Victor E. Flores Jr.

• Office: BART Board, District 7
• Election Date: November 5, 2024
• Candidate: Victor E. Flores Jr.
• Due Date: August 26, 2024
• Printable Version

Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the November 5, 2024 election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city delivered via common sense solutions and effective government. Our work includes running public opinion polls to understand what voters want, advocating for those changes, and ensuring that the SF government represents the people.

The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco.

This questionnaire will be published on growsf.org, and so we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

Please complete this questionnaire by August 26, 2024 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.

Table of Contents

• Your Goals
• Executive experience
• The Issues
  • Budget & Ridership
  • Station & Station Area conditions
  • Safety
  • Housing
  • Access
  • Performance
  • Automation
  • Expansion
  • Governance
  • BART Holiday Sweater Shortage
• Personal

Your Goals

We'd like to get some details about your high-level goals and how you intend to use your elected office to achieve them.

Why are you running for BART Board, District 7?

I'm running for office because my work is about service, not politics. BART is looking at a fiscal cliff; half of its board will be new after this election. BART Directors aren't just responsible for setting the district's vision, policy, and budget. Their ability to bring a coalition together and build consensus will be necessary for regional coordination. The relationships they bring and can build will help them bring resources back to BART. I have the vision, coalition, and relationships to support BART through these financial challenges. I also have experience working for the government as a policymaker staffer and as departmental staff at the SFPUC. My work on land use and infrastructure, including transportation, also provides me with a regional perspective on the challenges many Bay Area residents face around transportation and housing. I am qualified because I have the experience, relationships, and work ethic to push BART to the next level.

What is your #1 policy goal?

Fiscal sustainability. We can't do anything without resources. We need to diversify revenue and what our rider looks like. We can do this by implementing Hong Kong's MTR Corp Rail + Property policy and activating our stations into community hubs where arts and culture support commercial activity.

How will you build the coalition and political capital to enact your #1 goal?

This whole campaign has been about building a coalition to enact my policy goals. It's clear that we can not keep going the way we have. Now is the time for new ideas and the endorsements I have earned highlight my ability to connect with people, meet them where they are, and support a common vision.

Will the power of the office of BART Board, District 7 be enough to achieve this goal?

No, the coalition will bring together the community's, government staff's, and elected officials' power. BART is a special district connecting five counties and many cities. A BART Director has to be a booster for BART and build consensus to get the other stakeholders on board.

What are your #2 and #3 policy goals?

Reimagine TOD: BART's current TOD plan is acceptable. However, we should seek to maximize the amount of housing built using every tool available to fund developments. We should engage with local communities to identify their needs and incorporate them into the mixed uses. We should also build support in those communities, but we should not limit projects based on local opposition because each project is expected to be a 100-year decision. We can't add units out of thin air once our sites are developed. We must also incorporate a Rail+Property funding model, as Hong Kong MTR Corp does.

Public Safety: We need to expand our ambassadors' ranks and improve cleanliness at stations and trains. We must also fill police officer vacancies and bring SEPTA's Hub of Hub model to BART. Investing in these tools will reduce quality-of-life calls while freeing officers to respond to severe and violent crimes.

Will the power of the office of BART Board, District 7 be enough to achieve these goals?

No. We will need legislators to ensure we have the power to be investors in our own real estate, we will need developers to buy in and partner on future projects. We also need philanthropic support to start programs like Community Hubs and the Hub of Hope model.

What is the top single policy you would like to reform in 2025?

For BART, implementing Rail+Property.

Is there an "out there" change you would make to state/local government policy, if you could? (For example: adding at-large supervisors, changing how elections work, creating a Bay Area regional government, etc.)

Rail+Property. Transit agencies don't do this here, and because of that, we have agencies that aren't financially sustainable. This would also give BART more funding and control over developments on its property. It could also open the door to adding to its 250 acres of property it currently owns.

Tell us one thing you think needs to change in SF that the average voter wouldn't know about.

SF needs to make it legal to build multifamily housing across the city not just the Eastern portion.

Executive experience

Please describe your experience running large organizations, managing executive teams (including hiring, firing, and performance management), driving cultural change and clear communication throughout all levels, effective financial management (budgets, reporting, audit, etc.), and any other relevant experience.

