BART Supervisors Oppose Newsom's War on Halloween
Well, this is interesting.
Today we received a (rightfully) irritated press release from Tom Radulovich, District 9 BART Director (co-signed by Chris Daly). It seems that he wasn't involved in the decision to go ahead and close BART on Halloween night. Which? Is bizarre and inappropriate considering, well, he's an elected District 9 BART Director.
The missive, which is long and available for your viewing pleasure below (and continues on after the jump), reads at the very end, "as the elected representatives of the 16th and Mission community, we call on BART to reverse its decision and agree to keep the station open on Halloween night." Oh my, is right.
And while we agree that closing BART on Halloween night is a bit...off, we wonder what they plan on doing about it? Other than sending out an angry press release about it.
On Friday, BART announced its intention to close its 16th Street Mission Station at 8pm on Halloween Night, October 31. BART management not only made the wrong decision, but they made it in the wrong way.Transit riders have been unfairly singled out in the city's War on Halloween, and BART's proposed closure is an insult to the community who relies on 16th Street Mission Station. People and businesses that depend on BART and MUNI will have their mobility compromised by this campaign to suppress the Halloween celebration in the Castro, although automobile access will not be similarly curtailed. This discriminatory policy falsely targets transit riders as the "problem". Reduced transit access on Halloween night will unduly burden the thousands of San Franciscans who want to enjoy Halloween responsibly, as well as people who may want nothing to do with Halloween, but are just trying to get home to their families. The effects of this closure will fall most heavily on the least mobile -- seniors, people with disabilities, and parents with small children, and no thought has been given to their mobility needs.
Suppressing transit service also negates efforts over the last few years to encourage celebrants to take transit rather than drive, and may therefore encourage drinking and driving. BART's high-handed approach to the 16th and Mission closure is also a giant step backward for BART in its relationship with the community. Both of us have participated in efforts over the years to get BART and the City to plan their services and facilities around community needs and with greater community involvement. That BART's brand new General Manager chose to make this decision without any community consultation is regrettable; BART riders and the 16th and Mission community deserve greater respect than this.Since BART announced its decision, we have heard from residents, business owners, and community who will be adversely affected by this decision, asking that BART's ill-advised decision be reversed.
Halloween night has been an important public celebration in San Francisco for decades. Last year's Halloween celebration was huge, however it was badly managed by the City, and marred by a shooting late in the evening. BART, however, had no incidents of note on Halloween last year, and at the urging of Director Tom Radulovich and Supervisor Dufty, ran service later into the evening and provided Halloween revelers with flash passes to encourage transit ridership and discourage driving on Halloween night. The City's experience was regrettable, but BART's experience, building on its successful late night service for 1999 New Year's Eve, showed how the City, with timely and thoughtful planning, can use transit to minimize the impact of large events in the City.
After the event, Supervisor Dufty and the Mayor promised that a Public Task Force would be convened to figure out how to make Halloween a successful event. The promised community process never occurred. Instead, the Mayor and Supervisor Dufty rolled out its hasty "Home for Halloween" campaign. According to BART staff, a few weeks ago a request came from
representatives of the Mayor's office and Supervisor Dufty to close the 16th and Mission Station on Halloween Night. There was no mention of the proposed closure at any public meeting, nor was any meaningful public input solicited from the communities most affected by the proposed change.Neither Supervisor Daly, who represents the 16th and Mission area on the Board of Supervisors, nor BART Director Tom Radulovich, who represents both the Castro and Mission districts on the BART Board of Directors, were consulted or informed of the proposed change.
As the elected representatives of the 16th and Mission community, we call on BART to reverse its decision and agree to keep the station open on Halloween night.
Chris Daly, District 6 Supervisor
Tom Radulovich, District 9 BART Director