The Left loves its public transportation. No, not for themselves — they'd never be caught dead riding on the subway or a bus — but for the rest of us. They tell us it's convenient, affordable, and better for the environment.
But here's the catch: you can have robust public transportation, or you can have soft-on-crime policies, but you can't have both. In places like Chicago and New York, crime on the subway system, which includes innocent citizens being set on fire by career criminals, is making many people explore other transportation options. On top of that, Americans love freedom and don't like being tied to fixed routes and schedules.
And in the San Francisco area, the BART system is plagued by similar issues and is on the brink of collapse.
Bay Area's beloved BART system on brink of collapse as riders vanish and deficits soar https://t.co/oCkX1kLC74 pic.twitter.com/l12EZyQB5P
— New York Post (@nypost) March 15, 2026
San Francisco’s iconic commuter trains may be heading for the end of the line.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit system — known to millions simply as BART — is staring down a massive financial crisis as ridership remains far below pre-pandemic levels and officials scramble for new tax dollars to keep trains running.
Once packed with commuters heading into San Francisco’s tech-fueled downtown, BART trains now roll into stations with empty seats and quiet platforms as reported by the New York Times. It’s a stark sign of how dramatically the region’s work culture has changed.
Remote work has hollowed out the traditional rush hour, leaving the transit agency short on the fare revenue it once depended on.
The numbers are grim: the system now faces annual deficits approaching $400 million, after ridership plunged during the COVID-19 pandemic and never fully recovered.
We wouldn't call it "beloved" if no one is riding it.
BART fares can no longer cover most of its operating costs ... pic.twitter.com/ehhPShryC9
— Marc Joffe (@marcjoffe) March 15, 2026
So the choice is to increase fares, encourage ridership, or scale back the program.
The latter definitely won't happen, and refusing to address crime and other concerns means increased ridership won't either. They'll probably raise fares, but it won't be enough, and those few riders who remain will likely balk at having to pay more.
Democrat mismanagement is at criminal levels. If BART was safe, people would use it. But leftist a*****es refuse to keep violent criminals and psychopaths in jail.
— julezy (@JulezySays) March 16, 2026
According to TransitTalent, crime on BART had decreased slightly in 2024, it was still nearly double that of the pre-COVID era. They reported that 60 percent of survey respondents would ride BART more frequently if safety and cleanliness improved, and 73 percent said they feel safer when a uniformed police officer is present.
Prior to the pandemic, there was an average of 3.7 violent crimes per one million rides. In 2021, that number peaked at 9.8 per one million rides and dropped to 7.3 in 2024. Robberies and assaults are still up, as well.
The last time I road Bart alone some random guy called me a b***h and threatened to kill me. That was six years ago. Never again https://t.co/dMuYmhN5ad
— Evan Barker (@evanwch) March 16, 2026
Any sane person would avoid riding BART after experiencing that.
BART is gross and unsafe, if they actually cleaned the stations and enforced basic public order it would be doing just fine, but they don’t bother https://t.co/JdbQwXUdSU
— mattparlmer 🪐 🌷 (@mattparlmer) March 16, 2026
That's what this all boils down to: Democrats refuse to keep things clean and enforce basic public order and decency. They also refuse to prosecute crimes and keep criminals off of our streets.
Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.
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