Search Results
Small business owners learn about contracting for Measure RR-funded projects to rebuild BART
Joseph Towner of BART's Office of Civil Rights with small business owner Susana Mendoza By MELISSA JORDAN BART Senior Web Producer More than two dozen small business owners turned out Thursday to learn about contracting opportunities at BART, particularly those funded by the $3.5 billion voter-approved
“BART 2023 is all about the customer experience”: BART Board President and General Manager speak with Manny Yekutiel aboard moving train about future of Bay Area transit
From left to right: Interim Chief of BART Police Kevin Franklin, BART Board President Janice Li, BART General Manager Bob Powers, and Manny Yekutiel during a public conversation on a moving BART train on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.
Photos courtesy of Evan Dorsky
On Friday, Sept. 8, around 65 people gathered in the concourse of 16th Street Mission Station to welcome in their weekends aboard a BART train.
The group buzzed on the concourse – many people seemed to know one another – anchored around a charismatic man in a blue polo shirt, who stood on a small Persian-style rug.
The man in blue is a recognizable face around San Francisco: Manny Yekutiel, a director on the board of the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency and the owner of the eponymous Manny’s, a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, political bookstore, and civic gathering and events space located a block from 16th Street Mission Station. Yekutiel’s the sort of person whom civically minded San Francisco seems to know or have heard of. The standard six degrees of separation narrows to one or two degrees when Yekutiel’s involved.
On this evening, Yekutiel was hosting a unique conversation. It was to take place aboard a moving BART train during regular passenger service. The first car of a ten-car train would be blocked off for attendees, who had earlier RSVPed online for their free spots in the car. Yekutiel’s conversation partners were BART Board President Janice Li and BART General Manager Bob Powers. He intended to ask them about the current and future state of the transit system. It was to be an opportunity for BART leaders to hear directly from riders, and riders to hear from them, on the space in question. Tickets sold out fast.
BART Board President Janice Li (center) and Manny Yekutiel (right) at 16th Street Mission Station on Friday, Sept. 18, 2023.
Attendees showed up for a jumble of reasons and motivations.
“I’m dependent on BART and public transit, so, as a customer, I’m curious about leadership’s thoughts about the future,” said Anna Kim, an MBA student at UC Berkeley.
“I’m here to take it all in,” said Ethan Levi, who hoped the train wouldn’t be too loud so he could hear the conversation. “It’s fun to be in the space you’re discussing.”
Erica Mitchell identified herself as a huge transit fan. “She’s the biggest transit fan,” chimed her friend, Rachel Leiter. Mitchell’s dad worked for BART, and she hopes to do so too one day.
BART Transportation Supervisor Nathon Ison, who was on hand to help with the event, said he was excited that BART participated in public forums such as this. “It’s nice to mix things up a bit,” he said. “And it’s great for the community.”
Noor Elmasary said she learned about the conversation from a roommate’s social media post. She was there “in solidarity” with her late family friend, the transit advocate Courtney Brousseau.
“I know he would have loved this,” she said.
Attendees listen to BART Board President Janice Li and BART General Manager Bob Powers discuss the future of public transit on a moving BART train on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.
As the group boarded the first car, bumping elbows with Li and Powers, who introduced themselves to attendees as they boarded, Yekutiel unfurled his red rug and laid three crystals atop – a chunky raw amethyst, a glittering pyrite, and a spiky quartz.
“Welcome to our conversation on a moving BART train,” he said. “The idea behind this series is to have conversations in the actual public spaces we’re discussing.”
Yekutiel opened with a tough question for Powers: What grade would the GM give BART?
Powers paused for a moment before replying. “I’d give it a B, B+,” he said.
“I continue to be impressed by BART,” he continued. While there are elements that “keep me up at night,” he added, he’s optimistic that the transit agency “will be at the core of the solution for many of the issues the region is facing right now.”
“BART 2023 is all about the customer experience,” he said.
Li nodded in agreement. “Are we responding to what you’re telling us? Are we focusing on the right things? If not, we want you to tell us!” Forums such as this one proved a ripe space for public feedback as Manny frequently asked attendees to weigh in and ask questions.
As the train rolled along toward its destination, SFO Station, Yekutiel lobbed more questions at Li and Powers. At points, he had to shout over the Train Operator’s announcements and the rumble of train on track.
Following a question about safety from an audience member, Interim Chief of BART Police Kevin Franklin, there for the ride and to listen to the public, got on the mic. (Read BART’s Safe and Clean Plan here.)
Interim Chief of BART Police Kevin Franklin is pictured on the platform at 16th Street Mission Station before boarding the SFO-bound train on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.
“We’ve heard clearly from employees and riders that they want greater presence on these trains,” he said. “We do not tolerate behavior that does not meet our code of conduct.”
