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BART’s busy and recently modernized El Cerrito del Norte Station now has a restroom attendant to greet riders and ensure restrooms remain clean, safe, and accessible to riders. This recent expansion to El Cerrito del Norte has been accomplished without an additional cost to BART’s budget because BART is using existing staff resources, utilizing employees on a temporary modified assignment. 

This is the first time BART is deploying an attendant to an above ground station and the first time BART is using existing BART staff and not a contractor. Previously only underground station restrooms that have been recently reopened to the public included attendants staffed by contracted workers from District Works.  

Seven BART stations now have restroom attendants during all operating hours including Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, Lake Merritt, 19th Street Oakland, Downtown Berkeley, and now El Cerrito del Norte. Attendants greet riders, record bathroom usage, check on cleanliness, notify janitors when they are needed, and intervene, if necessary, by calling BART Police.  

When the El Cerrito del Norte Station was modernized, the restrooms were rebuilt with a more open concept with partitions inside and no main door at the entryway. This design, along with the addition of an attendant, has reduced lines to use the restroom. Station Agents can now focus on other customer service assistance instead of needing to check on the restrooms and handle issues related to restrooms being abused.  

BART Director Rebecca Saltzman requested the addition of attendants at El Cerrito del Norte station, “Restroom attendants have proven to discourage unwanted behavior inside restrooms, ensuring they remain open, clean and safe,” said Saltzman. “Since we’ve added an attendant at El Cerrito del Norte, I have personally noticed an improved experience for riders using the restrooms. I want to thank BART leadership for testing this new approach of using existing staff resources to add an attendant to the restroom.”

BART’s new two-year budget maintains train service levels and staffing for enhanced safety and cleaning efforts while avoiding cuts that will have a negative impact on the local economy, traffic conditions, and the state’s ambitious climate goals. The BART Board of Directors voted to adopt the budget at its June 13, 2024, meeting.

The budget prioritizes the systemwide installation of new, taller, fare gates to add an additional layer of security at stations. As the new fare gates will make it harder to skip paying the fare, the budget continues to fund the newly increased discount for low-income riders, offering 50% off trips through the Clipper Start program.

“It’s more important than ever that we provide the best service possible for our nearly 200,000 riders we serve each day and to attract new riders,” said BART Board President Bevan Dufty. “This sensible budget preserves shorter wait times between trains, better weekend and evening service and, overall, more convenient public transportation to serve as an alternative to driving.” 

Operating Budget Focuses on Improvements to the Rider Experience

The $1.1 billion FY25 operating budget supports optimized train schedules and train lengths. With more people working from home and commuting less during the traditional rush hours, the schedule introduced in September 2023 eliminated 30-minute wait times by increasing train service during evenings and weekends while maintaining adequate daytime service on weekdays. The longest interval between scheduled trains is 20 minutes and most riders have options about every 10 minutes until 9pm on weekdays. 

The budget relies on right-sized trains to reduce costs, which also results in improved safety and cleanliness. BART now operates 8-car trains on the Yellow Line as well as selected Red and Blue line trains, and 6-car trains on all other lines on weekdays and weekends. This has reduced traction power costs by almost 20% and decreases mileage on the fleet overall.

The budget supports BART’s focus on safety and security and ensuring police are riding trains more, increasing their visibility, and deterring crime. BART Police will continue to recruit to fill all vacant officer positions and the General Manager has committed to adding 19 additional officer positions once vacancies are filled. Unarmed Crisis Intervention Specialists, Ambassadors, and Fare Inspectors will continue to ride trains to boost BART’s visible safety presence. 

Capital Budget Prioritizes Reliability and Reinvestment

The $1.2 billion FY25 capital budget provides funding dedicated to important rider improvements such as the Next Generation Fare Gate program, escalator replacement, new train cars and Measure RR rebuilding projects.
It’s designed to be a flexible spending plan with the ability to adapt to changing priorities and project schedules, yet the capital budget retains a central focus: 98% of BART’s planned capital investment in FY25 and FY26 will be in System Reinvestment – investments to keep BART’s existing system reliable and safe – and Service & Capacity Enhancement – investments to enhance the rider experience, support more frequent service and add system redundancy to improve reliability.

