The Bay Area can’t work without BART.

The region keeps growing, both in jobs and people. With traffic congestion at an all-time high, everyone who lives and works in the Bay Area has a serious interest in keeping the 44-year-old BART system running. That’s why it’s important for the voters of San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa counties to pass Measure RR.

Measure RR is a $3.5 billion bond program to repair, replace and redesign BART’s infrastructure.

It sounds like a lot of money, and it is. Property owners in San Francisco (the BART tax district covers San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa counties) would be facing an estimated property-tax hike of some $2 per $100,000 of assessed value in 2017-18, and nearly $18 per $100,000 of assessed value by 2035-36. But public transit systems are expensive to build and expensive to operate.

The $3.5 billion will allow BART to repair its tracks, repair functions ranging from power stations to its train-control system, and fix tunnel infrastructure.

This is not about flash, it’s about function — and it’s the vital work that goes into keeping BART running.

About 90 percent of the bonds will go toward repairing and replacing BART’s safety infrastructure.

But the BART board has heard the cries of stressed riders. It’s putting 10 percent of the bond toward congestion relief and improving station access.

The fixes include new escalators for six heavily trafficked stations, elevator work, and re-engineering the track system to increase system resiliency and relieve crowding. The plan is to increase train frequency from 23 trains per hour to 30.

“We can’t ignore it anymore,” said BART board member Tom Radulovich. “The need on the capacity side requires a greater investment.”

Radulovich added that BART’s usual sources of funding, from the state and federal governments, have been flat or declining in terms of real dollars.

The opponents of Measure RR cite the BART board’s poor management when it comes to labor negotiations.

“There’s going to be no incentive to control labor costs,” said David Kersten, president of the Kersten Institute for Governance and Public Policy. “We’re just kicking the can down the road.”

It’s true that the BART board has a dreadful record when it comes to holding the line on labor costs. This page has supported many of the solutions Measure RR’s opponents call for, including a ban on labor strikes and more modest pay raises for workers.

Some of these changes would require legislative fixes that would be difficult to come by in Sacramento, where labor-allied Democrats control both houses of the Legislature.

Very few of them would directly affect BART’s immediate — and long outstanding — capital needs.

Plus, while the BART board’s record on labor negotiations leaves much to be desired, its record on capital investments is a different story.

BART has consistently put aside money for capital contributions for decades. It’s planning to dedicate future fare increases to capital contributions, too. Last year, Moody’s Financial Service assigned a triple-A rating to BART’s general obligation bonds. It cited, in part, “the improved financial metrics of the district.”

So while the BART board may be struggling with its labor relations, its public stewardship of BART’s capital projects offers much reassurance to voters. There is no reason to punish BART riders for BART’s labor problems.

The Bay Area needs BART to run smoothly, safely and efficiently. Pass Measure RR.