Editorial: Sangirardi for District 9 BART seat

  • by BAR Editorial Board
  • Wednesday October 2, 2024
Share this Post:
BART board candidate Joe Sangirardi. Photo: Courtesy the candidate
BART board candidate Joe Sangirardi. Photo: Courtesy the candidate

There are two gay men running for the District 9 BART board seat to replace gay outgoing director Bevan Dufty. The district encompasses part of San Francisco and includes the following stations: 16th Street Mission, 24th Street Mission, Glen Park, Civic Center, Powell, and Balboa Park (partial). Dufty, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, will leave some big shoes to fill, as he's been an extremely effective BART board member (and currently serves as board president, which he had done before during his two terms in office).

Both candidates, Edward Wright and Joe Sangirardi, would ably represent the BART district, but we recommend Sangirardi, whom Dufty has also endorsed. His endorsement questionnaire had more details about how he would work to avoid BART's pending fiscal cliff in 2026 and ideas for housing on BART property that could raise revenue for the transit agency as well as provide much-needed housing in the Bay Area.

Sangirardi currently works at California YIMBY, a statewide organization dedicated to making California affordable. He pointed out that "BART is in a unique position in that it has control over the land that it owns and can choose how to develop it." For the last several years, the agency has been building housing on its parking lots, with much of it designated as affordable.

"Transit-oriented development is essential to meeting San Francisco's and the Bay Area's state-mandated regional housing targets, including for affordable housing. Increased housing density makes the most sense near quality transit," he stated. "We need more affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, and all kinds of housing throughout San Francisco, including in my BART district. I will support laws that eliminate barriers to building more housing, and my work with California YIMBY gives me the policy experience to effectively advocate for this goal."

BART has struggled to gain back riders lost during the COVID pandemic and the shift to work from home for so many employees. BART has undertaken initiatives to increase public safety, a big concern to riders, and other improvements, like changing out the fare gates to make them more difficult for evaders. Yet, overall, ridership has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Sangirardi supports those efforts. "As a baseline, BART needs to provide safe, clean, reliable, and frequent service," he stated. "Several of these areas — safety, cleanliness, and frequency — have been severely negatively impacted due to a severe drop in ridership and revenue since the pandemic. Federal aid has filled some of that gap, but runs out in 2026."

And that is the crux of the impending fiscal cliff. State lawmakers had pushed for a tax measure that could have raised up to $1.5 billion for Bay Area transit. But lawmakers in May decided to pause the bill until 2025, which would then go before voters in 2026. Sangirardi was asked what BART's Plan B should be in the event the bill is not moved out of the Legislature or if voters reject it.

"BART should prepare a 'go it alone' option for the 2026 measure," he stated. "If the measure fails, BART will need to either dramatically reduce service, increase fares and/or parking, put forward severe cuts to its budget, or a combination of those options. This is not a proposal but a matter of fact."

These are tough times for BART, and much depends on crucial decisions in the next two years. The BART board will be getting several new members, and they will need to work hard to prevent the Bay Area's major transit agency from sustaining massive cuts. Cities depend on BART for workers, tourists, and other riders. Sangirardi is in a good position to get off to a quick start on the board. Voters in BART's District 9 should elect him.

Never miss a story! Keep up to date on the latest news, arts, politics, entertainment, and nightlife.

Sign up for the Bay Area Reporter's free weekday email newsletter. You'll receive our newsletters and special offers from our community partners.

Support California's largest LGBTQ newsroom. Your one-time, monthly, or annual contribution advocates for LGBTQ communities. Amplify a trusted voice providing news, information, and cultural coverage to all members of our community, regardless of their ability to pay -- Donate today!