A February fire at a West Oakland RV encampment destroyed BART's radio cables and shut down the Transbay Tube for over 12 hours — and BART has since admitted it knew about the site beforehand and had been asking Oakland to clear it. The disaster is the latest in a string of governance failures hitting Oakland, including a collapsing deal to sell the abandoned Coliseum and a property crime rate — with a 0.5% solve rate — that ranks worst in the nation.
BART knew about the encampment, had legal authority to clear it, and asked Oakland nicely. Then it burned.
In 2013, three pro sports teams and big dreams. In 2026, an empty stadium nobody will buy.
The highest property crime rate in America, the fewest cops per crime, and a 0.5% solve rate. These aren't excuses—they're failures.