"BART. That grimy, dirty place that some people have to ride every day to get to school or work. BART, or Bay Area Rapid Transit has been around for 51 years. Originally amazing and futuristic, BART has become like any other way of public transit: run down and uncomfortable." -- Amara DEanes, 6th Grade
BART. That grimy, dirty place that some people have to ride every day to get to school or work. BART, or Bay Area Rapid Transit has been around for 51 years. Originally amazing and futuristic, BART has become like any other way of public transit: run down and uncomfortable.
The Bay Area has become reliant on BART, as many people commuting from the East Bay to San Francisco use it for transportation. Jeff Foster, a P.E. teacher at Oakland School for the Arts who rides BART daily, says “I know that if I’m going to SF I always take BART to avoid traffic, bridge toll, and parking issues.”
The idea for BART started when Bay Area officials wanted to “...prevent intolerable congestion on the Bay Bridge,” as stated in an article on the BART website. Construction on BART began officially on June 19, 1964, which commenced with President Lyndon Johnson presiding over the ceremony.
Due to rising costs and construction complications, BART delayed construction on the Ashby Station and the Berkley subway. But, in 1969 BART continued construction and continued building through 1970 and 1971. And finally on September 11, 1972, BART opened the first segment of the system, which consisted of the 28 mile stretch between the Fremont and Macarthur stations.
Shortly after the first day of revenue service, President Richard Nixon rode BART. He thought of it as futuristic and a great example of how we should move away from the use of cars and move toward mass public transportation. “The foresight, initiative, and constructive partnership demonstrated by the cities and counties which have joined in planning and building BART over the past two decades prove that workable new answers can be found for urban problems,” said Nixon in a statement shortly after riding BART.
Over the next few decades the BART system started to wear down. It changed from futuristic and new to unpleasant and unreliable. BART had failed to do routine repairs and it started to show. Nowadays, most people see BART as a necessity, rather than a novelty. “...we need BART,” says Foster.
Nearly 50 years later in 2018, BART ordered newer trains called “Fleet of the Future Trains,” which ran alongside the trains they were used during the first day of service. The Fleet of the Future Trains made the older train cars, or Legacy Trains look older and dirtier. The cushioned, fabric seats were found to be caked with germs. “...when BART was no longer a novelty and crowded trains had become the norm, enterprising journalists swabbed the cars’ wool-upholstered seats and determined they were crawling with germs,” reported KQED.
Fleet of the Future train cars have 3 doors instead of 2, meaning that they are longer. Also they have more places for bikes, senior citizens, and people in wheelchairs. The Fleet of the Future trains are more accessible than the Legacy Trains. Foster prefers the Fleet of the Future trains because “The newer trains accommodate bicycles much better.”
Pre-Covid BART had both train car types running as longer trains, as there were more commuters pre-Covid than now. With more people working from home, not as many commuters are riding trains. After Covid, BART wanted to increase the amount of riders on trains, or ridership. One of the ways they did this was focusing on the riders safety. They increased the police presence on BART trains and started an anti-sexual harassment campaign.
The campaign, called “Not One More Girl” focuses on gender based harassment and violence on trains and public transportation. During the first part of the campian, BART encouraged lone riders to go to the first car, which is safer because the conductor is right there.
“BART officials decided against designating cars as women-only, which some transit agencies around the world do. Instead, BART is encouraging youth and anyone who doesn't feel safe to ride in the first car.” reported CBS News. But, riders complained that they didn’t like waiting at the end of the platform, which is creepy and sketchy because there are very few people. This is one of the reasons why BART shortened their trains to 6 cars. They believe that if the trains are shorter, people will feel safer.
Posters have been put out around multiple BART stations around the Bay Area. The posters inform riders what to do in the case of sexual harassment or violence.
BART also handed out business-sized cards at events at certain BART stations. There are two types of cards, one that can be handed to a harassment victim, telling them that there’s someone to help them. And one that can be handed to a bystander, telling them that the person who handed them the card is being harassed and needs help. This is supposed to be a discreet way to get yourself out of a scary and perhaps dangerous situation.
Another reason they did this is that it is easier for police to do sweeps of the trains when they are shorter. “Sometimes very serious crimes occur,” says Foster.
In addition to a police force, BART has a team of Crisis Intervention Specialists or the CIS. They help riders who are experiencing a mental, housing, or drug crisis. Rather than arresting riders, they help them go through whatever they are experiencing and let them know that someone cares about them. Riders like the softer approach. “One thing I’ve been very happy to see is crisis intervention specialists on Bart to help people… The specialists are there to help people in need and not just arrest them,” says Foster.
In the process of shortening trains, BART retired its Legacy Trains in favor of the Fleet of the Future Trains. There is nostalgia for some people in the Legacy Trains. Foster says “The old trains are really noisy but I still have nostalgia for them.”
There was also a change in schedule. Trains to San Francisco will come more often and so will trains at night. BART is aiming for shorter wait times, especially at night, which supports the aforementioned gender based violence campaign. “BART is also increasing the frequency of trains on nights and weekends, so youth and other riders don't have to wait so long,” reports CBS News.
