Among the byproducts of nasty BART negotiations—increased focus on some of the unflattering stuff that goes on with the agency that’s otherwise mostly out of sight, out of mind. Case in point: BART’s cushy little policy of giving away free rides to current and retired BART employees, board members and their families (many of the latter for life) at a cost of more than $2 million a year. That’s as the public is continually stuck with higher fares.
"It sends a wrong signal that in a time when fares continue to go up there are people who have never worked for BART who ride for free. It’s an insult to BART’s riders," Fred Wright Lopez, a Lafayette attorney and unsuccessful BART candidate last fall, tells the Contra Costa Times.
