Clean and Safe

To make BART safer, we need better coordination between service providers, outreach workers, officers and ambassador programs. There should be a coordinated case management approach across the constellation of entities that are interacting with the same population of people with behavioral health needs that are creating safety concerns for other passengers. This includes BART.

Like our public streets, public transit contends with the outcome of decades of divestment from and criminalization of behavioral health challenges. BART cannot solve those needs itself, but it can and must do a better job of connecting and coordinating with service providers, and this will be a priority for me when elected.

BART has shown success with its Not One More Girl campaign addressing gender-based harassment, and I would expand this approach to cover all forms of bigotry and harassment – including anti-AAPI hate, racism, transphobia, and homophobia. By conducting in-depth surveys of riders we can better understand what strategies make them safer – and make them feel safer – from lighting improvements to public service announcements to reporting and enforcement, and then invest in them.

BART police play a critical role for safety. I’m a strong supporter of the BART Police Ambassador program, which uses non-sworn, unarmed members of the BART Police Department to patrol the system, de-escalate incidents, connect people with services, support the public, and make all riders feel safe. This program should be expanded, which will also allow BART Police Officers to focus on addressing violent crime.