SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Violent crime on BART – including robberies and aggravated assaults – increased by 115% over the past 5 years, the Alameda County Grand Jury announced in a report released Tuesday.
In the grand jury’s findings from 2018-2019, it was also discovered that BART lost 8% of its ridership since its peak in 2016.
There are four “quality of life issues” that apparently discourage ridership on BART:
- Homelessness
- Cleanliness of the trains and stations
- Fare evasion
- Security and perception of safety
According to the report, BART’s average weekday ridership has steadily declined from its 2016 peak of 433,400 riders to 407,600 in 2019 – that’s a loss of 6% fewer passengers each weekday than three years ago.
Forecasted ridership for 2020 is predicted to be even lower, especially on weekends, despite a 2% increase in the Bay Area’s population from 2016 to 2018, the grand jury report indicated.
Here’s a breakdown of the crime statistics as found by the grand jury:
- 128% increase in robberies
- 83% increase in aggravated assault
- 115% increase in overall violent crime
>> Click here to see the full 2018-2019 Alameda County Grand Jury Final Report.