BART to go to voters in November with $3.5 billion request

A train conductor looks out his window before pulling out of the El Cerrito del Norte BART station March 9, 2016 in El Cerrito, Calif. A train conductor looks out his window before pulling out of the El Cerrito del Norte BART station March 9, 2016 in El Cerrito, Calif. Photo: Leah Millis Leah Millis, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Leah Millis Leah Millis, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close BART to go to voters in November with $3.5 billion request 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

More than a half-century after Bay Area voters taxed themselves to build BART, residents in three counties will be asked in November to come up with $3.5 billion to repair and rebuild the aging backbone of the region’s transportation system.

All nine BART directors voted Thursday to place a bond measure on the November ballot.

The measure would boost property tax bills an average of $35 to $55 a year for 30 years in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties. Although BART extends into San Mateo County, and soon, to Santa Clara County, the district that built and operates the 107-mile system includes, and has taxing authority in, only the three counties that will vote on the measure.

Unlike many transportation tax or toll measures that appear on Bay Area ballots, the BART bond proposal is decidedly unsexy. It won’t pay to extend BART to Livermore, San Jose or Solano County, nor will it cover the cost of adding stations to the existing system. Instead, the money will be for such mundane things as replacing tracks and ties, installing new electrical cables, waterproofing tunnels and control rooms, replacing sewer pumps and buying new escalators.

The big-ticket items include replacement of the computerized central train-control system, which would allow BART to increase the number of trains it runs through the Transbay Tube — from 23 per hour to 30. The more costly items also include expansion of the Hayward Maintenance Complex so trains can be serviced more quickly, and installation of up to five new substations to provide more power to trains.

“We didn’t go for everything we want, we went for things that will help us do what we need to do,” said board President Tom Radulovich.

Repair, replace old parts

Almost all of the revenue — 90 percent — would be spent on repairing and replacing aging parts of the rail system that BART officials say have reached, or are nearing, the end of their useful life. About 90 miles of tracks would be replaced along with concrete rail ties, the electrical system that provides power to trains would be repaired and rebuilt, and various mechanical systems and stations would be modernized.

The remaining 10 percent of the bond money would be steered toward improving access to stations — things such as more bike parking, improved bus connections and better parking management at stations — and taking steps to deal with crowding and to increase capacity. That category includes everything from installing platform-edge doors at crowded stations to building train storage tracks and adding crossover tracks. It would also include money to help with advance planning for a second Transbay Tube.

Needs two-thirds approval

A parade of political, business and community leaders urged BART directors to place the measure, which has been under study for two years, up for a vote. The measure will require approval of more than two-thirds of those voting in the three counties combined for passage.

Stuart Cohen, executive of TransForm, a transit advocacy group that has been critical of BART’s spending priorities for the past two decades, said the bond measure is evidence that the transit system has mended its ways and is focused on rejuvenating the system.

“We’ve been one of BART’s worst critics, especially as they made the decision to expand rather than take care of the core system — deferred maintenance. And we’re paying for that now,” Cohen said.

With the bond measure, he said, “We think BART is absolutely headed in the right direction.”

But not everyone thought BART should ask voters to seek and spend more money. Arlo Hale Smith, a BART director from 1986 to 1990, accused the agency of financial mismanagement, citing costly benefits and pensions.

“Until something is done about that, I don’t want to give them a nickel more,” he said.

Polls commissioned by BART indicated strong support for the measure, and at least one regular BART rider agreed. Cindy Sandoval, who lives in Daly City, said she has commuted on BART for 15 years, first to downtown San Francisco, now to downtown Oakland.

‘I rely on BART’

“I rely on BART for my livelihood and I require BART to be reliable,” she said. “It’s becoming increasingly apparent that’s not always the case.”

She said the bond measure will help get BART back in shape and give people a reliable alternative to driving.

“You can’t get people out of their cars,” she said, “if you don’t give them a system they can count on.”

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: ctuan