San Francisco’s Friday morning came to a halt as the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system suffered a complete shutdown due to a computer network failure, underscoring the vulnerability of outdated American infrastructure—even after the Biden administration poured billions into it. Tens of thousands of commuters were stranded during rush hour in one of the nation’s most liberal strongholds, as the transit system that services over 150,000 daily riders ground to a halt.
The shutdown occurred around 5:00 a.m. local time, when the BART control center failed to reboot after its routine overnight power-down. Riders scrambled for buses, ride shares, or simply gave up getting to work. Service was finally restored at 9:30 a.m., nearly five hours later, but not before commuters faced major disruptions.
BART, a critical artery in the Bay Area’s transportation network, spans over 130 miles and dates back to 1972. The incident highlighted just how antiquated the system has become. Mechanics still rely on Windows 98—an operating system released more than 25 years ago—to maintain daily operations. Outdated laptops are required to interface with the system, a detail that drew sharp criticism from frustrated riders and renewed scrutiny of government spending priorities.
BART spokesperson Alicia Trost acknowledged the system’s frailty, calling the situation “awful news” and admitting the infrastructure is over 50 years old. She noted that updates are underway, but that offers little comfort to a public increasingly disillusioned with promises of modernization.
The BART failure was not an isolated incident. Just one day earlier, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy publicly criticized the nation’s air traffic control system, revealing it still relies on floppy disks and suffers from a chronic shortage of air traffic controllers. Despite the Biden administration’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, Duffy said key sectors like aviation and mass transit remain technologically stagnant.
The incident raises serious questions about where the federal infrastructure funding has gone. With billions earmarked for modernization, Americans continue to face third-world reliability in first-world cities. While progressive leaders in California push green energy and diversity initiatives, basic functionality of essential services remains neglected.
This week’s BART failure is another example of a nation paying the price for misplaced priorities. Commuters in one of the most heavily taxed states in the country were left in the dark—again.
