BART employees volunteer to spruce up downtown Oakland

In partnership with the Oakland City Council, over 125 BART employees and their friends and families helped to clean Oakland’s downtown South of Broadway neighborhood today.  "The South of Broadway area, which covers 12th Street to 17th Street area between Madison Street to Franklin Street, took the brunt of the damage during the protests held earlier this month and our staff expressed a deep desire to help," BART Board President Thomas Blalock said. "The BART Government and Community Relations staff reached out to the merchants and Oakland elected officials, who welcomed this goodwill gesture toward the community of Oakland."

The volunteers — many equipped with their own brooms, paint brushes, and gardening tools — swept the streets, painted over graffiti, raked leaves and pulled weeds from tree wells. The City of Oakland helped supplement supplies for the volunteers.

"BART employees have expressed an interest in doing something positive since the tragic shooting incident on New Year's Day," BART Board Member Carole Ward Allen said. "Along with a commitment to public service, many BART employees have a deep tradition of civic mindedness and sought an opportunity to volunteer their time constructively."

Visit BARTtv for video of employees talking about why they wanted to volunteer.