 funding, which runs out in FY26.

This is important to our federal representatives because they understand the importance of a public transportation system to the regional economy. They know that working-class people depend on this to get to and from work and that letting BART fail will result in congestion across our roads and a reduced quality of life for many Bay Area residents. The new federal administration is unlikely to give us more emergency funding, but we informed our representatives of competitive grants that are at risk.

What’s been impacted so far?

• The Transit Security Grant Program helps transit agencies support security activities and protect infrastructure against terrorism.

• Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant to modernize our communications-based train control system.

One thing we heard was that the administration is not notifying or discussing with Congress any changes or repurposing of funding. Our information is important, our Congress Members can hold departmental staff accountable when they go to committee hearings. We are not the only ones, and there is some hope that bipartisan pressure will keep many of these grants and formula funding intact.

While there isn’t a lot of positive news to report, I do believe that our trip was important for both BART and everyone we met with.

Upcoming Events

Join Secure Justice and friends on April 12th for a Privacy Self-Defense and Immigration Workshop in Oakland. 

During this day of workshops, you will be able to join sessions where you can learn:

• Short workshops on how to maximize privacy protections for your smartphone, laptop, online presence, and data from your vehicle; 

• How to setup an emergency preparedness plan for immigration-related issues and how recent changes to immigration law may affect you; 

• How to be in touch with or support local mutual aid and rapid response organizations;

• How to respond if ICE knocks on your door, or approaches you in public;

• Receive legal assistance with gender name change documentation. 

Secure Justice is proud to partner with experts from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Centro Legal de la Raza, Council on American Islamic Relations - SF Bay Area, Identify Affirmation Workshop, the Law Office of Spojmie Nasiri, and the Alameda County Public Defenders Unit to bring you these practical tools and trainings. 

This important event will provide participants with practical resources and strategies to protect digital privacy rights, particularly for immigrants, Muslims, individuals seeking reproductive care, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Lunch, childcare, and translators will be provided.

RSVP Here.

Other Events

• April 19th: Join the Port of Oakland for an Earth Day Clean Up

• April 19th: Attend Alameda’s Shindig! 

• Check out all of BART’s events!