This story is archived. Visit bart.gov/news for the latest BART news.

BART Board votes to boost power washing at San Francisco's Mission St. Stations

The BART Board voted today to quadruple the duration of power washings for the 16th St/Mission Station and 24th St/Mission Station plazas and walkways, boosting the nightly cleanings from one hour to four hours.

Power washing is required to maintain the cleanliness of areas at BART that are subject to the accumulation of stains, soil, food, drink and more, to satisfy not only aesthetics but health concerns.

BART Director Bevan Dufty says the 16th Street Station in particular, was in need of more services. “An average of more than 12,000 people use the station each day. We are responsible for providing a safe and clean environment. This commitment to increasing the power washing helps build on the progress made through our partnership with the city of San Francisco and Supervisor Hillary Ronen.”

The agreement follows recent improvements to the 16th St/Mission plaza. In September, crews covered the porous asphalt pavers with a product called Thermoplast. It is similar to the material used to line crosswalks and parking lots and is proven to repel liquid, rather than absorb it.

During this time, the plaza’s fences and light poles were repainted, palm trees trimmed and storage shed power washed.

In addition, BART earlier this year increased the number of weekly cleaning shifts at 16th St/Mission from six to 14 as part of ongoing efforts to improve the rider experience at this busy station.

Thursday’s Board vote awards a 3-year contract in the amount of $982,800 to Puma Washing, Inc. to provide the cleaning services.

“We are so thrilled to work again with Puma. Owner Guy Triger and his crew did an outstanding job earlier this year on a temporary basis”, says Dufty.

The agreement on the nightly power washing will take effect mid-November 2018.