During the 2020 Primary I served as the campaign manager for Alameda County Measure C. I created the campaign infrastructure through the hiring and training of two campaign coordinators, creating a communications system, and using the campaign plan to monitor daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

I also built equity hiring practices for youth and reentry, hired, trained, and managed over 60 staff and volunteers with an average of 20 - 40 staff and volunteers per shift.

I tracked and reported field, staff, administrative needs, costs, and Key Performance Indicators for my unit's $250,000 budget to reach 561,798 probable March voters.

As campaign manager, I also cultivated, managed, and leveraged external relationships with elected officials, community leaders, and various organizations to earn their support, endorsement, and volunteers for the campaign.

Please describe a time when you had an underperforming subordinate and how you handled the situation, including (and especially) how you were able to increase their performance.

Note: Please remember that this questionnaire will be public, so do not include any personally identifiable information.

Years ago, I had a direct report at a small organization that was failing in its field data collection and reporting. I began reviewing their reports with them, asking why they had written things as they had and explaining how and why I would write them differently. I also began to do informal check-ins on their data before their reports were due in order to ensure they were more diligent in collecting their data and preparing their reports promptly. I also asked how I could provide support to ensure they had everything they needed to be successful.

Please describe a time when your organization faced an extreme challenge and how you got the organization through it.

A couple of years ago, I was elected to the board of an organization that had reduced membership activity. I began recruiting heavily through networking and created programming to draw and retain members. I also fundraised to support membership activities. I also build up the organization's infrastructure to ensure streamlined and transparent communication.

The Issues

Next, we will cover the issues that voters tell us they care about. We hope to gain a better understanding of your policy positions, and we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

Budget & Ridership

Please explain the cause of BART's current budget problems.

The structural budget problem results from BART being primarily funded by fares. This is due to the flawed idea that public transit, a public good, should pay for itself. Before the pandemic, BART's operating budget was 71% funded by fares, mostly from commuters. Now that most people work from home, we must rethink how we fund BART. If we keep things as they are, we have a few options. We can cut service to the level our current revenues can pay for, but this would shut down stations and long headways, pushing even more people back to their cars and increasing congestion. We could force everyone to return to the office, which is unlikely. Or we could double the population before 2027, which is also unlikely. Alternatively, we can diversify our revenue sources (Rail + Property) and diversify our riders so we aren't dependent on commuters (Community Hubs).

What changes does BART need to make to shore up its budget, and what level of cost-savings or additional revenue would that bring?

BART is already lean. The finance staff has already reported that almost nothing can be cut to maintain the current service levels. The only way out of this situation is to increase revenue, not cut service. To that end, we need to implement Rail+Property and give people a reason to use BART for reasons other than commuting. I believe that turning stations into community hubs could do that.

How would you build the political coalition to make these changes?

I would need to get everyone to understand the benefits to BART and everyone else. For transit agencies, a more sustainable BART means a strong transportation network and partners. For communities, this means investments in neighborhoods, arts, culture, commercial activity, and housing.

Do you support a revenue measure to address BART's current budget problems? What type of revenue measure do you envision putting before the voters and when?

Yes. I'm not married to any idea, but my two criteria are: can it win, and is it equitable? I will look for the path forward between those two.

Should BART conduct fare enforcement operations? Why or why not?

Yes, and we should expand reduced fare options for those who need them. People should know that they will be held accountable. We can do this without resorting to violence, and when people know there will be accountability, it will reduce antisocial behavior and crimes. While not all fare evaders commit serious or violent crimes, those who do are generally fare evaders.

If you don't believe BART should enforce payment, please explain why not paying is acceptable to you and how BART will make up for the lost revenue.

N/A

San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa counties support BART operations through a series of tax measures. San Mateo does not support BART operations, other than through a small fare surcharge which does not nearly cover the cost of the service. What would you do to fix this, and how would you build the political coalition to fix this? What would you do if no fix could be found?

I would have BART buy real estate in San Mateo County, especially in affluent communities, and develop the highest-density developments possible to cover any shortfalls in that county, regardless of affluent community opposition. I would work with my friends and allies in the legislature and local government to make this legally possible through state law, which means that BART is exempt from local permitting.

What would you do to increase BART ridership in the short and long term, and how would you build the political coalition to make that happen?

