Candidates for BART Director, District 9

Not all candidates submit a statement of qualifications. A complete list of candidates appears on the sample ballot. Statements are volunteered by the candidates and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency. Statements are published as submitted. Spelling and grammatical errors have not been corrected.

BEVAN DUFTY

My occupation is BART Director.

My qualifications are:

My entire public service career, I’ve rolled up my sleeves and made things happen.

As a newly elected BART Director, I was appalled by dirty, unsanitary conditions at 16th & Mission Plazas. BART’s Head of Operations denied my request for more custodians.

So I brought gloves and a broom and began cleaning the plazas myself. Supervisor Hillary Ronen joined me. Together, we swept weekly for four months. The public and media responded. BART’s leadership changed its tune - devoting more resources to clean busy SF Stations.

That’s how change happens.

Other accomplishments include:

• Established Ambassador Program to promote safety through trained, unarmed staff on trains and platforms.

• Expanded 50% youth discount from age 12 to 18.

• First-ever BART Pilot Low-Income Rider discount (20%)

• Developing plan to reimagine BART Police and address systemic racism

My 25 years in San Francisco City government helps ensure collaboration with BART on homelessness, safety and operations.

In this unprecedented time in BART’s history, we’re working to maintain public health and safety as ridership slowly recovers from the pandemic.

Endorsed by: Sierra Club, Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, Lateefah Simon, London Breed, David Campos, Mark Leno, Jane Kim, Dean Preston.

I ask for your vote.

bevandufty.com

Bevan Dufty

PATRICK MORTIERE

My occupation is Nonprofit Director.

My qualifications are:

BART is a lifeline for many low-income individuals who rely on quick, cost-effective transportation. It’s critical that the burden for making up its budgetary strain doesn’t fall on riders already hurt financially by the pandemic.

My priorities as BART Director will be to hone in on our core rail network, make BART more bike, walk, and transit friendly, and to improve service, safety, and cleanliness. And as an efficient policy advocate, I’ll work with the Board and policymakers to shore up BART for generations to come.

We need less talk and more action. It’s absolutely imperative that we sustain BART long-term by curbing its reliance on fare revenue. San Francisco has always been a north star for innovation and equitability. At this moment we have the opportunity to situate BART as a free transit system for all one day.

I may not have decades of experience, but I do have a passion for public transportation, a firm understanding of the policy and budgetary processes necessary for the job, and a stellar track record of working with others to achieve policy wins for underserved communities.

I would be honored to have your vote.

Patrick Mortiere

patrickforbart.com

MICHAEL PETRELIS

My qualifications are:

I am running for BART’s District 9 seat. My agenda includes:

- Opening the rest rooms at all stations, employees attendants to monitor them.

- Defunding BART’s police.

- Banning directors from accepting donations from police unions.

- Promoting Black Lives Matter principles on electronic platform signage, ads on trains

- Hiring additional ambassadors to help the homeless and people in need

- Engaging local politicians to tax banks and billionaires to pay for making riding BART free for everyone.

- Ending any collaboration with ICE.

- Sharing a weekly newsletter of my activities

- Expanding seating and creating paper-and-pen bulletin boards for riders’ comments at 16th and 24th Street plazas.

- Holding monthly virtual town halls.

- Memorializing all public comments at board meetings in the minutes.

- Appointing a Rider’s Representative.

- Enhancing Covid-19 protections for all workers and riders.

- Promoting racial and social justice values at every level of operations.

- Establishing monthly listening sessions with the General Manager at all stations.

- Collaborating with local gardening nonprofits to plant and maintain trees.

I am a lifelong LGBT bicyclist, have never learned to drive a car nor owned one. I ask for your vote.

Michael Petrelis

DAVID WEI WEN YOUNG

My occupation is Engineer.

My qualifications are:

I first rode BART as a kid in the 1990s, back when it was still the train of the future.

Today, BART is headed in reverse. Ridership declines every year. Stations are less safe, trains are less reliable, and riders are rightfully worried about COVID-19 exposure.

BART has lost 90% of its riders and 90% of its revenue. With over $1B in unfunded pensions, BART risks bankruptcy and severe service cutbacks. As we recover, riders are choosing cars, clogging our streets and polluting our air. We need to radically improve BART before riders will come back.

I solve problems for a living. In my 20 year career in high tech, I’ve led diverse teams to success, solving difficult engineering problems by focusing on customer satisfaction. Current leaders have forgotten that BART is a train, and it needs to work. It’s time for new leadership in San Francisco who will put rider experience first.

I will:

Ensure safe, hygienic, crime-free trains and stations.

Invest in infrastructure that powers a growing, low carbon future.

Improve access through seamless payments and discount programs like Clipper Start.

Vote to join me in solving BART’s problems and rebuilding the train of the future.

Visit https://daveforbart.com/

David Wei Wen Young