Five-Point Plan for BART's Future

By Greg Bedard

Greg Bedard believes that fiscal responsibility must be restored at the BART system in order to provide better customer service and additional parking at stations.

Restore Fiscal Responsibility to BART

For all the problems that BART faces, we must not forget that it allows more than 300,000 of us and our fellow neighbors to use an alternate means of transportation, other than merely the automobile, to get to the places we need to each and every day. When BART began serving the public in 1972, the system offered a new and exciting opportunity for commuters. It is one of the reasons why the American Public Works Association named BART one of the top ten public works projects of the Twentieth Century, along with such accomplishments as the Panama Canal and the Golden Gate Bridge. Though BART may not now have the sterling silver image of thirty years ago, that only means we must work harder to put BART's financial house back in order. Together, we can restore its luster.

And I believe the Board of Directors needs to lead by example. Though the monthly stipend for each Director is only $1000, should I be elected, I will move the Board to cut such remuneration by 25% and demonstrate that we mean business. We must show that only through shared sacrifice will BART be restored to its former glory. Though largely symbolic, we can contribute to help saving at least one person's job at BART and provide the public with a better running train and a cleaner and safer station.

I will call for an outside, independent review of BART's finances to determine where revenues are being wasted, where work is being duplicated and where inefficiencies can be eliminated to save dollars. With a projected $642 million ten-year deficit, we need to cut waste wherever possible. A penny saved is more than a penny earned in today's economy.

I will fight for federal funding promised to the BART system by the federal government. BART is still waiting for $180 million dollars through the BART to SFO extension, even though it has been serving the public since the summer of 2003. The existing BART system and the patrons of Contra Costa County are of paramount importance where I am concerned.

Focus on Customer Service

When BART began operating in 1972, only 17,000 riders used the system each day. Within ten years, nearly 200,000 were using BART daily. So why, more than twenty years after that, have we added only another 100,000 new customers to the system? Clearly we have lost our concentration on what matters most: the customer.

Clean and reliable trains must be the focus of customer service. As a regular patron of the BART system myself, I understand the frustration of being delayed by ticket machines that are out of order and then boarding a dirty train. Making sure these types of things don't happen should be our chief concern and resources must be redirected accordingly.

Welcoming new customers must be a priority as well. BART is heavily dependent upon ticket sales for its operating revenue. The more patrons who use the system, the better BART will be able to offer the kinds of services its riders demand. BART must do a better job of communicating with the public and informing them of the programs and services available to them.

As a Director, I will implement an "Open Ears" program where we listen to the needs of BART workers at each level within the system and not solely from supervisors and senior managers. To make BART more responsive to the needs of its patrons, we need to hear from employees with the greatest amount of contact with customers in order to determine exactly what riders are most concerned about at each and every station in the system.

We need a "Hot Line" so we know when things aren't working as well as they should at BART. If efforts are being duplicated, resources wasted or safety compromised, we need an anonymous 800 number so employees can act responsibly and draw attention to the problem while not feeling threatened about the status of their employment.

Provide Additional Parking

In keeping with the character and individual circumstances of each city, we need to provide for the future needs of BART patrons with additional parking. I will work to obtain Transportation for Livable Community grants and federal earmarks to help bring additional parking and better accessibility to Central Contra Costa County's BART customers.

Improve Security

We need to make certain that BART users are safe and secure when using the system. For this reason, I will work to obtain federal funding to improve BART's police dispatch center and add supplementary police cars and K9 units where needed. The tragedy that struck Madrid, Spain earlier this year must never be allowed to occur on the BART system.

Major events require major protection. We must empower BART police officers by giving them the resources necessary to patrol stations, such as the Oakland Coliseum and Embarcadero, during major sporting or other such events. We cannot be caught off guard when it comes to the protection of BART riders.

Create a Clear Vision for the Future

Where there is no vision, there is no vitality. It's that simple. BART deserves more than just good stewardship; it deserves energetic Directors with a vision for the future. Being a lifelong resident of Contra Costa County and having served as Transportation Counsel to Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher, I understand both BART's problems and its achievements. Having knowledge of BART's history is crucial in creating a vision for its future.

We need a Director who understands how BART works within the larger context of our regional transportation system. We need a Director who will help to expand BART to other communities in order to take traffic off Central County's most heavily congested thoroughfares like Highway 24 and Interstate 680. And we need a Director who will work to bring BART a voting voice on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.