In the short term, my concept of Community Hubs focuses on activating stations through consistent daily programming to turn each station into a destination point by making them places people want to spend time at. This will help diversify who our riders are, meaning we will get more riders who use the system for non-work-related reasons. This includes supporting entrepreneurs from start-ups to brick-and-mortar by providing the space and technical assistance.

We can start a pilot program with pop-up markets, kiosks, and arts programming. Scaling up could involve constructing modular space within our stations.

Over the long term, future Transit-Oriented Development will be integrated with programming, arts, culture, higher density housing, and based on lessons learned, so there will be fewer high-vacancy periods in commercial real estate.

Do you have some "out-there" ideas for increasing revenues that don't include raising fares?

Rail Plus Property is the most significant idea, but I also see my idea around Community Hubs adding additional revenue because of the entrepreneur development pipeline. I believe BART should provide space for commercial activity, which can start as pop-ups and kiosks and then develop into small commercial spaces on our property while paired with technical assistance so our businesses can succeed. I want to explore what modular commercial space could look like so that small business owner can expand their space without moving around from station to station.

Station & Station Area conditions

The cleanliness of station interiors greatly improved due to the mobilization of more cleaning staff in 2023, but the exterior conditions at 16th & Mission and 24th & Mission remain very bad. What causes this mismatch in conditions, and what can the BART board to do resolve it?

The mismatch is that BART owns, operates, and maintains the station's interior. People go in and out rather than spend time there. The exterior is exposed to the elements, has people who hang out, and is open to more debris from the people there and the surrounding areas. BART can partner with San Francisco to provide more frequent cleaning services. Still, a redesign might make more sense not just to help maintain the area but also to add landscaping, which could reduce the heat island effect, and green stormwater infrastructure can add to the city's efforts to reduce street flooding.

What do you think of the conditions of the stations and station areas along Market St, and what would you do to improve those conditions?

I think all the stations along Market can be modernized with new lighting, brighter interiors, more art, and landscaping. The new canopies are a good way to start and protect the station entrances. The areas themselves will continue to be impacted by the issues around the city. If we want to improve them, we need to build more housing to get people off the streets and provide resources to those with other issues and supportive needs. I will partner with our city stakeholders to bring my experience around land use and green infrastructure to help improve the station areas along Market Street.

Safety

In February 2023, BART increased the number of BART Police on the system, with a record number of riders now reporting they have seen BART PD on a trip. 79% of riders report they feel more comfortable riding BART when police are present. Should BART continue deploying BART police at the current levels?

BART Police have some of the fastest response times, at under five minutes, if not the fastest. Generally, people want to know that someone on BART staff will keep them safe. I believe that armed police should be a last resort for violent and serious crimes because not only are they expensive, but I want to make sure we can keep their response time under five minutes. We can expand our ambassador program to maintain a presence on BART without paying the same or sacrificing our response times.

What else needs to be done to improve both actual and perceived safety on BART and in BART stations?

We need an all of the above response that prioritizes unarmed staff to deal with quality of life complaints and fare evasion so that our armed officers are available for serious and violent crimes. This looks like expanding our ambassador's ranks and filling vacancies for police. I also want to start a program like SEPTA's Hub of Hope so that our unsheltered community can access resources rather than using state force to remove them. Accountability needs to happen but it doesn't always need to be fines and incarceration. I'm committed to creating accountability measures with diversion and restorative components because we need every tool to ensure both riders and BART staff are safe.

Housing

Do you think BART should be actively working to increase housing production in and around BART stations, and why?

Absolutely, because when we implement Rail Plus Property as a revenue source, BART will earn money from those developments, making the system more sustainable. Additionally, building homes near transit provides many benefits, such as reducing vehicle miles traveled, GHG, congestion, market pressure on housing, etc. More density also benefits neighborhood businesses by bringing more customers to them.

If yes, what would you do to increase housing production in and around BART stations?

Implement Rail Plus Property. Change legislation to make BART a permitting agency. Purchase more property around stations and build as dense as possible.

Do you think BART should be building housing on its parking lots, without replacing the lost parking in new parking structures?

It depends. In the urban core, yes, we should build housing over parking lots and not replace the lost parking lots unless the data shows we need it. For the suburban stations, sadly we will continue to need parking spaces for our suburban commuters who don't have great transit options to get to their BART station and for the mega-commuters who travel from the Central Valley to a BART station and then take it into the central business districts.

Do you think that BART's affordable housing policy is helping build housing around BART stations?