Manageable Near-Term Outlook

While the FY25 operating budget is balanced, the FY26 operating budget faces a $35 million dollar deficit. Measures are being taken to reduce the projected deficit, such as containing discretionary expenses. A 5.5% inflation-based fare increase on January 1, 2025, combined with an identical fare increase this past New Year’s Day, is estimated to generate an additional $20 million over the two-year budget term. BART will also defer some operating budget allocations to capital projects. 

“We have a number of options still available to address the FY26 operating deficit,” said BART Assistant General Manager for Performance & Budget Pamela Herhold. “We’ll be working with the Board throughout the coming year to chart the best course of action.”

Uncertainty Mid and Long-Term Outlook

The outlook after FY26 changes dramatically as BART is expected to exhaust the remaining emergency federal and state funding. One-time federal emergency assistance of $1.6 billion has allowed BART to sustain operations since 2020, but the last of this funding will be spent in FY25. SB 125 state and regional assistance of $352 million, to be allocated in 2024 and 2025, will also be used to offset operating deficits over the FY25 & FY26 budget period.

In FY27, BART’s first fiscal year without emergency assistance, the deficit is projected to be $385 million. Since BART’s outdated model of relying on passenger fares to pay most operating costs is no longer feasible, the agency must modernize its funding sources to better match other transit systems throughout the country that receive larger amounts of public funding. BART needs a more reliable long-term source of operating funding and continues to advocate at the federal, state, and regional levels for the permanent funding needed to sustainably provide the quality transit service the Bay Area needs.  

Join BART as our new Anime Mascots overtake Powell St. Station for Transit Month and BART’s 51st anniversary. Take photos with the mascots, make buttons with staff, grab a prize from the BART capsule ball machine, and meet cosplayers! Come in cosplay and get a rare BART anime charm. 

The Link21 outreach team will also be there to talk about our project to build a second train crossing connecting Oakland and San Francisco. 

When: Saturday, September 16, 2pm-6pm
Where: Powell Street Station in the free area on the concourse level between BART secondary Station Agent booth and Muni agent booth (4th and Market entrance/exit)

Learn more about BART's Anime Mascots at bart.gov/anime.

Amid heightened fears of violence and profiling stemming from the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, BART and BART Police are reaffirming our commitment to stand together with the people of the Bay Area in opposing hate, violence, and acts of intolerance.  

We recognize many families in the Bay Area are grieving and worried about profiling and incidents of hate in public spaces. These thoughts may create barriers to mobility due to fear. No person should feel uncomfortable riding BART, and we are committed to fostering a community of care where people have safe passageways. BART is working to ensure that it remains a safe place for all people, regardless of ethnic or national origin, gender identity, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or immigration status.

If someone feels unsafe on BART, they should: 

• Move to another car away from what is making them feel unsafe. 
• Once in a different car, notify the train operator using the call box on each car or use the BART Watch app or text BART Police at 510-200-0992. 
• All station platforms have call boxes or white phones that connect with an employee at all hours of the day. 
• Wait in a safe place such as by the station agent booth if you are getting picked up at the station. 
• Practice safe bystander intervention if you witness harassment. 

Safe Bystander Intervention 

The bystander intervention approach is about centering the impacted person, their feelings, their experience, and their needs, while ignoring the attacker to prevent escalating the incident. 

There are four steps for safe bystander intervention.  

Step One: Assess the situation. 

• Does the harasser have a weapon? 
• If yes, call BART police at 510-464-7000  
• If no, continue with the intervention.  

Step Two: Ask another bystander to support you. Use phrases such as:

• Can you help me intervene by discreetly taking a picture/video of the situation? 
• Can you help me intervene by contacting the BART train operator using the train car intercom? 
• Can you help me intervene by noting the BART car number located above the end car doors? We will need it if we report this situation. 
• Can you help me intervene by keeping an eye out to make sure things do not escalate? 

Step Three: Approach the targeted person. Ignore the attacker. 

• Make sure the targeted person knows you are here to help.  
• You can say something like: “My name is Stephanie, I am here to help you.” 
• Ask for permission: “Can I sit/stand next to you?” 
• Ignore the attacker and engage in a conversation with the targeted person: “The weather has been nice lately,” or “Did you see the Warriors game?” 

Step Four: Offer options to the targeted person for how you can support them. 

