Robert Raburn
CA · Director, BART Board of Directors, District 4
Robert Raburn has been a BART director since 2010 and earlier led the East Bay Bicycle Coalition and taught geography and urban planning at San José State. He points to BART's new train fleet, new fare gates, and housing near stations as his work on the board.
Where Robert Raburn stands, based on their records
Supports
Public Infrastructure (5 records)
Opposes
Environment and Public Health (1 record)
Mixed record
Government Spending Reduction (1 support · 3 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Environment and Public Health
Environment and Public Health · 1 oppose
Voted against bringing back BART's mask requirement in the paid areas of stations and trains. The board passed it 6-2.
July 28, 2022Opposes Environment and Public Health
Source: bart.legistar1.com
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 1 support · 3 oppose
Seconded and voted for BART's two-year budget for July 2023 to June 2025, which passed 6-3.
June 8, 2023Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: bart.legistar1.com
Voted to put a BART bond measure to repair and replace BART facilities on the November 8, 2016 ballot. The board approved it 9-0.
June 9, 2016Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: bart.gov
Seconded and voted for the 2013 labor agreements with BART's SEIU and ATU unions, minus one disputed section. The board approved them 8-1.
November 21, 2013Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: bart.gov
Publicly urged BART to stop selling the bonds that paid for the Oakland Airport Connector tram. He said the project would burden BART's operating budget and crowd out replacing the train fleet.
April 26, 2011Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: cbsnews.com
Track record — Public Infrastructure
Public Infrastructure · 5 support
Voted for BART to support SB 63, the state bill for a regional transit funding measure. The board passed it 8-0, with one abstention.
April 10, 2025Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: bart.legistar1.com
Moved a $7.4 million contract with Cupertino Electric to install new BART fare gates. The board approved it 8-0.
August 15, 2024Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: bart.legistar1.com
Moved a package of station quality-of-life deals, including $930,000 for Urban Alchemy elevator attendants, $250,000 for the Pit Stop program and a homeless outreach team. It passed 8-1.
September 13, 2018Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: bart.gov
Voted to put a BART bond measure to repair and replace BART facilities on the November 8, 2016 ballot. The board approved it 9-0.
June 9, 2016Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: bart.gov
Voted with a unanimous board to award Bombardier a $630.5 million contract for 260 new BART rail cars. Before that, he voted against a motion to delay the award, which failed 2-6.
May 10, 2012Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: bart.gov
Track record — General
General · 14 records
Cast the only no vote (6-1) when the board backed SB 1031, a state bill to raise regional money for transit, if amended. The motion also had staff report on the bill at every board meeting.
March 28, 2024
Source: bart.legistar1.com
Moved two 5.5% inflation-based BART fare increases, for January 2024 and January 2025, which passed 6-2. He voted against a smaller 4% yearly increase, which failed 2-7.
June 8, 2023
Source: bart.legistar1.com
Cast the only no vote (7-1) on BART's new election district map in 2022. He had argued the lines could still be redrawn.
March 10, 2022
Source: bart.legistar1.com
Cast the only no vote (8-1) on a $6.7 million Axon contract for BART police body cameras. His motion to limit the contract to five years got no second.
August 26, 2021
Source: bart.legistar1.com
Voted for BART's policy governing surveillance technology, which passed 9-0. He had proposed limiting any trial of new technology to 90 days, but that motion got no second.
September 13, 2018
Source: bart.gov
Cast the only no vote when the board considered supporting SB 1045, a state bill on conservatorship for people with serious mental illness and addiction. The support motion failed 4-1, with two abstentions.
August 9, 2018
Source: bart.gov
Voted against asking staff to bring back a standard BART rail extension to Livermore for future consideration. The motion failed 4-5.
May 24, 2018
Source: bart.gov
Was elected BART board president for 2018 by a unanimous vote of the board.
December 21, 2017
Source: bart.gov
Voted to repeal BART's rule banning riders from taking up more than one seat at rush hour; the repeal passed 5-4. He had also voted against the rule when the board adopted it 5-4 in April 2016.
June 22, 2017
Source: bart.gov
Voted against having BART support three state housing bills on backyard homes and housing density bonuses (AB 2299, AB 2501 and AB 1069). The support motion failed 3-5.
June 9, 2016
Source: bart.gov
Voted against BART's Affordable Housing Policy for homes built on BART land, which passed 6-3. He backed a failed substitute that would have listed each station's current affordable housing share and the 20% goal in every development request.
January 28, 2016
Source: bart.gov
Cast the only no vote (8-1) when the BART board voted to support Alameda County's 2012 Transportation Expenditure Plan.
April 26, 2012
Source: bart.gov
Cast the only no vote (8-1) on an agreement with Fremont to design and build the Irvington BART station, estimated at $120 million. He had first moved to table the item, but no one seconded it.
June 23, 2011
Source: bart.gov
Won his first race for BART District 4, beating incumbent Carole Ward Allen about 46% to 35% in early returns. He ran against the $484 million Oakland Airport Connector, calling it an unnecessary expense.
November 2, 2010
Source: cbsnews.com
Past race Robert Raburn ran in:
- Bay Area Rapid Transit District Director, District 4 · November 3, 2026 · BART Director District 4 · incumbent