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(October 2 update):  The track shutdowns that had been planned for two weekends in October and November between Rockridge, MacArthur, and 19th Street stations have been postponed until 2025. The postponement will allow BART to focus on other priorities to improve reliability and limit future disruptions. We also continue to evaluate lessons learned from the first shutdown weekend in June, as we plan to adjust our approach and execution. BART’s goal remains to minimize short term impacts on riders by maximizing work efficiency. 

BART crews have begun the process of replacing a series of interlockings between Rockridge, MacArthur, and 19th Street stations.  Free buses will replace trains between Rockridge, MacArthur, and 19th Street stations on 18 non-consecutive weekends over the next three years.  Riders can expect delays of 40 minutes in the area on those work weekends. There will be no Red Line service on these weekends but the Orange line will serve Richmond riders.

Additional service impacts on all work weekends for this project include:

*Yellow Line will run 20-minute service.
*Orange/Blue/Green Lines will run 30-minute service (usually 20 minutes but not possible given project constraints).
*Service to/from Millbrae will be via the Yellow Line.
*All train schedules will be different from the normal weekend timetables. Please check the Trip Planner to see the new train departure times (use the impacted dates of service when planning).
*Due to the new schedule, the last train departures of the night may be earlier than the regularly scheduled departures.
*MacArthur Station will be open for southbound Orange Line stops from Richmond. No Yellow Line service to MacArthur (Yellow line trains end a Rockridge).
*Orange Line bus bridge will operate between MacArthur and 19th St.
*Yellow Line bus bridge will include buses that go directly between Rockridge and 19th St as well as buses that also stop at MacArthur.
*Lower level platforms at both 12th and 19th Street stations will be out of service.
*All buses used for the bus bridge will be outfitted with racks for bicycles. You can also bring traditional bicycles onto the buses if space allows. Please avoid bringing motorized bikes or eBikes to the bus bridge as they may not be allowed on the buses. 
*It might be faster to ride your bike between stations than to take the bus bridge. It might also be faster for Richmond Line riders to ride their bikes directly to 19th Street and take BART to their final destination from there. 

Interlockings are a vital part of the BART system. They are segments of the railway that allow trains to safely move from track to track. Shutting down train service in the work area ensures a safe workspace for the project team. Work on this project will happen on select, non-consecutive weekends into 2026.

BART crews will make the most of their time in the system by taking on as many trackway improvement projects as possible on the weekends when this portion of the system is closed to trains. In addition to replacing interlockings, the team will also replace traction power cables, install new train control equipment, install new digital display signs at underground stations up to Berkeley and 12th Street/Oakland City Center, manage vegetation that could impact service, and do deep station cleaning.

This will be one of the most challenging rebuilding projects that BART has ever undertaken because of the location of the project. With limited workspace, crews will be unable to use a crane or other heavy equipment to lift track components into place. Instead, workers will transport all materials on rail and assemble larger components by hand. The equipment being replaced is decades old and has outlived its design life. Riders will enjoy a smoother, safer, more reliable, and quieter ride once this project is complete. You can get more details on this project from this staff presentation to the BART Board of Directors.

This project is part of BART’s overall effort to improve the safety and reliability of the 131-mile, 50 station system. There are now more rebuilding projects happening across BART than at any point in its 50-year history. You can learn more about the progress of this work by reading the 2023 Measure RR Annual Report published by the independent Measure RR Bond Oversight Committee.

You can keep up with the latest updates for trackway repair projects that impact service by going to our Alerts and Advisories page.

Learn more about the project with our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Also, check out our podcast for an in-depth discussion about the project, its challenges, and long-term benefits for riders.

*This article was originally published May 1, 2024.

Update: June 26, 2024 7:15 am

Crews moved our maintenance vehicle out of the way last night. 

The Red Line returned to service when we opened this morning.

We apologize for the inconvenience it caused and we thank our riders for their patience.

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At about 3:30am on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, a BART track maintenance vehicle derailed near 19th Street/Oakland Station blocking one set of tracks.

No BART stations are closed but the Red Line is cancelled. We anticipate the Red Line to be cancelled all day but back in service tomorrow. Red line trains will show as cancelled in real time departures and the Trip Planner. 