• It helps to offer 2-3 options because in traumatic situations, people may panic and be unsure of what to do. 
• Use phrases such as:
  • Do you want me to walk you to your destination? 
  • Do you want to get off at the next station and wait for the next train with you? 
  • Do you want to move to another BART car with me? 
  • Do you want to report this to BART Police? If so, do you want me to be a witness in the report? 
• Respect the person’s wishes if they say no and they are okay. Give space if that is what is asked. 

Friday, Aug. 11, 2023 – Last Saturday, Aug. 5, was our third-highest Saturday for ridership since Spring 2020 with 101,331 exits, and Sunday, Aug. 6, was our fourth-highest Sunday for ridership since Spring 2020 with 76,280 exits! Our riders are benefitting from far fewer delays, train breakdowns, and cancelled trips. 

Take BART to Outside Lands Music Festival + Free Ticket Giveaway at Millbrae 

It’s a big weekend for the Bay Area as the annual Outside Lands Music Festival returns to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco Friday through Sunday (Aug. 11-13). 

Parking in the Sunset District during the festival is known to be a nightmare. BART and SF Muni or the OSL prepaid local shuttles are great ways to get yourself to and from the fest safely and affordably. BART will run regular service until around midnight on each night of the festival. Headlining acts end between 9:35 and 9:55 Friday through Sunday, so you’ll have enough time to get back to BART before service ends.

Free ticket giveaway at Millbrae Station Sat/Sun

There will be no Caltrain service between Millbrae and San Francisco this weekend (more info here). To help Caltrain riders, we’re giving out free roundtrip BART tickets while supplies last on Saturday and Sunday at Millbrae Station. The giveaway starts at 10am. Look for BART staff in the station wearing bright yellow shirts.  

Even if you don’t get a free ticket, taking BART is still the most efficient and affordable way to get to San Francisco from the Peninsula. To get to Outside Lands, Caltrain riders should transfer to BART at Millbrae Station, then ride to Civic Center Station and transfer to the Muni 5R Fulton. If you're using the Outside Lands prepaid shuttles, disembark at Civic Center Station and travel 0.2 miles to Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. 

Follow our complete guide for getting to OSL on transit on BARTable by clicking here. 

More Weekend Fun Around the Region 

Skipping Outside Lands this year? There are plenty of rousing events around the region this weekend. Keep reading and stay in the loop by visiting the BARTable website, which publishes a weekly event roundup, BARTable This Weekend, that highlights the best happenings around the Bay, as well as contests and sweepstakes. Click here to read it online and sign up to receive the newsletter weekly on the BARTable homepage (Look for the blue box under the main image).    

Event Spotlight: FAAE Pistahan Parade and Festival  

On Saturday, Aug. 12, and Sunday, Aug. 13, the 30th Annual Pistahan Parade and Festival makes its way to Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco – about two blocks from Powell St Station. The festivities begin with a parade on Saturday from 11am to noon, starting at Civic Center Plaza and winding along Market Street between 8th and 4th streets. Keep an eye out for the smiling BARTmobile along the parade route! 

The festival at Yerba Buena on Saturday and Sunday runs from 11am to 5pm. Expect live performances, yummy food (and eating contests!), and more ways to celebrate, honor, and preserve the Filipino American community’s legacy of activism, struggles, and triumphs – including in San Francisco, which is home to SOMA Pilipinas, the Filipino Cultural Heritage District. BART will be tabling at the festival on Saturday. 

Explore the Region by BART 

Didn’t get tickets to Outside Lands this year? Check out a live show at some of the region’s BARTable venues, from the historic Paramount Theatre in Oakland to Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts. Read all about it in this BARTable article.  

Weekend Read 

Are you – or do you know – a high schooler or collegiate interested in learning the ropes of the transportation industry? BART has robust internship programs across its diversity of departments. Learn more about interning at BART from the interns themselves in this Q&A, written by interns from BART’s summer cohort.  

Happy Riding this Weekend! 

We hope you enjoy your weekend adventures aboard our trains.    
 
Stay in touch by signing up for the BARTable This Week newsletter on the BARTable website – your one-stop shop for all things accessible by BART. You can also keep up with BARTable on Facebook and  Instagram. 

