BART Board votes to oppose Proposition 90

Board joins hundreds of other groups opposing Prop 90

The BART Board of Directors today voted unanimously to formally oppose Proposition 90, the initiative on the November 7th general election ballot that would make changes to the state's eminent domain laws.

"We on the BART Board of Directors are concerned that Proposition 90 could cause considerable delays and dramatic cost increases as BART works to renovate, retrofit and expand its system," said BART President Carole Ward Allen. "In addition, passage of Proposition 90 could severely limit efforts that are underway to reduce urban sprawl by increasing Transit Oriented Development around many of BART's stations."

Proposition 90 would create a state constitutional amendment making significant changes to the way that state and local governments acquire private property. Among other concerns expressed by the Board, Proposition 90 would alter the definition of what constitutes a "public use" and would increase the amount that government entities would have to pay an owner of private property from "fair market value" to "highest and best use."

Among the 300 statewide organizations that oppose Proposition 90 are transportation-related groups like the California Transit Association, the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and the California Transportation Commission.