Mission

To provide a catalyst for improvements of BART operations and promote a credible, efficient, effective, equitable, fair, focused, transparent, and fully accountable form of governance.

Vision

To improve BART services by providing independent, objective, and reliable information regarding BART’s ability to meet its goals and objectives and establish an adequate system of internal controls, root out improper governmental activities (i.e., fraud, waste, or abuse), and address racial, gender, and ethnic inequities.

Core Values

Statutory Authority

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) was authorized in Bay Area Regional Measure 3 (RM 3), which voters approved on June 5, 2018. The measure was on the ballot for voters in the City and County of San Francisco and Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma Counties. RM 3 provided an annual allocation of $1 million in toll revenue to establish the independent OIG for the purpose of identifying opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of BART operations and delivery of capital projects, including toll-funded projects, and to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws. BART has the authority to increase the amount of funding provided for the OIG. Measure RM 3 included two provisions to ensure the Inspector General’s (IG) independence:

1. The IG is appointed by the Governor of California to an initial four-year term. The BART Board of Directors may renew the term at will. The Governor selects the appointee from a list of three candidates nominated by the BART board of directors.
2. The IG may be removed from office, subject to approval of the Governor, only if 1) a two-thirds majority of the board members votes for removal or 2) the IG violates a federal or state law or regulation, a local ordinance, or a District policy or practice relative to ethical practices, such as accepting gifts or contributions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the OIG are codified in California Public Utilities Code Section 28840-28845. They include, but are not limited to, requiring the IG to:

1. Examine BART’s operating practices to identify fraud, waste, and opportunities for efficiencies in administration of its programs and operations.
2. Ensure the BART administration, the board of directors, and the public are fully informed of the IG’s findings and recommendations.
3. Identify opportunities to improve data used to determine project resource allocations.
4. Conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and investigations relating to BART’s programs and operations, including, but not limited to, toll-funded programs.
5. Identify best practices for delivering capital projects and recommend policies to enable BART to adopt these practices when practicable.
6. Recommend policies that promote efficiency in the administration of programs and operations.
7. Review and recommend best practices that BART should follow to maintain positive and productive relations with its employees and the collective bargaining units representing those employees.
8. Provide a report, at least annually, to the Board of Directors and the California Legislature that summarizes significant problems identified in audits and investigations and whether BART has implemented the resulting recommendations.