Friday, Aug. 15 – Riders continue to return to BART. On Saturday, Aug. 18, nearly 150,000 people rode our trains, and the following day, more than 98,000 of you hopped aboard.  

Big things are brewing around BART, and we’re not just talking about the special late-night service we’re running when Beyoncé comes to town next week (more on that below).  

In addition to recently doubling our police and safety presence on trains and doubling our train deep cleans, we’re excited to announce our fleet will be entirely composed of new trains starting Monday, Sept. 11. (You may spot a legacy train on occasion for events and contingencies.) 

September 11 is an auspicious date for BART – it's our 51st anniversary! Though we're adding another notch to our years in service, we’re as forward-looking as ever.  

On September 11, we’ll be releasing a reimagined schedule that will substantially improve the rider experience. The schedule is designed to work for everyone, every day, whether you’re taking BART to work, to the game, or for a night out with Beyoncé. 

That same day, we’ll begin sizing trains for safety and efficiency by shortening their lengths. Sizing trains in this fashion means increased safety and cleanliness for riders, as well as a maximization of BART’s scarce resources. Read more about it here.  

September 11 is a few weeks off so, first things first, let’s talk about what’s happening around the Bay this weekend... 

For a more in-depth listing of local events, visit the BARTable website. We publish a weekly event roundup, BARTable This Weekend, that highlights happenings around the region as well as cool contests and sweepstakes from our partners.   

Wednesday, Aug. 30: The Beyoncé Renaissance Tour at Levi’s Stadium  

Beyoncé’s in the Bay next Wednesday, and we'll be running extra trains and offering special limited service after midnight for the show. We’ll also have extra station staff and security to help riders get around.  

Getting to Levi’s Stadium on transit is easy. Riders should transfer from BART at Milpitas Station to VTA’s Orange Line and ride to VTA’s Great America Station, located on the north side of Levi’s Stadium.  

Earlier this week, Beyoncé announced that for her birthday, she wants her fans to wear silver to the show to “surround ourselves in a shimmering human disco ball.” We at BART are expecting our riders to be shinier than ever, as Queen B implores.  

Find more detailed information on taking transit to the concert here.  

Friday-Sunday, Aug. 25-Aug. 27: Braves v. Giants at Oracle Park  

The San Francisco Giants return to Oracle Park for a trio of games facing the Atlanta Braves: Friday, Aug. 25 at 7:15pm; Saturday, Aug. 26 at 1:05pm; and Sunday, Aug. 27 at 4:10pm. It’s a big series so your best bet for getting to Oracle Park is BART, as always.  

Use our guide for taking transit to the game here.  

TRACK CLOSURE ADVISORY: If you are traveling from Berryessa/North San Jose Station on the Green Line to San Francisco, be advised of the track closure this weekend for hazardous tree removal and track work between Union City and Fremont stations. The closure will require riders to take a bus bridge between the two stations before continuing to San Francisco.  

To avoid the bus bridge, riders can start their trip at Union City Station (or any station north of Union City). Parking is available at many stations if you plan to drive around the bus bridge; reference this page for more information. 

SINGLE TRACKING ALERT: On Sunday, Aug. 27, be advised of single tracking between Balboa Park and Daly City stations. BART staff will be cutting back and removing trees that could pose a hazard to the trackway between these stations. Single tracking means service will be reduced from two tracks to one track, and riders in the area should anticipate delays of 10 to 15 minutes. Additionally, all Green Line trains will be cancelled.  

Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 26-Aug. 27: Oakland Chinatown Streetfest  

The Oakland Chinatown Streetfest returns for its 34th year on Saturday and Sunday. The free festival runs from 10am to 5pm and highlights the historic neighborhood’s traditions, culture, and local businesses.  

You can expect performances on two stages, art, food, beverages, and BART! BART staff and safety personnel from BART Police will be tabling at the event with free swag and lots of information. Stop by and say hello.  

The festival takes place around 9th and Franklin streets in Chinatown. Take BART to 12th St Oakland Station then walk about three minutes to the festivities.  

Explore the Best Attractions near BART Stations 

The Bay Area is home to an incredible array of attractions, whether you’re looking to get up close and personal with wildlife or let your imagination run wild with LEGOs. Learn about some of our favorite spots for family fun on BARTable.  

