BART's general manager says a second crossing across the San Francisco Bay is the most important transportation project for the Bay Area over the next several decades, according to the Bay Area News Group.
The second transbay rail crossing would possibly be shared by Caltrain, Altamont Corridor Express, high speed rail and/or Capitol Corridor on their own set of tracks parallel to BART. BART trains run on a wider gauge.
To pay for the second crossing and other broader improvements to Bay Area transportation, organizations like the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and the Bay Area Council are trying to put together a ballot measure — possibly for November 2020 — that would raise $100 billion in taxes over the next several decades. BART General Manager Robert Powers supports the effort.
If the measure were to pass, BART would use the money to pay for discounted fares for low income riders, new ticket gates to prevent fare evaders and the new rail crossing.
CORRECTION (Oct. 2, 2019, 8:34 a.m.): A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the second crossing would be a bridge.
