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‘Transit expands your world’: BART celebrates Transit Worker Appreciation Day

Transit Worker Appreciation Day is a time to celebrate the incredible people who make BART trains run. Whether an engineer, an IT specialist, or a train operator, the people on the frontlines and behind-the-scenes are essential for providing the service that keeps the Bay Area moving.

If you’re riding BART on Friday, March 18, spare a moment to express your gratitude to the people who get you from Point A to Point B and beyond. We’ve spotlighted five of them below.  

Stephine Barnes

Crisis Intervention Specialist
27 years with BART

Stephine Barnes

“Transit expands your world. You’re able to take a train through five Bay Area counties. If you don’t have a car, if you have a disability, if you’re having a crisis, there’s a system set up to support you in the Bay Area, which is why I say we’re the heartbeat of the Bay Area. We can make it happen for you.”

Richard Fuentes

Manager of Special Projects – Grant Development and Advocacy
9 years with BART

Richard Fuentes

“I enjoy working in transit because I grew up riding the bus as a kid with my mom, even to get to church…I love public transportation because I grew up in public transportation. When I moved to the Bay Area and got on a subway system like BART, I was fascinated by how fast you could get from one place to another. I walk or take BART everywhere because I love public transportation. I think it’s the best thing for the environment.”

Sylvia Lamb

Acting Chief Maintenance and Engineering Officer
5 years with BART

Sylvia Lamb

“I was shocked when I first came here how hard people worked. It’s probably the hardest and most rewarding work I’ve ever done, and I’ve been in the business for 40 years. I feel like we’re really doing something for clean air, moving people around, and providing an alternative to driving. It’s an amazing service we’re providing.”

Tommy Cheung

Computer Support Coordinator
22 years with BART

Tommy Cheung

“Transit is a very important avenue for everyone who lives in the Bay Area. It keeps everyone moving. I like to help people get places.”

Kyle Davis-Hammerquist

Train Operrator
2.5 years with BART
 
Kyle Davis-Hammerquist
 
“This is people business. There’s no discrimination in public transit. You see the full breadth of diversity of who we work with. All colors, all walks of life, all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful. The full rainbow exists in transit.”