Robert RaburnRobert Raburn

BART Director Robert Raburn has advocated for literally thousands of units of housing at BART stations in his district. We love his bigger-is-better approach to transit-oriented development. Director Raburn was also instrumental in guiding BART out of the pandemic with his efforts to attract more riders through improved scheduling, transfers, safety and fare gates.

Before Robert Raburn ever held office, he spent a decade chairing Alameda County’s Measure B Citizens Watchdog Committee (the body that makes sure voter-approved transportation dollars actually go where voters were told they’d go). He came to this work as a watchdog first, and he has governed like one ever since.

As a professional transportation planner, with training and experiences that directly relate to being a successful board member, he championed the “Fleet of the Future” order that finally retired the last legacy BART cars in 2023, insisting the new trains include dedicated space for wheelchairs and bicycles. He helped drive BART’s transit-oriented development policy, which has already delivered 275 units at Fruitvale (including BART’s first supportive housing for veterans), 110 at Coliseum, and more than 250 affordable units in San Leandro.

Robert also consistently shows up with his community. He is a fixture at neighborhood meetings, station walk-throughs, and community events across his district. His connection to his constituents is something to be recognized and it shows in how he can speak about specific conditions at individual stations in this district.

You might hear:

“He’s been on the BART board for 16 years. Isn’t it time for new blood?”

Usually we’d agree that long tenure without a serious challenge is how boards get complacent, but BART is weeks away from one of the most consequential election votes in its history, followed by either a major rebuild or deeper service cuts than the system has ever made. Now is not the moment to hand District 4’s seat (with some of the most at-risk stations in the system) to someone learning the budget from scratch. Raburn’s institutional knowledge, fiscal discipline, and real relationships in these neighborhoods are assets we cannot afford to throw away this cycle.

Source (https://www.empoweroakland.com/voter-guide#bart-d4)

Director Robert Raburn has earned EB4E’s endorsement for re-election. Director Raburn has been instrumental in guiding BART out of the pandemic with his efforts to attract more riders through improved scheduling, transfers, safety and fare gates. Raburn has continued to show leadership in building housing near transit. He was one of the key champions of developing housing at Lake Merritt BART that is close to completion. We also appreciate Director Raburn’s efforts to improve first/last mile access to Oakland BART stations for pedestrian and bike riders through improved access and safe storage for bikes.