BART Budget Crisis Parking Facts

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BART BUDGET CRISIS: TALC Provides a Solution...

PARKING FEES VS. FARE HIKES:
THE FACTS

BART'S BUDGET CRISIS
Plummeting ridership and decreased tax revenue has left BART with an anticipated $28.1 million budget shortfall for next year. This must be balanced when the budget is adopted on June 27^th of this year.

BART'S TYPICAL SOLUTIONS
Fare Increases: One proposal is to increase fares for all BART riders. Fare increases would disproportionately effect lower income riders, likely decrease ridership, and increase the number of drivers on the road.

Service Cuts : Massive service cuts would mean dirtier stations and trains, fewer and more crowded trains, more transfers, and major job layoffs. Currently, even if every cut proposed by BART’s Board of Directors to date were to be adopted, they’d still be $14 million in debt. An alternative solution is needed.

PARKING FEES: A Solution to the Budget Crisis

Provides New Revenue Source: By charging between $1 to $3 for parking during peak commute hours, BART could raise between $10 and $25 million per year in additional revenue, avoiding fare increases, drastic service cuts and massive layoffs. Minimal parking fees would not decrease ridership if they were designed so that lots still fill up. BART lots that currently charge for parking, including privately owned lots (i.e. West Oakland) in outlying areas, fill to near capacity, just as their free counterparts do.

“Free Parking” Costs Everyone: A 1993 BART study identified $7-8 million a year in BART parking lot and structure operating costs, that’s nearly $1 per parking space per day. That’s a cost everyone pays. It makes sense to at least recover those costs - the actual per-day cost is much higher if police and opportunity costs (not using the land for other uses) is included.

Improves Social Equity: Though everyone pays for these parking services, only 25 percent of BART riders use them. A recent BART study showed that those who park at BART stations have significantly higher incomes than those that don’t. For example, only 2% of BART parkers earned less than $15,000 per year, yet 10% of all BART riders did; and 45 percent of parking lot users have incomes greater than $75,000, while 30 percent of all riders have similar incomes. People that take buses to BART have to pay, and it is reasonable and fair to have those who drive to BART pay a minimal fee for parking service.

Better for the Environment and Public Health: Free parking encourages driving, increases neighborhood congestion, and worsens air pollution. By charging a minimal parking fee riders would be encouraged to carpool, bike, walk, or take public transit to BART stations, thus decreasing local traffic congestion, reducing air pollution from automobile exhaust, and improving bicycle and pedestrian safety around BART stations.