Progressives seem no less conservative when problems are at their doorstep. And never underestimate the depth of racist--specifically, anti-black--sentiments in the U.S. or most places in the world, for that matter.

It's hard to dispute their fears. Considering the profile of crime in SF, especially property crime, they're warranted. This is more true today than when they killed the extension.

Of course, the proper response is to address the underlying problems; to stop the self-perpetuating cycle. But that's intractable in the short-term. Alternatively, the city could just beef up crime enforcement so that we can all enjoy better transit, which is itself a small (tiny) step in dealing with the deeper problems. But we're too busy enabling street addicts and pandering to extremist progressive fear mongers (e.g. anti-vaping, etc). It's difficult to blame anyone for not trusting the city to maintain law & order.