Recently throughout campus, people with clipboards have asked anyone passing by if they are a registered voter. Common reasons to deflect include going to class, saying you’re not registered or just walking away.

Students, for better or worse, are too busy — that understandable apathy risks our access to public transit.

With gas prices at their highest since 2023 after the Iran war started, and BART’s financial deficit risking a service phaseout or even the system completely shutting down, everyone gets the short end of the stick.

BART’s Alternate Service Plan, introduced at its annual board workshop, depends on whether voters approve a November ballot measure authorized by Senate Bill 63 or get it on the ballot in the first place. 

SB 63, aka the Connect Bay Area Act, proposes a 14-year sales tax set to bring in $980 million annually from Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

This funding will stop BART and other Bay Area transit systems such as Caltrain, which also face risks of closing more than one-third of stations, from cutting service. It will also improve the rider experience across the five counties.

According to Seamless Bay Area, this looming transportation nightmare will be a reality unless organizers collect 200,000 signatures to get the measure on the ballot. That’s a large number, but it’s possible.

If you have ever relied on public transportation or have loved ones who do, now is the time to raise your voice. 

Without actively fighting back, the impending cuts will harm students. SamTrans route 141 stops at San Bruno BART, the closest station to campus, which is on the chopping block by January.

Skyline is largely inaccessible unless you have a car, live close or take public transportation.

Clipboards and wide smiles might not be what you want to see in the morning, but you can also sign off campus. The Connect Bay Area Transit initiative hosts events where people can volunteer to gather signatures and attend to sign petitions, specifically for SB 63. 

Seamless Bay Area also gives updates on Bay Area transit news. Other groups that organize in tandem with the two are Climate Action Club and Transbay Coalition. 

While websites such as Change.org exist as a grassroots way to raise attention to an issue, petitions on a government level require more checks to go through. The California Code of Regulations requires that petitions verify signatures to qualify for the raw count.

District resources such as the SamTrans Free Way2Go Bus Pass and $50 monthly transportation card help alleviate students’ financial burden. However, with BART hiking fares at the start of this year over low ridership, this support won’t be enough soon.

Deterioration relies on silence. Advocating for change is not the scary boogeyman you think it is — all it needs is a small push.