San Francisco, California — A computer failure led to significant disruptions at BART’s 16th Street—Mission station, leaving commuters frustrated and scrambling for alternatives during the morning rush. The incident, which also hampered communications within the agency, rendered fare gates closed, catching many riders off guard.
Among those affected was Ian Rice, who arrived at the 24th Street station just after 7 a.m. He was unaware of the situation until he reached the station, encountering a lack of signage alerting him to the halted trains below. “This is the first I’m hearing about it,” he said, noting he would have to consider taking a bus instead.
Around the same time, Luna Pantera arrived, hoping to catch a train to pick up her car before her shift. She expressed discontent over the closure, estimating it would lead to a 20-minute delay and force her to use an Uber—a cost she said she could not afford. “It’s not the first time BART has frustrated me,” she remarked, echoing complaints about inadequate alerts and ongoing service issues.
BART, which recently raised fares by 11% since early 2023, is grappling with a significant fiscal shortfall as it struggles to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite new budget cuts and cost controls amounting to $35 million, the agency anticipates its deficit could balloon to $400 million by 2027 due to the region’s high work-from-home rates.
In light of these challenges, BART officials warned that failures to address funding issues could lead to drastic measures, including service cuts, earlier station closures, or even the cessation of weekend service. A proposal introduced by state Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín seeks to place a sales tax measure on the ballot in 2026 as a potential solution to fund day-to-day operations.
Supporters of the proposed measure seized on the recent disruption to highlight the urgency of securing adequate funding. Transportation activist Cyrus Hall, joined by a gathering of advocates, emphasized that insufficient financial resources could exacerbate operational challenges. “BART has been running on a shoestring for years, and we need to fix that now,” he stated.
Hall also pointed out the immediacy of the situation, urging lawmakers to allocate emergency funds in the upcoming state budget. He warned that without both legislative support and a future ballot measure, critical service cuts could occur even before voters have a chance to respond.
As traffic congestion increased in the wake of BART’s disruptions, commuters expressed their frustration, with one driver lamenting the gridlock caused by reduced mass transit options. Hall reiterated the stakes involved in preserving the public transit system, saying, “We’re facing a potential decade of decline if we don’t act now.”
With growing concerns over the reliability of transit services in the Bay Area, the need for immediate attention and public support has never been clearer. The challenges facing BART underscore a larger conversation about the future of transit in a post-pandemic world, a future that remains precarious unless significant changes are made.