But, the big question is, can BART save itself? They are trying to increase ridership but it doesn’t seem to be working. Some people will jump over the pay stations to avoid payment. Foster says “They do have a business to run, and it appears that half of the people riding aren’t paying to ride, so I imagine that could be a reason to shorten the trains in order to balance expenses.”
The Bay Area has become reliant on BART, as many people commuting from the East Bay to San Francisco use it for transportation. Jeff Foster, a P.E. teacher at Oakland School for the Arts who rides BART daily, says “I know that if I’m going to SF I always take BART to avoid traffic, bridge toll, and parking issues.”
The idea for BART started when Bay Area officials wanted to “...prevent intolerable congestion on the Bay Bridge,” as stated in an article on the BART website. Construction on BART began officially on June 19, 1964, which commenced with President Lyndon Johnson presiding over the ceremony.
Due to rising costs and construction complications, BART delayed construction on the Ashby Station and the Berkley subway. But, in 1969 BART continued construction and continued building through 1970 and 1971. And finally on September 11, 1972, BART opened the first segment of the system, which consisted of the 28 mile stretch between the Fremont and Macarthur stations.
Shortly after the first day of revenue service, President Richard Nixon rode BART. He thought of it as futuristic and a great example of how we should move away from the use of cars and move toward mass public transportation. “The foresight, initiative, and constructive partnership demonstrated by the cities and counties which have joined in planning and building BART over the past two decades prove that workable new answers can be found for urban problems,” said Nixon in a statement shortly after riding BART.
Over the next few decades the BART system started to wear down. It changed from futuristic and new to unpleasant and unreliable. BART had failed to do routine repairs and it started to show. Nowadays, most people see BART as a necessity, rather than a novelty. “...we need BART,” says Foster.
Nearly 50 years later in 2018, BART ordered newer trains called “Fleet of the Future Trains,” which ran alongside the trains they were used during the first day of service. The Fleet of the Future Trains made the older train cars, or Legacy Trains look older and dirtier. The cushioned, fabric seats were found to be caked with germs. “...when BART was no longer a novelty and crowded trains had become the norm, enterprising journalists swabbed the cars’ wool-upholstered seats and determined they were crawling with germs,” reported KQED.
Fleet of the Future train cars have 3 doors instead of 2, meaning that they are longer. Also they have more places for bikes, senior citizens, and people in wheelchairs. The Fleet of the Future trains are more accessible than the Legacy Trains. Foster prefers the Fleet of the Future trains because “The newer trains accommodate bicycles much better.”
Pre-Covid BART had both train car types running as longer trains, as there were more commuters pre-Covid than now. With more people working from home, not as many commuters are riding trains. After Covid, BART wanted to increase the amount of riders on trains, or ridership. One of the ways they did this was focusing on the riders safety. They increased the police presence on BART trains and started an anti-sexual harassment campaign.
The campaign, called “Not One More Girl” focuses on gender based harassment and violence on trains and public transportation. During the first part of the campian, BART encouraged lone riders to go to the first car, which is safer because the conductor is right there.
“BART officials decided against designating cars as women-only, which some transit agencies around the world do. Instead, BART is encouraging youth and anyone who doesn't feel safe to ride in the first car.” reported CBS News. But, riders complained that they didn’t like waiting at the end of the platform, which is creepy and sketchy because there are very few people. This is one of the reasons why BART shortened their trains to 6 cars. They believe that if the trains are shorter, people will feel safer.
Posters have been put out around multiple BART stations around the Bay Area. The posters inform riders what to do in the case of sexual harassment or violence.
BART also handed out business-sized cards at events at certain BART stations. There are two types of cards, one that can be handed to a harassment victim, telling them that there’s someone to help them. And one that can be handed to a bystander, telling them that the person who handed them the card is being harassed and needs help. This is supposed to be a discreet way to get yourself out of a scary and perhaps dangerous situation.
Another reason they did this is that it is easier for police to do sweeps of the trains when they are shorter. “Sometimes very serious crimes occur,” says Foster.
In addition to a police force, BART has a team of Crisis Intervention Specialists or the CIS. They help riders who are experiencing a mental, housing, or drug crisis. Rather than arresting riders, they help them go through whatever they are experiencing and let them know that someone cares about them. Riders like the softer approach. “One thing I’ve been very happy to see is crisis intervention specialists on Bart to help people… The specialists are there to help people in need and not just arrest them,” says Foster.
In the process of shortening trains, BART retired its Legacy Trains in favor of the Fleet of the Future Trains. There is nostalgia for some people in the Legacy Trains. Foster says “The old trains are really noisy but I still have nostalgia for them.”
There was also a change in schedule. Trains to San Francisco will come more often and so will trains at night. BART is aiming for shorter wait times, especially at night, which supports the aforementioned gender based violence campaign. “BART is also increasing the frequency of trains on nights and weekends, so youth and other riders don't have to wait so long,” reports CBS News.
But, the big question is, can BART save itself? They are trying to increase ridership but it doesn’t seem to be working. Some people will jump over the pay stations to avoid payment. Foster says “They do have a business to run, and it appears that half of the people riding aren’t paying to ride, so I imagine that could be a reason to shorten the trains in order to balance expenses.”