• San Francisco bound passengers coming from the Richmond direction who would normally take a Red Line train should take an Orange Line Berryessa train and transfer to a Yellow Line San Francisco train at MacArthur Station. 
• Millbrae riders should take the Yellow Line.
• Orange Line trains coming from Richmond will need to divert to West Oakland after 12th St. Station and then turn back towards the Berryessa direction. So they will run: 12th St, West Oakland, Lake Merritt, and so on. Orange Line trains coming from Berryessa don’t need to do this.
• Platform 2 at 19th Street/Oakland Station is closed and trains may be stopping at a different platform that usual at 12th and 19th St stations.

The incident is not causing major delays. 

BART Service Alerts are available via email, text, or customized push notifications in our official BART app. 

Text and email opt-in: http://cloud.info.bart.gov/signup 

On our app, select the profile icon and then notification settings. Set as many as you need for exactly when you typically ride BART. You will get push notifications of our alerts only during the selected times.

August 29, 2024 Update- This work is now complete and all fare gates at Civic Center Station have been replaced with new gates.

On August 22, 2024, BART will begin the installation of a third set of Next Generation Fare Gates on the concourse level of Civic Center Station. The work will happen at the fare gate entrance nearest 8th Street on the concourse level of Civic Center Station (Array 3 in the map).

A temporary barrier will be installed to provide a safe workspace for the installation team as well as to protect riders from construction. Installing this new array is expected to take about two weeks to complete. The station’s other two fare gate arrays will remain open during the installation work. There will be signage to direct riders to the open fare gates. 

The latest work comes after BART successfully installed two arrays of Next Generation Fare Gates at Civic Center Station (Array 1 and Array 2 in the map). Also, in April, crews successfully installed a Next Generation Fare Gate at the elevator entrance on the Civic Center platform. Once work on this set of gates is complete, Civic Center will be fully outfitted with Next Generation Fare Gates.

All BART stations will have new fare gates by the end of 2025. You can learn more about BART’s Next Generation Fare Gate project at bart.gov/about/projects/fare-gate.

Update 4/15/24: The final bus bridge that had been scheduled between Richmond and El Cerrito del Norte the weekend of April 27-28 has been cancelled. Instead, our team will do trackway replacement work on the Yellow Line between Rockridge and Lafayette stations the weekend of 4/27-28. Get more details on this project here: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2024/news20240313

BART’s next major track improvement project will focus on replacing track equipment near Richmond Station. On four non-consecutive weekends in February, March, and April workers will replace an interlocking near Richmond Station. Interlockings allow BART to safely move trains from line to line and are an essential part of the system. Work will also be done to address vegetation that could impact service.

The weekend dates for this project are February 17-19 (Presidents’ Day Weekend), 3/16-17, 4/13-14, and 4/27-28.

• Free buses will replace train service between Richmond and El Cerrito del Norte stations on all four weekends. 
• The Red Line (Richmond-Millbrae) will be cancelled thus reducing service frequency and transbay options during these weekends. Transbay riders in the East Bay who would normally take the Red Line should instead board an Orange Line (Richmond-Berryessa) train and transfer to a Yellow Line train to San Francisco at MacArthur Station. This is scheduled to be a timed transfer to reduce wait times.
• Millbrae riders will be served by a shuttle train between SFO and Millbrae that is timed with the Yellow line train for an easy transfer at SFO. 
• Riders can expect delays of up to 20 minutes in the work area on shutdown weekends. 
• Richmond Station will not have train service but will still be open for Amtrak passengers and passengers traveling through the station. Riders will be able to board the bus bridge at Richmond.

Cyclists might find it faster to ride their bike along Nevin Ave in Richmond and the Ohlone Greenway to avoid the bus bridge and reduced frequency on the Richmond line. 

You can keep up with the latest updates for trackway repair projects that impact service by going to our Alerts and Advisories page. BART’s Trip Planner has been improved to show the full customer journey including bus bridges.

BART wants to thank AC Transit for providing buses for BART riders during this track closure. Bay Area transit agencies are improving regional coordination to keep the Bay Area moving.

