BART Board approves $582.1 million budget, includes $4.5 million surplus

BART customers are going to see many improvements to their commute thanks to the budget the agency's Board of Directors passed for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1. The Board also allocated money to temporarily lower fares by three percent for four months - although the fare reduction is contingent upon the outcome of a series of meetings designed in part to gather public input on the impacts on a temporary fare drop on low-income, minority and limited English speaking communities.

In a 6 to 3 vote, the BART Board passed the $582.1 million Fiscal
Year 2011 Operating Budget, which included a $4.5 million surplus. The
Board approved a plan to allocate most of the surplus funds to improve
the commutes for BART customers. The plan also sets aside a portion of
the surplus for a possible temporary fare reduction and puts additional
money from the excess revenues into rainy-day reserves.

However,
before the agency spends any of the surplus, BART staff will return to
the Board – most likely in July – to get the Board’s final authorization
to spend the surplus.

The Board allocated the $4.5 million as
follows:

• $2.3 million for possible three percent fare reduction
over four months, pending outcome of a series of public meetings to
gather feedback on that option
• $1 million for BART’s rainy-day
reserves, bring total reserves to $25 million
• $750,000 for
deep-cleaning of 50 rail cars complete with fresh, new seats
•
$200,000 to defer an increase in East Bay paratransit fares for four
months
• $150,000 for emergency operations facility