> You're putting the cart before the horse. I'm not, let me explain. > More commuters creates more ticket revenue, which gives BART more resources to expand c

> You're putting the cart before the horse. I'm not, let me explain. > More commuters creates more ticket revenue, which gives BART more resources to expand capacity. They're not going to expand capacity until there's more demand. BART needs money to expand, and this money is not going to come from commuters. Why? First, "expand capacity" can mean two things: 1) Buy and/or run more trains on existing tracks, serving existing stations. 2) Build more tracks and/or stations. For 1), BART already operates at or nearly at maximum physical capacity at commute hours in the peak commute direction: there is not headroom in the Transbay tube to add more trains at rush hour, at least for trips between SF and the East Bay. BART could earn more revenue from more commuters that are not on the peak lines -- but building more housing in the suburbs will not provide this. For 2), this money comes from the capital budget, not the operating budget. BART fares provide about 70% of the operating costs of BART. There is no profit, no money left over to go to pay for more tracks or stations. That money comes from voters who approve bonds or other sources of funding for this constructions. More commuters will not provide this either. We need to expand BART, and we need development -- these two go hand in hand!