BART shutdown 'only a taste of what's to come' if not funded, Sen. Wiener says in grave warning

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- State Senator Scott Wiener, a staunch advocate for more transit funding in the Bay Area, spoke with ABC7 about Friday's BART shutdown and how vital the system is.

He said incidents like this present a clear example of what our commutes would be like without BART.

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"This is another reminder that the Bay Area does not work without BART, without Muni, without public transportation systems," Wiener said. "It just throws the entire region into a little bit of chaos in terms of people's ability to get around."

Wiener says we need to support these systems, which are facing large budget deficits and impacts to service.

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"If we do nothing, we're going to see massive service cuts and today will only be a taste of what's to come," Wiener said.

Weiner says it will be up to the state of California and the Bay Area to prioritize the public transportation systems, as they are not anticipating much in federal funds.

"We're working in the state budget this year, as we did a few years ago, to provide some bridge funding for these agencies so that they do not have to cut services," he said. "California does not do as much as other large states to support transit systems, we need to do more."

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He underscored just how essential BART is to the Bay Area, public transit riders and non-riders alike.

"We've seen it in the past when there's been BART strikes, we see it when there are problems like today, it's a reminder to us that the Bay Area needs BART," Wiener said. "It's not optional. It's critical for the people riding it, but even if you never ride, if you're driving, the last thing you need is enormous traffic congestion, which is what happens when BART doesn't work."