Franklin cited as example BART’s Not One More Girl initiative, a BIPOC youth-led project in partnership with community-based organizations working to end gender-based violence and harassment on transit. The initiative recently launched its second phase, emphasizing "stories of courage” and steps bystanders can take when they witness harassment.
The police chief said the initiative is personally important to him. “My daughter, my wife, my mother ride BART,” he said. “And they must feel safe doing so.”
“We are all in this together,” Li added.
Manny later asked about BART’s financial situation as the train held shortly at SFO Station.
Powers responded by listing off a series of cost-saving initiatives BART has implemented or is looking to implement – things like shortening trains with a commitment to flex up, modifying the way the agency purchases energy, refinancing debt, and continuing advocacy on the regional and state levels.
Said Li: “These funding challenges are happening in Chicago, DC, and smaller regions, too. Transit is not funded like a public good.”
As the train started moving again, heading back to 16th Street, Yekutiel – a mischievous twinkle in his eye – asked Powers a final question: Does BART have any secret lairs or Room of Requirements-type spaces?
Powers laughed. “Well,” he said, “We have an office at SFO for M Line staff with a secure conference room where we can meet out of towners. It's through a series of corridors.”
“I was hoping for something spicier than that,” Yekutiel replied.
The view as the train pulled out of SFO Station on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.
As the train rolled by the airport, the sky darkening through the windows, Yekutiel asked the audience to take a moment to let the vista wash over them.
“Can we just take a second to look out the windows and appreciate this? Don’t you love coming in from SFO and seeing this?” he said dreamily.
At the end of the journey, a few stops away from 16th Street Mission Station, Yekutiel, turning away from Li and Powers, decided to ask something of the audience.
“Now I want all of you to turn to someone you don’t know and make a commitment to do something to help BART,” he said.
Audience members obliged, turning to one another to share their ideas and optimism for the future.
“If these changes BART is making are effective, ridership should feel a difference,” said rider Michael Poremba after his commitment declaration. “All of these improvements – to safety, improved service with the new schedule, timed transfers – should be an encouragement to riders.”
BART General Manager Bob Powers pictured through a train window at West Oakland Station as the train made its way back to the East Bay on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.
BART releases bike pilot survey results; any proposed changes need to go to Board
Cover page of survey results A rider survey about BART’s commute period bike pilot, when blackout restrictions were lifted on five Fridays in August, found varied results.Currently, there are bike blackout periods of about two hours during peak weekday commute times in which bikes are not allowed on some
25 years after Loma Prieta quake: BART, then a lifeline, now stronger than ever
BART Stronger Than Ever Mother Nature provides few guarantees but this much is certain: A major earthquake will strike the Bay Area. Precisely when, where and how strong it will be are mysteries, but BART isn’t waiting to find out. Instead, we are employing a two-pronged approach to prepare for the inevitable
BART closes at 9 pm until 8/2/21 when midnight service returns Monday-Saturday
On July 1, 2021 we announced will return to near-pre pandemic service on August 2 instead of August 30 as originally planned. BART currently closes at 9pm. However, we run special event trains for the SF Giants night games, the Oakland A's night games and San Francisco's 4th of July fireworks. And from July
Win tickets to Outside Lands from BART ... and take public transit to get there!
Don't have tickets yet for Outside Lands? There's still time to win them from BART. The music and arts festival Aug. 22-24 is encouraging people to take public transit to Golden Gate Park, and BART can help you get there. Outside Lands has a stellar lineup of artists from all over the musical map, including
BART schedule change beginning Sept 14th increases weekday commute service
On Monday September 14 th, BART’s schedule will be updated to add more frequency during peak commute times on several lines, marking the largest weekday service increase since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Commute trains at 15-minute frequencies will be added to most lines as well as other adjustments to the
BART riders can get virtual commemorative token for new West Dublin/Pleasanton Station
An example of what the token will look like when unlocked. Visitors to BART’s new West Dublin/Pleasanton Station, BART’s 44th station that is opening on Feb. 19, can try a first-of-its-kind experience – using augmented reality technology to unlock a 3-D virtual commemorative token. The token is an outgrowth
BART reopens long-closed Station Agent booth at Civic Center/UN Plaza Station
Station Agent Tina McDonald is pictured in the newly reopened secondary Station Agent booth at Civic Center/UN Plaza Station. A long-closed secondary Station Agent booth has officially reopened at Civic Center/UN Plaza Station, bolstering BART’s ongoing efforts to enhance the rider experience and increase
BART adds cars to handle demand after tanker fire shuts down I-880
BART is closely monitoring passenger loads and will adjust train sizes whenever possible to accommodate increased ridership as a result of the continued closure of I-880 following this morning’s fiery tanker crash that shutdown a portion of the freeway near 16th Avenue. Caltrans tells BART that it expects