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BART GM statement on state budget agreement

BART General Manager Bob Powers said the following about the state budget agreement:

We at BART are grateful for the show of support by Governor Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers. It’s not yet clear how much money BART will receive and when it will receive it, but the budget agreement is a significant development to help avoid drastic cuts to service and to address the $93M deficit BART faces in FY2025.

  • The budget includes full restoration of the $2 billion in TIRCP funding from the General Fund, for a total of $4 billion over two years.
  • It also provides $1.1 billion to CalSTA across 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 for the Zero Emission Transit Capital Program, which will provide for flexibility of funds for capital and operations expenses and be contingent on meeting specified accountability provisions.
  • Funds for this new program would come from the following sources:
    • $331 million ($111 million redirected and $220 million new funds) of cap-and-trade funds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund;
    • $280 million of redirected funds from the Public Transportation Account;
    • $200 million in redirected General Fund monies; and
    • $300 million in out-year investment, with details still to come.

The decision to shift existing funds to temporarily address transit operations is a profound show of legislative support and is a testament to the months of advocacy led by the California Transit Association, regional entities, transit agencies, and the transit community.

The funding restored to the TIRCP program will also support BART’s Core Capacity Project and ensure it is able to move forward and continue take advantage of critical federal matching funds.

We at BART want to thank Governor Newsom for his support so we can keep the Bay Area moving and help California reach its climate goals. Additionally want to thank the Budget Committee chairs Senator Nancy Skinner and Assemblymember Phil Ting, Senate President pro Tem Toni Atkins, and Speaker Anthony Rendon for their hard work to develop this package in the context of a difficult budget year. We are also grateful to Senator Scott Wiener and stakeholders in the broader public transportation community for their unwavering support.

We also fully support calls for transit accountability and reform. BART is among the transit agencies that have agreed to the California Transit Association’s proposed Accountability and Reform Framework.