Lateefah Simon leads BART board on track to social justice

Lateefah Simon, BART's new board president and a single mom who is legally blind, riding BART during her morning commute on January 16, 2020 in Richmond, Calif.

Lateefah Simon, BART’s new board president and a single mom. gets her daughter Lelah ready for a Lyft ride to pick them up in order for Lelah to get to school.

Simon speaks with a BART worker at the Richmond Station during her morning commute.

Lateefah Simon rides BART during her morning commute in Richmond.

Simon, who is legally blind, takes the escalator to the train platform at Richmond Station.

For years, Lateefah Simon was an ordinary transit rider — the unflinching single mom who dropped her daughter off at 7 a.m. each weekday, then scrambled to catch a BART train. Now, she helps set an agenda for the regional rail system.

“With all these decisions BART is making, the board needs a legally blind, black, single mother,” said Simon, whose acute nearsightedness prevents her from driving. She was elected president of BART’s Board of Directors in December, signaling a political shift for the transit agency.

Throughout its history, BART offered respite from the problems outside. This year it’s confronting them head on. A more progressive board is pressing for low-income fare discounts, civilian ambassadors to supplement the police force, housing on station parking lots and parking prices that dissuade people from taking their cars. They’re considering far-reaching ideas, like making transit free for everyone — something that 42-year-old Simon hopes to see in her lifetime. Read More