BART is excited to announce the release of five BART- and Bay Area-themed anime mascots that will help us in our mission to promote public transportation use, especially among youth riders, a growing and reliable ridership demographic.
Inspired by BART frontline employees and BART-contracted animals (goats, hawks) who have gone on to reach national fame, the anime mascots highlight the tight-knit connections between BART and the Bay Area. BART's new mascots were inspired in part by public transportation agencies in Japan and Taiwan, which use anime mascots to connect with their riders and communities.
The mascots were the result of an open call for California-based artists BART released in Summer 2022. The call was wildly popular, receiving nearly 500 submissions. Following the call, BART worked with selected artists to conceptualize and create the mascots, which will serve as BART's friendly and approachable avatars.
We encourage people to cosplay as our mascots! You can find cosplay guides by @craftysorceress below.
Characters
Baylee
A star online influencer who grew up in the East Bay. Knowledgable about all things Bay Area & Northern California, especially when it comes to the best food and hottest spots in town!
Nimbus
You can often find Nimbus on top of the hills, taking in the breezy wanderlust of the Bay Area. The nature and civilization below provides tons of inspiration for the stories he writes with his friendly hawk companion.
Jasmine
High school student & aspiring streetwear fashion designer who really, really loves trains! She is fully decked out with a custom-made outfit: her iconic legacy train bag, an Oakland Wye hair pin, and of course, her iconic “I ❤ BART” button badge! Knows the ins-and-outs of transit and arrives early to parties.
Mira
Joined BART as a System Service Worker and studied to become a Train Operator. A friendly face who has gotten to know her regulars over the years. There’s a small chance you may even see her on your next train or in the lobby of favorite online game.
Barty
The reincarnated bunny spirit of a legacy car who has seen it all. Always available to help BART riders find their way around town with a cheerful mood.
Merch
Get official mascot merch on http://railgoods.com/bart/anime We have acrylic standees and sticker sheets of all the mascots: Baylee, Jasmine, Mira, and Nimbus.
