BART lengthens commute trains to accommodate increased ridership

September ridership up 3 to 4 percent over same period last year

Today BART began giving its riders additional room by adding more cars onto morning and evening commute trains.

The combination of gas prices, Bay Bridge construction, gridlock and games at the Oakland Coliseum & SBC Park has spurred ridership beyond what BART analysts had projected.

In September 2005, ridership was up 3 to 4 percent compared with September 2004. That means an average of about 15,000 more people took BART each weekday this September than last September.

The ridership increase has prompted BART officials to lengthen trains to ensure more room for passengers. Many trains now have one or two additional cars. On average, each train car can comfortably hold around 100 passengers. During the rush period, trains vary in length from six to ten cars with the longer trains serving the highest demand areas and times.