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BART has made service alert information even more accessible to the public by adding an automated BART Service Alerts channel to its Bluesky account (@bart.gov). As of Friday, April 11, there is now a dedicated feed for real-time BART Service Alerts (@alerts.bart.gov) to inform riders when multiple trains are off schedule by ten or more minutes. Unlike other social media platforms, Bluesky does not require a login to view BART’s timeline.  

BART has been providing informational content on Bluesky since November 2024.   

“Service alerts offer critical and timely information for our riders to help them make decisions about their ride,” said Alicia Trost, Chief Communications Officer. “We want this information to be easy to find and on the platforms people use. The Bluesky social media platform is growing in popularity, and our followers have been asking for our automated service alerts to be posted there.”

BART Service Alerts are available: 

• On bart.gov and the BART Official App (the app offers customized in-app notifications).
• On the bart.gov Alerts and Advisories page
• Via text or email alerts.
• On the social media platform Bluesky at @alerts.bart.gov and X at @SFBARTalert.
• Via third-party apps through BART’s Developer Program.
• Alerts are posted on platform digital signs in BART stations and audio announcements are made inside stations and onboard trains. 

Felony arrests on BART increased 62% last year compared with 2022. The jump comes as BART PD has been aggressively recruiting new officers and ensuring safety staff are riding more trains to increase their visible safety presence. BART officers recorded 726 felony arrests in 2023 compared with 448 for 2022. Along with those arrests 49 illegal firearms were seized in 2023 compared with 40 the previous year. It’s the most guns BART PD has recovered in a year since at least 2003. BART PD has already recovered a dozen firearms so far this year.

“These latest arrest and gun seizure numbers are a credit to all the hard work of our officers,” said BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin. “Since we started deploying more patrol officers to ride trains we have seen an impact, and our riders are telling us they notice the difference.”

In the latest Quarterly Performance Review the percentage of riders who reported seeing BART PD on their trip reached a record high of 20%. That’s up from the previous record of 17% the previous quarter. The last two quarters have been the first in BART’s history where the percentage of riders who reported seeing BART PD exceed the department’s official goal of 12%.

BART has been working to implement its Safe and Clean Plan which focuses on boosting the visible safety presence in the system and increasing staffing to clean trains and stations.

BART PD has also been advancing an aggressive officer recruitment campaign to fill its remaining vacancies. This effort has been boosted by a 22% salary increase for officers, which was approved by the BART Board to ensure BART PD remains competitive with other law enforcement agencies in the Bay Area. Anyone interested in joining BART PD can learn more at joinbartpd.com.

(Examples of recently seized guns)

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BART PD’s aggressive public outreach campaign to hire more officers is getting a boost from a just released recruitment video. The new video highlights the real-world experience of BART PD officers and shows what it’s like to work in a dynamic transit environment. The department has been going all-out to fill all its vacant officer positions. In the latest quarter BART PD received 837 officer applications, a record high for any quarter in the department’s history.

“This video is the latest tool we are adding to our hiring arsenal,” said BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin.  “We have been reaching out to officer candidates by hosting recruitment open houses, attending job fairs,  promoting open positions on social media, and various other methods of outreach. We are doing whatever it  takes to find high-quality candidates who want to join  us on our mission of ensuring that BART is the safest  way to travel around the Bay.”

BART PD currently has 23 officer vacancies, which is down from 29 just two months ago. BART PD is now onboarding 7-9 new officers per month.

A key focus of BART PD’s recruitment campaign has been to highlight the recent 22% salary increase for officers. The BART Board of Directors approved that increase in June to ensure pay at BART PD remains competitive with other law enforcement agencies in the Bay Area. Since that time, BART PD has seen a nearly 50% increase in its monthly sworn officer new hire rate. The pay increase is in addition to the $15,000 hiring bonus currently being offered to new hires. BART PD has increased the frequency of its testing and has also streamlined the hiring process so qualified candidates can join the department more quickly.

BART PD has launched the Join BART PD website, which is exclusively geared towards providing candidates with all the information they need to apply. Since its launch in July the site has attracted more than 80,000 views.

BART will run a Sunday service schedule for Thanksgiving this year. This means on Thursday, November 28, 2024, BART hours will be 8am-midnight with all five lines running until 9pm and three lines running from 9pm-midnight. 

On Friday, November 29, we will be running regular weekday service (5am-midnight). 

Free parking at BART on Thanksgiving Day  

Parking will be free at all stations except for Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose, which are operated by the Valley Transportation Authority. All other parking rules will be enforced. 

The day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 29, is not a parking holiday. Those who need to park can purchase Daily Fee parking using the official BART app. Click here for instructions to pay by app. 

Parking at a BART station for your Thanksgiving trip 

Airport parking can be a hassle and is always expensive, except at BART stations. We offer inexpensive multi-day parking (see options below) at many stations with easy online reservations. Purchase parking on the official BART app or pay by website. 

Single/Multi-Day Reserved parking is for consecutive overnight stays of up to 20 weekdays. You will need to provide the license plate of the car you plan to drive and a phone number. Reference our guide for paying for Single/Multi-Day Reserved parking here.

Monthly Reserved parking is for stays of up to 24 hours at a time, charged on a recurring monthly basis, and provides a guaranteed space until 10am. This is not to be used while travelling for several days in a row.

Reserved parking signs are blue + white or yellow. During the holidays we experience a higher demand in Reserved parking; if there is not a reserved spot available when you arrive, park in the Daily Fee area and you will not be cited. Daily Fee parking is only allowed in the Daily Fee area. 

Another option to travel to SFO via BART is to purchase Multi-Day Reserved parking and drive to Millbrae Station or San Bruno Station, then take a quick ride to SFO Airport. 

Find an overview of parking at BART at bart.gov/parking. 

Taking BART to SFO or OAK 

Traveling by plane for the holiday? It’s easy to ride BART to the airport. You can take the train directly to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Oakland International Airport (OAK). Plan your trip and find fares by using BART’s online Trip Planner and read our comprehensive guide on riding BART to the airport.