Sweepstakes Spotlight: Win Hieroglyphics Swag Ahead of Hiero Day 

Hiero Day comes to Oakland on Monday, Sept. 4, and if you’re still looking for a ‘fit, you may want to enter our sweepstakes for a Hieroglyphics Hip Hop Crew Collection swag package. Entries close Monday, Aug. 28, so enter ASAP on BARTable.  

Weekend Read: How We Scrub our Trains from Top to Bottom  

BART recently doubled the number of times our train cars get deep cleaned – you could say our trains are now twice as clean! For these “thorough cleans,” as they’re known around BART, two cleaners spend two hours scrubbing a car from the ceiling to the baseboards.  

Read all about the thorough clean process on bart.gov.  

Happy Riding this Weekend! 

We hope you enjoy your weekend adventures aboard our trains.    
 
Stay in touch by signing up for the BARTable This Week newsletter on the BARTable website – your one-stop shop for all things accessible by BART. You can also keep up with BARTable on Facebook and  Instagram. 

Train car cleaner Alyssa Barnes seen from the bottom of a sudsy bucket. 

This past Saturday, April 20, BART fans caught a final ride on the trains all of us will soon miss. Thousands of people, many wearing their favorite BART outfits, including those they made themselves, came to MacArthur Station to bid adieu to the historic legacy fleet and take their last ride on the 51.5-year-old trains. The event included a celebration in the station plaza, a retirement ceremony, and a final journey aboard three legacy trains brought from the yard just for the day. Some people traveled from outside the state just to attend the event. 

“I’m coming out here to pay my respects to an old friend that I’ve been missing these last few weeks," said one rail fan who arrived over an hour early to the event. “It’s going to be sad to see it go, but it’s nice to know I’ll be here for its final moments.” 

In the plaza, throngs of BART fans enjoyed food trucks and activities, including a stamp rally, as well as a raffle for legacy car number plates. There was also a Railgoods popup shop so folks could top off their collections of BART merch and purchase the latest product offerings, including a shirt made specifically for the day. 

The party in the plaza was followed by a ceremony opened by BART Board President Bevan Dufty and including remarks by General Manager Bob Powers, FTA Region 9 Regional Administrator Ray Tellis, and BART Chief of Police Kevin Franklin. There were also representatives from groups who will receive legacy cars after successfully submitting proposals to repurpose the vehicles, including the Western Railway Museum, which is establishing a Rapid Transit History Center that will include three legacy BART cars; the Sierra Train House, a forthcoming residence and short-term rental in the Sierra Foothills constructed from a BART car; and the Original Scraper Bike Team, who will use a car for a bike shop, providing free repairs and bike repair lessons to local youth, as well as a clubhouse for community events and the organization's mentorship program.  

At the end of the ceremony, it was time for the last hurrah aboard the legacy trains. Incredibly, the line to get on a train was so long it reached MacArthur Boulevard. Despite the line, everyone was able to get onboard a train. 

The trip ran from MacArthur to Fremont Station – the reverse of BART’s inaugural run in 1972. Some of the cars in service for that momentous day were hauling passengers for this last ride, more than fifty years after their wheels first touched rail. 

After the trains reached Fremont, they rode off into the sunset and came to rest at BART’s Hayward Yard. A crowd on the station platform at Fremont, their cameras rolling, was there to see them off. 

The BART Board of Directors is currently in the process of recruiting a Public-At-Large appointee for the BART Police Citizen Review Board (BPCRB).

The BPCRB is comprised of 11 members and residents of the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and San Francisco. The Public-At-Large position is appointed by all nine BART directors. 

Members of the BPCRB work to increase the public's confidence in BART's policing services by:

• Reviewing, recommending, and monitoring the implementation of changes to police policies, procedures, and practices
• Receiving citizen allegations of on-duty police misconduct
• Advising Board of Directors, General Manager, Independent Police Auditor, and Police Chief
• Participating in recommending appropriate disciplinary action
• Meeting periodically with representatives of the BART Police associations
• Participating in community outreach

Submit an e-application or download the printable application.

Application period opens Monday, Nov. 18, and closes on Friday, December 20, 2024.

Call (510) 464-6083 or email [email protected]  with questions.

BPCRB Recruitment Flyer - Public-At-Large

General BPCRB information (.doc)