Political leaders and advocates have persuaded the board of directors for the BART rapid transit system in northern California to scrap a move to allow alcohol advertising on trains and in stations, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Dec. 8.

Four BART directors who in September had voted with two others to allow the advertising changed their position in a Dec. 7 vote. The 7-2 vote to overturn the previous decision now means that no beer, wine or hard liquor ads will be allowed on BART trains or in stations. No ads ever went up after the earlier vote in September.

Groups including the West County Alcohol Policy Working Group in Contra Costa County urged the BART board to take revenue considerations out of the debate and to consider the ads' possible appeal to underage drinkers. In addition, the boards of supervisors in San Francisco and in Contra Costa County adopted resolutions asking BART directors to overturn their September vote. 

BART director Lynette Sweet acknowledged that money had driven the initial decision to overturn a long-standing ban on alcohol advertising. "It probably wasn't one of our better ideas," Sweet said.

Bruce Livingston, executive director of the Marin Institute, said advocates plan to target other transit agencies' policies. For example, San Francisco's Municipal Railway presently allows alcohol ads.