Read the letter below or view the PDF. 

February 11, 2026

Board of Directors
Bay Area Rapid Transit
2150 Webster Street, 1st Floor
Oakland, CA 94612

RE: Public Comment for February 12, 2026 Agenda Items 4A and 4B

Dear Board of Directors:

For more than 50 years, the City of Fremont has collaborated with the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to achieve outcomes regarding shared goals for public transportation, innovation, transit-oriented development (TOD), and the broader Bay Area economic growth.

This letter serves as public comment about the potential impacts on the Warm Springs BART Station, under BART’s proposed “Measure Fails” strategy for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, where Fremont’s Warm Springs BART station may be considered for closure along with nine other stations if the Connect Bay Area measure fails or if the budgets for upcoming fiscal years are insufficient to maintain or expand BART’s existing services and/or operations.

We are cognizant of BART’s fiscal pressures and deepening operational uncertainty. However, while we understand BART approach to look at stations with lower ridership, this strategy fails to acknowledge the significant benefit the location and public asset brings to the Bay Area economy, with a potential upside for more. Some of the notable benefits include:

• Importance to the Broader Bay Area Economy and Innovation. The Warm Springs station is conveniently located adjacent to one of the largest employment zones in the region, including the highest output automotive plant in North America. Tesla’s Fremont factory, with more than 25,000 employees, is among the top property and sales tax generators in the Bay Area. The station is connected by the City’s $41 million pedestrian bridge investment to California’s largest manufacturing ecosystem. Importantly, the vast majority of Warm Springs/Bayside jobs are “middle wage” (or higher), primarily in essential industries, and not as compatible with remote work, driving the case for transit connection more than most other job centers.
• Warm Springs Station’s Low Operating Cost. The Warm Springs station has maintained a very low operating cost, given its modern, low maintenance, and energy-efficient design.
• A TOD Project Underway Near the Warm Springs Station. The area’s TOD master plan has resulted in approximately 4,000 new housing units and additional industrial development proposals in the pipeline. This is one of the largest active TOD projects at a BART station in the Bay Area. This TOD project will bring additional ridership once it is complete.

The Warm Springs station embodies the state’s economic and transportation goals. As BART continues to develop its budget strategy for FY 2027, the City of Fremont respectfully requests continued dialogue to ensure the Warm Springs station remains a vital part of BART and the Bay Area’s transit network.

Sincerely,
Raj Salwan
Mayor

cc:

The Honorable Dr. Aisha Wahab, California State Senate
The Honorable Alex Lee, California State Assembly
The Honorable David Haubert, Alameda County Board of Supervisors
The Honorable Elisa Márquez, Alameda County Board of Supervisors