The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) board of directors have adopted an Alternative Service Plan intended to solve the $376 million deficit for the next fiscal year if no new funds become available.
The agency relies heavily on passenger fares, and ridership is down 50 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels. It has made broad budget cuts, instituted a series of cost controls, reduced its office space footprint, installed new fare gates, leased out BART parking lots, and offered new fare products, yet it still faces a structural deficit of $350 million to $400 million. If no new revenue becomes available, BART can’t apply for a state loan.
The plan includes specific cuts and financial strategies needed to balance fiscal years 2027 and 2028’s budgets. The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. It recommends laying off 1,200 employees, a 40 percent reduction in system support services, station closures, fare increases, service cuts, and a series of deferrals and one-time resources. No specific stations are named.
Changes that go into effect in January 2027 would target approximately $30 million in savings over six months while changes that would go in effect in July 2027 would target more than $175 million in annual saving by reducing service hours 70 percent.