For the existing system: Could something better have been built? Could something less expensive have done the same job? A lot of decisions were made back then (about track gauge, voltage, no-bid contracts, etc.) which continue to define (some would say haunt) the system, for better or worse.

For future projects: Do we continue extending the existing technology, regardless of cost? Or do we consider options that weren’t available in the 1960s?

For recent BART extensions: How well are they performing compared to projections? How much did they cost compared to estimates?

For BART to San Jose: Is Santa Clara County being honest about cost and ridership projections?

BART may very well have been (and continue to be) the best option to serve transbay and downtown SF. It’s not necessarily the best option to serve Silicon Valley.

For commuters to Silicon Valley from Fremont, Pleasanton, Livermore, and beyond, the current ACE line is much faster and more direct. Can it be made much more frequent and bidirectional for less than six billion dollars?

Meanwhile, the latest proposed sales tax still isn’t enough to cover the cost of building and running BART to San Jose.