Bay Area Council Applauds Gov. Newsom’s Veto of Legislation to Ease Penalties for Fare Evasion on Public Transit

The Bay Area Council today (Oct. 9) applauded Gov. Newsom’s veto of AB 819, legislation that would have eased penalties for repeat fare evasion on public transit. The Council has been a strong advocate for addressing crime, safety and cleanliness issues on public transit, including BART, that riders say have been a key reason for not returning to public transit.

“Reducing fare evasion is critical to restoring safety on our public transit systems, bringing back riders and generating critical revenue for struggling agencies,” said Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council. “We applaud Gov. Newsom for vetoing this legislation and sending a strong message to fare evaders that their illegal behavior won’t be tolerated and will come with consequences. Fare evasion is robbing our transit systems of tens of millions of dollars in revenue at a time when they are facing unprecedented fiscal challenges, and it is contributing to a sense of lawlessness that has undermined public confidence in these transportation systems.”