More than one-quarter of the infrastructure projects on which BART is working with Measure RR funding have now been completed, exceeding the agency’s timeline projections from when the measure went before voters in 2016.

The agency is currently working on more than 120 infrastructure repair and improvement projects and has already invested roughly $866 million from Measure RR, which authorized BART to issue bonds totaling $3.5 billion to replace aging rail and track components, some of which are more than 40 years old, and modernize the transit system’s stations.

BART officials credited the COVID-19 pandemic as the agency’s opportunity to hasten its infrastructure improvements, as BART’s track workers were able to do more than they otherwise would have over the last year while the system’s hours and ridership were reduced.

As of March 2021, BART has utilized Measure RR funds to replace 34 miles of track rail, 27 miles of electrical cables and improved the safety of the platform edges at seven different stations.

Eli covers public health, transportation and state politics for the Bay City News Foundation, serves as the main editor of the Public Health and COVID-19 Information Hub and assists with Local News Matters' social media strategy. He has also previously covered local politics in San Diego County as well as college and professional sports across the Bay Area.