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Trump budget proposal prompts BART to fire back over Twitter

Cuts could halt electrification and Silicon Valley expansion

BART train in Oakland. Photo by Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock

BART isn’t known to mince words on social media. After the preliminary 2018 federal budget proposal was released by the Trump administration on Thursday—which features a series of proposed cuts to urban infrastructure funding that would prove damaging for many Americans who rely on public transportation—the Bay Area transit agency replied with facts of their own.

Although Trump had promised infrastructure investments during his campaign, the blueprint budget suggests otherwise, showing a hefty pruning to domestic spending upward of $54 billion. The reductions would affect transportation funding, community development, and public housing.

“The proposed Transportation Department budget of $16.2 billion—a 13 percent cut—would impact a host of programs that benefit both urban and rural communities,” reported Curbed. “Such programs have been championed by mayors and city planners across the country, from Seattle to Orlando to expand rail and bicycle networks and create pedestrian-friendly streetscapes.”

And BART, who recently announced the expansion of their Warm Springs connection, was none too thrilled. In a series of tweets, the public transit company snapped back with the following thread that notes, among other issues, a budget cut could hinger electrification, the Phase II project that would extend service to Silicon Valley, and more.

Behold.

Congress will now decide whether or not to move forward with the administration’s preliminary budget.