The equipment being replaced is decades old and has outlived its design life. Riders will enjoy a smoother, safer, more reliable, and quieter ride once the projects are complete. 

This upcoming work is part of BART’s overall effort to improve the safety and reliability of the 131-mile, 50 station system. You can learn more about the progress of this work by reading the 2023 Measure RR Annual Report published by the independent Measure RR Bond Oversight Committee.

This article was originally posted on January 22, 2024.

(Updated 9am, May 14, 2024)

On Friday, May 10, 2024, a damaged, 20-year-old fiber optic cable was located just north of MacArthur Station late at night before the end of service. The damaged cable was impacting all communication necessary to run train service on the entire line. It was also impacting all station-level communication including the public address systems, phones, and message boards at all stations from Richmond to Ashby. Crews determined the degraded cable was not stable enough for a quick repair.

 At 4:48am, the first BART Service Advisory was released alerting the public there would be no Red Line service and the Orange Line would not run between Richmond and MacArthur. Orange Line service was provided from MacArthur to Berryessa and Millbrae service was provided by a shuttle train between Millbrae and SFO. The Yellow, Blue, and Green lines were not impacted.

 Partner bus agencies and Capitol Corridor honored BART fares. Extra BART employees were deployed to stations to help guide riders to the various bus options. Given how many stations were impacted, AC Transit was unable to provide a bus bridge with direct service to MacArthur Station. However, Richmond Line stations have high quality transbay and local bus route options and BART riders were able to ride them at no cost. A list of each bus option was posted on the home page of bart.gov and shared on social media.

 Crews worked with BART’s fiber contractors to successfully splice BART’s 48-strand fiber optic cable to redundantly located fiber optic cable allowing for service to resume at 11:10am. This solution will remain in place long term.

As of 11:10am, we have restored normal train service between Richmond and MacArthur. We will follow up with more details about the cause of the disruption on Monday.

In an effort to improve communication during disruptions we are asking impacted riders to take this short survey before Monday, May 13th, at 5pm:
bart.gov/delays

We currently have no Red or Orange line service between Richmond and MacArthur due to a wayside equipment problem. Crews are on scene and are trouble shooting the problem. We hope to have this resolved shortly but expect this service disruption to last through the morning commute. The Yellow, Green and Blue lines are not impacted, and we do have normal service throughout the rest of the system.

Richmond riders should seek other means to get to MacArthur Station. Richmond through Ashby station riders should use the existing bus service at each station. For Millbrae riders, take the shuttle train between SFO and Millbrae and transfer to/from the Yellow line (Antioch-SFO). Orange line service is running MacArthur to Berryessa.

While we do have extra staff at each station to help with buses, there isn’t a direct bus bridge. We do have mutual aid from Capitol Corridor and various bus agencies that varies from Station to Station. 

Capitol Corridor will offer free rides to BART passengers only between Richmond and Oakland Coliseum until 3PM.

BUSES TO DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO 

Richmond Station

• 72M to NL (AC Transit)
  • Transfer from 72M to NL at 20th/Broadway in Oakland 
  • Takes 1 hour and 25 minutes

El Cerrito del Norte

• 72/72M to NL (AC Transit)
  • Transfer from 72M to NL at 20th/Broadway in Oakland 
  • Takes 1 hour and 7 minutes
• L (AC Transit)
  • Takes 48 minutes
• 72/72M/72R to G (AC Transit)
  • Transfer at San Pablo and Gilman 
  • 48 minutes
• 72/72M to F (AC Transit)
  • Transfer at San Pablo and 40th
  • 53 minutes

El Cerrito Plaza

• G (AC Transit)
  • 54 minutes
• L (AC Transit)
  • Walk from station to San Pablo and Central
  • 42 minutes
• 72/72M to NL (AC Transit)
  • Transfer from 72M to NL at 20th/Broadway in Oakland
  • Takes 55 minutes
• 72/72M to F (AC Transit)
  • Transfer at San Pablo and 40th
  • 51 minutes

North Berkeley

• J (AC Transit)
  • Walk to Sacramento and University
  • Takes 48 minutes
• G (AC Transit)
  • Walk to San Pablo and Delaware
  • Takes 41 minutes

o Casual Carpool: https://sfcasualcarpool.com/ 

Downtown Berkeley

• F (AC Transit)
• Takes 41 minutes

Ashby

• F (AC Transit)
• Takes 37 minutes

LOCAL OPTIONS for travel between stations. 

