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BART Board approves $675 million balanced budget

Budget funds record ridership on aging system

BART's budget for the upcoming fiscal year allows the agency to provide an unprecedented level of service to a record number of riders on an ever aging fleet and infrastructure.

The BART Board of Directors unanimously approved a $674.8 million Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) Operating Budget. This balanced budget reflects the higher maintenance costs of keeping trains cleaner, running 33% more frequent service and maintaining the now 35-year-old system's 96% passenger on-time performance standard for its 365,000 riders each workday.

"The FY09 budget reflects the cost of operating an aging system at unprecedented service levels at a time of uncertainty regarding the economy," Dugger said. "The challenge for the District is to carefully prioritize funding 'to keep up' with ridership growth and service requirements, while ensuring that FY09 investments help to create a more efficient and sustainable system."

Budget maintains cleaning efforts, better service
This FY09 Operating Budget will continue FY08's efforts to provide the most frequent level of service to the highest average workday ridership that BART has seen in its 35 years of operation – all while making the aging fleet of train cars cleaner than ever. The budget continues to:  

  • Replace worn carpet on 300 cars with attractive, easy-to-clean, low cost, hard, rubber-like flooring
  • Nearly double the rate of fresh, new car seat installation to 600/week
  • Maintain 24 new train car cleaning positions added in current fiscal year
  • Maintain the 33% increase in service Monday-Saturday after 7 pm and all the time on Sundays, which started January 1, 2008

The FY09 Operating Budget funds 3,017.5 positions. It takes effect July 1, 2008 and ends June 30, 2009.