BART's $2.3 billion budget targets infrastructure repairs

Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) board has approved a $2.3 billion budget for fiscal-year 2019 that dedicates $1.4 billion for capital improvements on core infrastructure in the San Francisco Bay area.

BART's capital spending plan includes $402 million in revenue from the voter-approved Measure RR, which allowed the agency to issue general obligation bonds to pay for major system repairs. That money will go toward track replacement, guideway structure rehabilitation and station modernization projects.

The funds also will enable BART to continue a multiyear program to replace aging traction power infrastructure.

Also in the budget is $1 million to purchase fare gates and other equipment to reduce fare evasion. BART also budgeted resources to improve the customer experience following a 3 percent year-over-year dip in rail ridership in 2017.

"Although BART's ridership decline is much smaller than declines at similar transit agencies across the country, it still has an impact on fare revenues and BART's budget," agency officials said in a news release.

However, ridership is growing on BART's recently opened rail extension to Antioch, California, agency officials noted.