Richmond Station – El Cerrito del Norte – El Cerrito Plaza

• AC Transit 72/72M

North Berkeley – Downtown Berkeley

• AC Transit 52

MacArthur – Ashby – Downtown Berkeley

• AC Transit 6 
• AC Transit 18

Downtown Berkeley – Rockridge

• AC Transit 51B
• AC Transit 79

Sept 22 Update:

In celebration of Transit Month the Bay Area transit agencies and the MTC hosted All Aboard Transit Day last Saturday, September 16th. 

We challenged the region to break the Saturday September 2022 ridership record of 500,000+ trips across all modes of transit. 

We are thrilled to announce, riders came together across the Bay Area and took a stupendous 600,000+ trips across all local transit agencies! 

Thank you for taking transit and let's continue to momentum this weekend!

On Saturday, September 16, 2023, take as many transit trips your heart desires and help us beat the Saturday September 2022 ridership record!

All Aboard Transit Day is in celebration of Transit Month and to encourage the Bay Area to try transit.

We will add up the total ridership for the day and report out to the public and news media if we exceeded the Saturday, September 17, 2022 ridership, which was the highest ridership of a Saturday in September during Transit Month 2022.

On September 16, 2023, BART will also host "Meet the BART Anime Mascots" event at Powell Street Station from 2pm to 6pm. Take photos with the mascots, make buttons with staff, grab a prize from the BART capsule ball machine, and more! 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. 

BART will also have special late-night service for the Ed Sheeran concert at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday, September 16, 2023. 

Effective September 1, 2023, parking fees at North Concord and South Hayward stations will be changing.  All transactions made on or after September 1 will reflect the new prices shown in the table below. Any reservations (Single/Multi-Day or Monthly Reserved) made before September 1, 2023, regardless of reservation dates, will reflect the price at time of purchase.  Current monthly parking holders’ reservations will be renewed on September 15 for October and will be charged the new lower price.

Parking prices are being updated to create a consistent price floor of $3/day (plus any applicable taxes) at all stations per recently approved policy by the BART Board of Directors. Prices may increase above this floor if lots begin to fill up.  For details on how rate adjustments are made, see BART’s Parking Pricing Policy.

BART offers discounted fares to qualifying low-income riders. Please visit clipperstartcard.com to learn more. Parking discounts/commuter benefits may also be available through your employer.

Pay for parking on the official BART app or at machines inside stations with debit, credit, or cash.

Questions? Visit BART’s Parking Overview Page or our FAQs.

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Today, March 18, is one of our favorite days of the year around BART – National Transit Employee Appreciation Day! 

National Transit Employee Appreciation Day is an annual celebration of the millions of transit employees who keep us all on the move, and on this day, BART invites members of the public to express their gratitude to our hardworking employees. 

If you see a BART employee while you’re traveling around the system today, give them a wave and a smile or a “Hello!” and “Thank you!” We also invite you to share your photos and messages of appreciation on social media -- tag them with #TransitEmployeeAppreciationDay. Our employees appreciate knowing you appreciate them. 

You should also keep your eyes out for employee recognitions around stations, including posters highlighting some of the faces of our stellar staff. Keep your ears open, too; announcements recorded by some very special guests will be playing on the station speakers. 

BART will be celebrating our employees internally this week as well. If you’re a BART employee reading this, you have received or will be receiving an acknowledgement with some tokens of appreciation in the mail.  

We can't express enough gratitude to our employees, who are working hard every day to provide high-quality train service to our customers. Speaking of, in the last quarter, we have elevated our overall customer satisfaction rating to 81%, an increase of 7% from the previous quarter. This is the first time since 2012 that our customer satisfaction rating has broken the 80s! We have our employees to thank for that. 

Happy National Transit Appreciation Day!

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