Woman’s shoe delays BART and BART measure supporters

BART delays caused by overcrowding Monday weren’t enough to prevent a high-powered passel of Bay Area politicos — from Rep. Barbara Lee and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom to state legislators and mayors Ed Lee and Libby Schaaf — from gathering in Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland to urge voters to pass Measure RR. With the polls set to open Tuesday, the Yes on RR campaign held its first big news conference to counter the arguments of opponents, mainly state Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, who has accused BART of mismanagement with the money it has. On Monday, Measure RR supporters charged Glazer with needlessly beating up on BART, perhaps causing lasting damage to an essential, but aging agency that has managed itself well. Measure RR supporters said BART’s critics have no plan — other than to urge voters to reject the proposal and promise they will come back to them later with something better. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf called opponents “simply irresponsible” for not having an immediate alternative plan to rebuild BART should Measure RR fail. Glazer, in a telephone interview, said he has an eight-point plan that includes preparing a detailed spending plan with itemized expenses, conducting salary surveys and supporting legislation to ban strikes. Measure RR supporters, including Joel Ramos of transit advocacy group Transform, said it’s crucial to rebuild the BART system — and without delay.