Robert Raburn has delivered for BART riders and the people of Alameda County.

Making BART Safer and Cleaner

Safe and Clean has been Robert’s mantra. In September 2023, BART launched the Safe and Clean Plan to enhance the rider experience through improved safety, cleanliness, and service.

To improve cleanliness, BART has:

• Doubled the rate of train car deep cleaning;
• Reopened underground restrooms and added restroom and elevator attendants; and
• Launched Falcon Force to prevent pigeon detritus.

As a result, rider satisfaction has hit a 10-year high, and 88 percent of those surveyed said they would recommend BART to a family member, friend, or out-of-town guest.

To improve safety, BART has:

• Reduced rampant fare evasion by installing new tall fare gates at all 50 BART stations by the end of August 2025—four months ahead of schedule!
• Doubled the number of BART PD Officers deployed in BART stations and aboard trains;
• Created the innovative Progressive Policing Bureau, which adds an unarmed uniformed presence with Crisis Intervention Specialists, Transit Ambassadors and Fare Inspectors;
• Worked with youth and community groups to launch the “Not One More” campaign to engage passengers to discretely report harassment via text messages or the BART Watch App.

The data show that crime is dropping. Reducing crime also improves BART service by reducing delays caused by police activity.

Building the Fleet of the Future

Robert voted to approve the contract for the initial 775 Fleet of the Future cars in 2012. As of October 2025, BART has received 1,051 and continues to add more as they’re delivered. BART sent the last car from the Legacy fleet to be recycled in September 2023, so every car in the fleet now features bike spaces at the end doors, dedicated wheelchair spaces, a hearing loop system, digital map screens and high-efficiency air filters, plus they are quieter and easier to keep clean. If you want to ride in an energy-efficient electric vehicle with regenerative braking, head to your nearest BART station!

Adding Innovative Payment Systems

Tap and Ride allows passengers to use a credit or debit card. It has quickly gained popularity at the airports, and systemwide with passengers whose Clipper account is exhausted, or have misplaced their card. Despite Clipper II being about two years behind schedule (the nine-county Metropolitan Transportation Commission, not BART, operates the program), Robert pushed the General Manager to move forward with delivering this initial aspect of the long-awaited regionwide transit fare integration and transfer discounts.

Transit-Oriented Development Bill Success!

Governor Newsom signed SB 79 into law on October 10, 2025. This law will make it faster and easier to build multi-family housing near transit stops like BART stations. Following amendments, Robert was pleased to bring the revised bill to the BART Board for approval on August 14, 2025. Also on October 10, Robert was honored to attend the Great Communities Collaborative at Junta Fruitvale in Oakland where BART's leadership role in regional transportation and housing policy was acknowledged by several panelists.

Working Toward Transit Financial Security with Senate Bill 63

As BART Director, Robert’s number one goal is to keep the lights on at BART by overcoming the financial threat to the Bay Area’s transit systems caused by remote work. Following the pandemic, San Francisco leads the country in office vacancies, which has caused transit ridership to plummet. BART once led all transit agencies in covering almost 70% of operating expenses with receipts from fares. This old business model of depending on passenger fares must be replaced.

For over two years, Robert have been dedicated to delivering legislation in Sacramento so that BART, AC Transit, SF Muni and Caltrain could avoid cuts that would lead to a transit death spiral and doom the Bay Area’s economy. He worked with our region’s State Legislators, including Senators Arreguín and Weiner and Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, to amend Senate Bill 63 to bring more revenue to BART and our other transit agencies through a 2026 ballot measure.

Robert provided lead testimony in support of the bill in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee alongside Metropolitan Transportation Commission Chair Sue Noack. Bay Area transit survival was given a boost by the State Legislature as SB 63 passed the final committee hurdle on July 15, 2025. (pictured) Governor Newsom subsequently signed the bill into law.

This measure is not a green light for the status quo. With the primary agency partners at SF Muni, AC Transit, and Caltrain, Robert and the BART Board are committed not just to avoid cutting service, but to transform transit to make travel and fares in the region seamless and integrated. The measure is supported by the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara.

Representing You in Washington and Standing Up for Democracy

Robert traveled to Washington, D.C. in March 2025 to fight to retain funds and policies critical to BART. Some funds were retained, but several challenges remain. During both nationwide No Kings Marches (June 14 and October 18, 2025), Robert made certain that BART offered transit capacity to bring the public to the massive protests throughout the region.