Crime Up and Ridership Down on BART: Report Explains Why
By Libby Dodd
Kudos to the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury for its just released report Crime and Quality of Life: Impact on BART Ridership.
The report deftly lays out BART’s heavy reliance on passenger fares to fund its now and future operations and public’s declining “perception” of personal security when using the system. Of course, this drives down ridership.
The report points out that actual as opposed to perceived personal security may be different and that BART’s large increase in “violent crime” is mostly small stuff, like using threats to take cell phones and bicycles, not physical injury.
But, perception is everything when it comes to keeping passengers in seats. In that sense, petty criminality is costing BART and society dearly.
News articles about the report:
Violent Crime on BART More Than Doubles In Four Years(San Francisco Chronicle)
BART’s Fare Evasion Collection Tally: One $95 Payment on 6,000-Plus Tickets (San Francisco Chronicle)