I think it has helped somewhat by providing cheap land to developers, but I also believe we also can build far more housing than we have so far. I believe that once we begin investing in our real estate projects, we will build more units overall while still providing affordable housing.

Access

Do you think BART should be actively working to make it easier to access BART stations without a car?

Yes. Every public agency should be making it easy to get around without a car.

If yes, what would you do to increase access to BART stations without a car?

I want to build better bike parking and micromobility options. We also need fully funded transit partners that can help connect distant neighborhoods to BART stations. I will also advocate for better street designs around our stations to make it easier and safer for people to get to a station with non-car options.

Performance

BART regularly faces delays, either from malfunctions or police activity. What policies will you enact or change to minimize delays?

For malfunctions, we need to improve our infrastructure to ensure it is resilient to weather impacts. I want to explore nature-based solutions for our heat and rain-related issues. Creating green corridors on our tracks could help reduce weather impacts while purifying runoff water and beautifying our infrastructure. For police activity, I want to work with our police department to implement policies that will get trains moving quicker while allowing them to collect evidence and statements without issues.

When BART does face delays, do you think BART effectively communicates to its riders about those delays to help them make alternative arrangements? If no, what would you do to solve this problem?

I haven't felt that BART has communicated that well when delays happen. Usually I depend on the BART Alerts twitter account for updates. Announcements on speakers haven't always been clear. I want to use our new screens to provide information in trains. I also want to see the BART app be more informative.

BART has struggled with keeping its elevators and escalators in good working order. What would you do to increase the up-time of escalators and elevators?

We need to keep this maintenance team fully staffed so they can maintain the equipment. I want to work with the maintenance team to see if we can find more efficiencies in the maintenance schedule and see what else they need to keep escalators and elevators working.

Automation

Would you support automating the trains, like many international cities (and Disneyland) have done decades ago?

No.

If you support this, please indicate a prospective timeline for these upgrades, what they may cost, and how much they may save, as well as expected improvements in performance and reliability for the system. Please also explain how you will build the political coalition for automation?

N/A

If you do not support automation, please explain why.

I'm concerned about the safety of fully automated trains on our system and the ability of staff to respond if a train were to malfunction which could cause massive delays. Our transit operators are the final safeguard to ensure our trains run safely.

Expansion

Do you support the BART expansion to San Jose, and why or why not? If yes, how much do you think the project would have to cost before it is no longer worth it? If not, what would you do about it?

I want to see BART extend to San Jose and other areas in a financially sustainable way. We've already invested money in the project; abandoning it would result in losing money without a product to show for it. At this point, we must take the lessons learned and apply them to future projects. Also, this is a VTA project that Santa Clara taxpayers have partially funded, so any discussion about what to do with the project needs to include our Santa Clara partners.

Do you support a second rail crossing of the Bay (known as Link 21), and why? How would you assess whether the cost of a second rail crossing is worth the benefits?

I support a second rail crossing because we will need the additional capacity sometime in the future. Such a large infrastructure project will require long-term planning and funding.

Governance

Should BART have an elected or appointed board, and why?

Elected, and they should be interested in transit. Most elected officials don't prioritize transit as it is. They can appoint people who are intent on sabotaging transit services. Competitive races about transit policy should also make for a stronger board of directors.

BART Holiday Sweater Shortage

In a bit of fun, what will you do to solve the BART Holiday Sweater shortage? Every year, the sweater fully sells out quickly, depriving BART fans of delightful whimsy.

In a private-public partnership, BART could (maybe?) license its branding and ugly sweater concept to a private third party and share profits to bypass any production limits due to the board's procurement process.

Personal

Tell us a bit about yourself!

How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?

I don't live in San Francisco. I grew up in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood and currently live in the Jack London District.

What do you love most about San Francisco?

The vibrancy, parks, transit, and variety of culture.

What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?

Not enough housing.

Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)

I have served on various boards such as the Alameda County Community Corrections Partnership Community Advisory Board, Neighborhood Opportunity & Accountability Board, Oakland Latino Task Force, Oakland Latino Chamber of Commerce, Latino Young Democrats of the East Bay, East Bay Young Democrats, and the California Young Democrats. I'm also a member of Oakland Rotary #3, the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, the Sierra Club, East Bay For Everyone, and East Bay YIMBY.

Thank you

Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!