Dear BART Board of Directors,
We are huge fans of BART. We believe that well-functioning public transit is paramount to an equitable and accessible Bay Area. It is because of this that we understand the need for more fare enforcement, as individual contributions play an important part in funding BART.
We are writing to express our concerns about two aspects of the new fare enforcement policy that we feel are extreme: (1) the use of uniformed police officers for fare enforcement and (2) pressing criminal charges on repeat offenders. Both of these measures raise equity issues and are out of line with MUNI and Caltrain’s fare enforcement policies. We ask that the BART Board please reconsider these measures and implement a more just fare enforcement policy.
Our first request is that BART cease to use police officers for fare enforcement. The use of armed police not only makes many riders uncomfortable but opens up the door for incidents of police violence. BART should follow in MUNI and Caltrain’s footsteps and immediately cease to use any police officers for fare enforcement or citations, instead employing unarmed civilians dressed distinctly from BART police for every step of the citation process.
Our second request is that BART abandon its policy of criminalization on a rider’s third fare evasion citation. As some riders fail to pay their fares because they cannot afford it, the criminalization of fare evasion will lead to the criminalization of poverty. We ask that BART immediately abandon criminalization for fare evasion and explore means-tested fines as well as other ways to lower the burden of fines on riders who cannot afford to pay.
We trust that you are as concerned with these issues as we are and hope that we can work together to design a more equitable policy.
Sincerely,
East Bay for Everyone
Mission YIMBY
Grow the Richmond
Westside = best side!
D10 Urbanists
People Fighting For The Tenderloin
Aaron Eckhouse, BART District 7 voter
Alfred Twu, BART District 3 voter
Asumu Takikawa, BART District 8 voter
Bobak Esfandiari, BART District 8 voter
Charles Whitfield, BART District 9 voter
D. Andrew Porter, BART District 9 voter
Devin Brady, BART District 9 voter
George Williams, BART District 8 voter
Giovanna Guevara, BART District 8 voter
Jane Natoli, BART District 8 voter
Jimmy La, BART District 8 voter
Jonathan Lack, BART District 8 voter
Laura Clark, BART District 9 voter
Liat Zavodivker, BART District 4 voter
Marie Francis, BART District 9 voter
Milly Coogan, Millbrae voter
Milo Trauss, BART District 6 voter
Peter Fedewa, BART District 8 voter
Rebecca Peacock, BART District 9 voter
Roan Kattouw, BART District 9 resident
Sasha Perigo, BART District 9 voter
Scott Feeney, BART District 8 voter
