\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s essential that this loan happen,\u201d Wiener and Arregu\u00edn wrote in the joint statement Saturday. \u201cThe state needs to step up and ensure we don\u2019t see debilitating service cuts at BART, Muni, Caltrain, AC Transit, and other operators.\u201d<\/p>\n
The senators have been working to put a regional funding ballot measure before voters during the November 2026 election. But even if approved, that funding would not begin until 2027 \u2014 the state loan was meant to help bridge that gap.<\/p>\n
In the Saturday afternoon interview, Wiener declined to comment on the specifics of his conversations with state officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not a specific sticking point, this is about just having the will to get it done this coming week.\u201d Wiener said.<\/p>\n
In a statement, a spokesperson for the governor\u2019s office said that the original agreement specified that the loans could only be made if lawmakers passed legislation outlining their terms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe administration supports our local transit agencies and remains open to reviewing proposals as we finalize the remaining budget items,\u201d the spokesperson wrote.<\/p>\n
Without the loan, BART officials say they could be forced to cut services in anticipation of a $350 million to $400 million annual deficit beginning in the 2027 fiscal year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWere we not able to secure the $750 million dollar temporary loan, we could see two of BART\u2019s five lines cancelled. We could see stations closed,\u201d BART board of directors member Edward Wright told KQED Friday. \u201cWe could see a dramatic reduction in our service hours and a dramatic reduction in service frequency.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wiener and Arregu\u00edn pointed to a systemwide BART outage Friday morning as an example of what residents might expect from a future with reduced services.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven on a Friday, when fewer people commute to the office, BART service shutting down meant our roads were choked with bumper to bumper traffic throughout the day, children and working people lost access to school and work, and our air got more polluted,\u201d the senators said.<\/p>\n
BART\u2019s current financial troubles mirror those of other local agencies. Officials say emergency funding implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will run out next year, but ridership rates never fully recovered as many employers embraced remote work.<\/p>\n
For some transit agency officials, the larger concern is not the immediate potential cuts, but rather the cascading impacts down the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe real fear is, aside from the degree to which that will provide an incredibly bad experience for people who rely on transit, it also could trigger what\u2019s been referred to as a doom loop,\u201d Wright said. \u201cThe worse our service becomes, the less people will want to ride it. The less people ride it, the less we\u2019re gaining in fare revenue and the bigger our deficit grows.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n