The Market Street Escalators Renovation Project is renovating escalators at Embarcadero, Montgomery Street, Powell Street and Civic Center Stations. Of the escalators to be replaced, 22 connect the street to the concourse level and 18 connect the concourse level to the platform level. Additionally, a new street level to concourse level escalator at Civic Center Station will be installed at the entrance nearest to the Orpheum Theatre which currently has only stairs.
The parallel canopy project is renovating as 21 new entrances at the downtown San Francisco stations that include new entrance gates, screens with real-time transit information, and multiple security cameras.
Progress Report
Updated September 2, 2025
| Completed | Work Underway | Future Work | Total |
| 23 | 4 | 14 | 41 |
Completed:
| Station | Platform to Concourse | Concourse to Street |
| Embarcadero | 3 completed 1 in construction | 1 completed 5 in pre-construction |
| Montgomery Street | 5 completed | 3 completed 4 in pre-construction |
| Powell Street | 5 completed | 1 completed 1 in construction 3 in pre-construction |
| Civic Center | 4 completed | 2 completed 2 in construction 2 in pre-construction |
Map of Escalators (In order: Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell and Civic Center)
Project Overview
On March 14, 2019, The BART Board of Directors approved the single largest contract for escalator replacement in BART history. The $96.5 million contract for the Market Street Escalators Renovation Project will install and replace 41 escalators at Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell and Civic Center Stations. Of the escalators to be replaced, 22 are street to concourse level and 18 connect concourse with station platforms. Additionally, a street level escalator at Civic Center Station will be relocated to the entrance closest to the Orpheum Theatre which currently has only stairs.
The project will enhance rider safety and escalator reliability. A key provision of the program requires the contractor to maintain a reliability rate of at least 96% for the new escalators during the life of the nearly ten-year contract.
Phase Two of the Measure RR funded escalator overhaul program will involve 38 escalators at downtown Oakland's 12th St. and 19th St. Stations, and at San Francisco's 16th/Mission St. and 24th/Mission St. Stations. Future phases will involve the remaining 96 escalators.
The new escalators incorporate the latest technology with multiple improvements.
An edition of our podcast series “Hidden Tracks Stories from BART” features Mark Dana, the former manager of the Market Street Escalators Renovation Project. The new escalators are built especially for the challenges they'll face at BART and are a key part of the plan to revitalize the entrances to some of BART's busiest stations.