BART troubles on Peninsula line

Some siginificant changes are planned for BART's extension to SFO. Ridership is below expectations so in an effort to stem the tide of red ink there are planned cutbacks in service this fall.

No one asked me but I could have told you, or them, that riders would not flock to the new extension to the airport. It is just impractical when travelling with something much bigger than a backpack or laptop computer to use the service. Taxis and door-to-door shuttle vans are much more convenient when there is a large amount of luggage involved. Only those travelling lightly or perhaps those wanting to save a few dollars will take BART, or any other public transit agency to the airport. At least this has been my experience in cities from London to Atlanta, Paris, and Boston. By far, most riders fall into that category of small amounts of luggage. It is great for workers at the airport for sure and for flight crews who travel lightly although in San Francisco flight crews have their own shuttle buses from hotel to airport.

Having said that however, I am amazed at the amount of people using BART to the Oakland Airport/Coliseum Station with the Air BART shuttle bus to the terminals. These people are traveling with substantial luggage and that service is frequently crowded so why are there so few riding BART to SFO? Is it the way BART is or is not marketing their SFO service? Is it competition from competing forms of transporation? Just what is the problem anyway?