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First BART Police Auditor brings big-city experience to transit police oversight
By Melissa Jordan BART Senior Web Producer As a young law student, Mark P. Smith interned with the civilian oversight agency for the Los Angeles Police Department. At that time, the LAPD was still reeling from the Rampart scandal, one of the most notorious cases of documented police misconduct in U.S. history
BART hosts public forum to gather input on recruitment and selection of new Police Chief
BART’s Chief of Police is retiring on December 31 after 36 years of dedicated service. BART has launched a nationwide search to bring new leadership to its Police Department. We are interested in your thoughts and opinions on: 1.) The issues, challenges and opportunities facing the new Chief 2.) The
Parking, drop-off area changes at Union City BART Station due to construction
Beginning Monday, Sept. 15th, BART will relocate reserved, bike and motorcycle parking, the patron drop-off/pick-up area and taxi and shuttle stops at the Union City Station to accommodate transit village construction. During this phase of the construction, BART will close the North “Reserved Parking Lot” and
BART celebrates Earth Day with fellow Bay Area transit agencies
As we’ve seen in recent events, our communities are already experiencing the impacts of climate change. Average annual air temperatures in California have risen 2.5 degrees since 1895, and eight of the ten warmest years occurred between 2012 and 2022 ( California Office of Environmental Health Hazard
BART celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with dance, music and poetry
Honorable Willie L. Brown Jr. to deliver keynote speech On Wednesday, January 18 from noon to 1:15 pm, the public is invited to join BART in its 25 th annual celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This year’s “Monumental Celebration” commemorates the recent unveiling of the Dr. Martin Luther
BART renews program of free tickets for military personnel returning from active combat
BART will once again offer free transit tickets to certain military personnel who are on leave or returning from active combat in dangerous war zones. The BART Board of Directors voted to allow staff to work with existing organizations to distribute $50 BART tickets to 600 qualified military personnel. “We’ve
New numbers show fewer BART trains impacted by unwanted behavior
BART’s new safety initiatives appear to be having an impact on improving the rider experience through a sharp reduction in the number of incidents delaying train service. From May through October the number of trains negatively impacted by BART PD incidents has fallen by nearly 40%. The dramatic drop comes as BPD has boosted train patrols, the BART schedule was changed to emphasize shorter trains to boost safety, and other initiatives outlined in the Safe and Clean Plan have been implemented.
Here are the latest numbers:
*The number of BPD incidents causing delays fell from 374 in May to 295 in October.
*The number of trains impacted by BPD incidents declined from 1,144 in May to 694 in October.
*Total train minutes lost due to BPD incidents dropped from 9,878 in May to 6,380 in October.
“These numbers paint a picture of how our commitment to rider safety is paying off,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers. “Fewer delays due to BPD incidents not only shows safety is improving but it helps our on-time performance. This is a win-win for riders as we deliver on our commitment to ensure BART is the safest way to travel around the Bay.”
BPD doubled the number of officers on trains in March as part of BART’s Safe and Clean Plan. BART PD is using both traditional sworn officers as well as unarmed Crisis Intervention Specialists and Transit Ambassadors to boost its visible safety presence in the system. Trains were made even safer in September when BART’s reimagined schedule was launched. The new schedule allowed BART to eliminate near-empty train cars by shortening the least-crowded trains.
“The sharp decline in the number of trains being delayed due to BPD incidents is an important indicator that our new safety initiatives are making a difference, “said BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin. “We are aggressively moving forward with our officer recruitment campaign and hope to boost our visible presence even more as we work hard to hire more cops.”
Safety on BART will get another boost in December when the first new fare gate prototypes will be installed at West Oakland Station. These new gates will be taller and stronger than the ones that have been in place for decades. They will deter fare evasion while also improving overall access by relying on high-tech sensors to provide safe access for riders in wheelchairs as well as those who are using strollers or luggage.
BART invites members of blind and low-vision community to safety orientation on 1/31
BART is inviting members of the blind and low-vision community to a safety orientation on an out-of-service train at 19th Street Station in Oakland on Tuesday, January 31st. BART staff will demonstrate features such as Braille car identification numbers, inter-car barriers, and the location of train intercoms
San Mateo man celebrates 100th birthday with his first BART ride
Hiro Takahashi of San Mateo has a lot of "been there, done thats." After all, Mr. Takahashi was born in 1915. So how did Mr. Takahashi celebrate his 100th birthday? With his first-ever ride on BART. Mr. Takahashi, his daughter and grandson boarded a San Francisco-bound train late in the morning on September
Mask mandate and labor agreements part of BART Board night meeting on 7/28
The BART Board of Directors on Thursday, July 28 will hold its third night meeting of the year. The Board this year is prioritizing holding several evening meetings to encourage greater public participation with virtual public comment as an ongoing option. The public portion of the July 28 meeting will begin