They wrote:
On Friday, BART announced its intention to close its 16th Street Mission
Station at 8pm on Halloween Night, October 31. BART management not only
made the wrong decision, but they made it in the wrong way.

Transit riders have been unfairly singled out in the city's War on Halloween, and BART's proposed closure is an insult to the community who
relies on 16th Street Mission Station. People and businesses that depend on BART and MUNI will have their mobility compromised by this campaign to suppress the Halloween celebration in the Castro, although automobile access will not be similarly curtailed. This discriminatory policy
falsely targets transit riders as the "problem". Reduced transit access on
Halloween night will unduly burden the thousands of San Franciscans who
want to enjoy Halloween responsibly, as well as people who may want
nothing to do with Halloween, but are just trying to get home to their families.
The effects of this closure will fall most heavily on the least mobile -- seniors, people with disabilities, and parents with small children,
and no thought has been given to their mobility needs.

Suppressing transit service also negates efforts over the last few
years to encourage celebrants to take transit rather than drive, and may therefore encourage drinking and driving.

BART's high-handed approach to the 16th and Mission closure is also a
giant step backward for BART in its relationship with the community. Both
of us have participated in efforts over the years to get BART and the City to
plan their services and facilities around community needs and with
greater community involvement. That BART's brand new General Manager chose to
make this decision without any community consultation is regrettable; BART
riders and the 16th and Mission community deserve greater respect than
this.

Since BART announced its decision, we have heard from residents,
business owners, and community who will be adversely affected by this decision,
asking that BART's ill-advised decision be reversed.

Halloween night has been an important public celebration in San
Francisco for decades. Last year's Halloween celebration was huge, however it was
badly managed by the City, and marred by a shooting late in the evening.
BART, however, had no incidents of note on Halloween last year, and
at the urging of Director Tom Radulovich and Supervisor Dufty, ran service
later into the evening and provided Halloween revelers with flash passes to
encourage transit ridership and discourage driving on Halloween
night. The City's experience was regrettable, but BART's experience, building on
its successful late night service for 1999 New Year's Eve, showed how the
City, with timely and thoughtful planning, can use transit to minimize the
impact of large events in the City.

After the event, Supervisor Dufty and the Mayor promised that a
Public Task Force would be convened to figure out how to make Halloween a successful
event. The promised community process never occurred. Instead, the Mayor
and Supervisor Dufty rolled out its hasty "Home for Halloween" campaign.
According to BART staff, a few weeks ago a request came from
representatives of the Mayor's office and Supervisor Dufty to close the
16th and Mission Station on Halloween Night. There was no mention of the
proposed closure at any public meeting, nor was any meaningful public
input solicited from the communities most affected by the proposed change.
Neither Supervisor Daly, who represents the 16th and Mission area on the
Board of Supervisors, nor BART Director Tom Radulovich, who
represents both
the Castro and Mission districts on the BART Board of Directors, were
consulted or informed of the proposed change.

As the elected representatives of the 16th and Mission community, we
call on BART to reverse its decision and agree to keep the station open on
Halloween night.

Chris Daly, District 6 Supervisor
Tom Radulovich, District 9 BART Director