BART Blue Line - SamTrans Controversy

SamTrans Controversy

When BART officially opened an extension of the line to the San Francisco International Airport on June 22, 2003, the Dublin/Pleasanton Line was the only BART line that served the airport. On February 9, 2004, in order to attract more riders, BART truncated this line back to Daly City in favor of using two other lines that generally carried more passengers to serve the airport: the Richmond–Daly City Line and the Pittsburg/Bay Point Line. However, at the urging of SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit District), which paid the operating expenses for the SFO extension under the joint venture operating agreement then in force, BART announced on August 11, 2005 that trains from Dublin/Pleasanton would once again be the only ones that would travel to the airport. SamTrans' assertion of its right to regulate San Mateo service also caused tension in early 2006 when BART, without informing SamTrans, unilaterally extended trains from six to eight or nine cars in order to serve increasing ridership on the East Bay section of the Dublin/Pleasanton Line. SamTrans, which was not given the opportunity to exercise its veto power, refused to pay the extra expense of operating additional cars. SamTrans also once considered discontinuing weekend service to the San Bruno and South San Francisco stations, which were suffering from extremely low ridership. In February 2007, SamTrans and BART settled their disputes with a new agreement. Under the new agreement, SamTrans would give up control and the financial responsibility of the line in San Mateo County to BART. In return, BART would receive additional funding from San Mateo County and other sources.

The Dublin/Pleasanton Line once again terminates at Daly City as of September 14, 2009 due to low ridership on the Millbrae extension.