Smart Parking Update

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BART BUDGET CRISIS: TALC Provides a Solution...

SMART PARKING UPDATE - June 28, 2002

After a marathon meeting on June 27, 2002 that stretched on for nearly six hours, the BART Board of Directors approved a budget that met with several Coalition goals, but left much to be desired.

The final approved budget closes the $28 million budget deficit with five measures:

$ 7M from job layoffs approved at a prior Board meeting
$ 6M from a $20M reserve fund
$10M from the sale of a Millbrae office building
$ 3M from reserved monthly parking (up to 25% of spaces)
$ 4M from a 5% fare increase to take effect Jan. 1, 2003

TALC held a press conference prior to the BART Board meeting on June 27, 2002. Speakers included Coalition Director Stuart Cohen (center, left) and BART Director Tom Radulovich (center, right)

Parking Fees
The Board did not pass a daily parking fee. This is a direct result of the fact that the Board's governing rules require a 2/3 majority (6 out of 9 votes) in order to raise fares or fees. Daily fees were supported by 5 Directors, but were strongly opposed by the 4 suburban Directors. (Incidentally, the letters, faxes and meetings with BART Directors certainly helped strengthen the Board majority who favored daily fees.) The Board compromised by instituting a reserved monthly parking program at up to 25% of parking spaces, with an average cost of $3 per day, paid once-a-month. The disadvantages of this approach are that: 1) this parking program is the most biased in favor of wealthy drivers 2) competition for the remaining free spaces will become fiercer 3) this program raises the least revenue of any of the parking programs. The silver lining is that the introduction of reserved parking charges may make it easier for the Board to introduce universal daily parking fees at some future date. (BART staff is already considering a combination of reserved and daily fee parking at new stations along the SFO extension.)

Good News -- Small Fare Increase:
The 5% fare increase is significantly lower than the increase recommended by BART staff; and, unlike staff's proposal, is not regressive. (Staff was recommending a 15-cent base fare increase, in addition to a 10% increase.)

Good News -- No New Service Cuts:
The Board made no additional direct cuts in service today (such as reducing the number, frequency, or length of trains).

Good News -- Fare Inequalities:
The Board reaffirmed its goal of examining the BART fare structure which has a number of inequalities. These include higher per-mile costs for short, urban trips than for long, suburban trips.

Bad News -- Job Cuts:
Labor unions at today's meeting struggled to keep the BART Board from instituting job cuts. However, the majority of the Board was unwilling to reverse its previous action which saved $7M by cutting 72 jobs. (The Board could have reduced the numbers of layoffs by drawing more heavily on the reserve fund.) These cuts may mean dirtier trains and stations, and an overall decline in safety and maintenance.