BART Board postpones discussion of proposed late night service
Update: BART Board President Bob Franklin has postponed discussion of late night BART service to a later Board meeting so that staff can study whether there are alternatives to providing additional train service on Friday nights without adversely impacting those who ride during the first hour of service on Saturday morning.
06.20.2011
The BART Board of Directors will discuss at its June 23 meeting whether to proceed with a pilot proposal for later service on Friday nights.
BART has been gathering public input on the proposal that would extend service by one hour on Friday nights -- but would also mean starting service one hour later on Saturday mornings. The proposal was initially presented to the Board on April 28. At that time, the Board asked staff to gather public input under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
At its meeting on June 23, the Board will hear the results of the public input. The item is for information only. Find more detail on the agenda at www.bart.gov/board.
BART's Marketing and Research Department conducted surveys to gather public input on two Friday evenings and two Saturday mornings: May 13, May 14, May 20 and May 21. The total number of surveys processed was 876 from the Friday nights and 1021 from the Saturday mornings. Survey results indicated that the proposed change in hours would have disparate impact on low-income and minority riders. In order for the proposal to move forward, more work would need to be undertaken with respect to identifying and evaluating alternatives and mitigations, and bringing those back to the affected communities for additional input.
The hours that BART can run are limited because crucial work for maintenance and safety can only be done when trains are not in service. Therefore, in order to extend service hours later on Friday nights, service would also have to begin later on Saturday mornings. Read more background on why BART does not run 24 hours a day.
Download the Board Presentation (.pdf) on the Late-Friday Early-Saturday Passenger Survey Results and Analysis.
Updated: June 23, 2011 11:46 am