CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : BART Plagued by Bickering, Red Tape

Bickering among employees, weak authority and general bureaucracy are crippling the Bay Area Rapid Transit management system, a BART official said. Employees avoid making decisions, and some are rewarded for just showing up for work, according to BART Deputy General Manager John Haley. To counteract the malaise, a committee of BART directors has reviewed a staff proposal to hire a consultant. The full BART board is to vote Aug. 23 on a staff recommendation to hire Development Dimensions International to “implement cultural change” at a cost of $200,000 over three years.