The airport extension is a success! You’ve probably read contrary opinions. BART to S.F.O. (airport) has a growing ridership. We may have had only 14 months history now, but things are looking good. Oh, we don’t have the ridership we predicted more than a decade ago, but at the same time S.F.O. doesn’t have as many flights or passengers as it did before the economic downturn, which was caused in large part by the unforeseeable terrorist attacks. Ridership expectations vary based on seasonal travel patterns.

During the first 12 months of operation, over 1,100,000 people got on BART at S.F.O. and 1,010,000 got off BART going to the S.F.O. (airport). On a daily basis, the core (BART) system carries approximately 300,000 riders. The S.F.O. extension (5 stations) carry approximately 28,000 per day. That’s over 20,000 cars or taxis taken off the roads daily — Ah, fresh air!

A measure of transit system efficiency (operating cost) used by the Federal Transit Administration is: farebox recovery, i.e., the ratio of operating revenue (tickets) that comes from the farebox vs. the cost to operate the line.

BART’s core system enjoys the highest farebox recovery in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is generally over 60%. The S.F.O. extension is over 50% (actually, 56% in the 4th quarter — April, May and June 04). The nearest any of the 26 other transit agencies in the Bay Area comes to is about 40%. Some of the heavy rail system, ACE, Capitol Corridor and CalTrain hover near 40%. Bus service farebox ratio ranges from 20 to 38%. Others like light rail systems, trollies and ferries range from 30% down to 13%. This lowest extreme means 87% of the cost of that service is publicly subsidized!

BART is not a panacea for all travel, but placed properly, with good land use planning around stations and well connected to bus, rail or light rail can produce great results. I look forward to an improved farebox recovery on the S.F.O. line as riders get used to it. But, in the meantime, I’ll drink a toast to a great success — even in this downturn.

—Tom Blalock