BART Lines: 826 Valencia brings poems and stories by youth to train ad spaces and short story dispensers

Banner with the BART and 826 Valencia logos and a train graphic

Just in time for National Poetry Month, BART has unveiled BART Lines: 826 Valencia, a partnership between the agency and local literary nonprofit that brings a selection of BART-themed 826 Valencia student poems and short stories to BART’s five Short Story Dispensers (locations below) and online at bart.short-edition.com. 

Four pieces are also being featured in advertising spaces on BART train cars to bring joy and wonder to customers’ rides.  

More than 100 students ranging in age from 9 to 18 participated in the project, which was developed by 826 Valencia and centers BART as both inspiration and subject.

The resulting poems and short stories capture young writers’ perspectives on transit, community, and everyday Bay Area life. BART previously partnered with 826 Valencia for the BART Lines: Teen Poetry Contest in 2024. 

For many students, this will be the first time their work is formally published outside of 826 Valencia.

Photo of a train car ad called My Wings on BART on a BART train

 

BART's free Short Story Dispensers are located at the following stations:  

  • Balboa Park 

  • Downtown Berkeley 

  • Fruitvale 

  • Pleasant Hill 

  • San Leandro (new!) 

To read a BART Lines: 826 Valencia work, simply wave your hand over the 5-minute (or “Local Authors”) button, and a story will be dispensed on eco-friendly, recyclable paper. 

To increase accessibility to literary works for all riders, BART’s Short Story Dispensers will soon offer free audio stories, allowing riders to listen on their phones by scanning a QR code on the machine.

The collaboration with 826 Valencia builds on BART’s history of celebrating creativity in transit spaces. In recent years, the agency has hosted writing and poetry contests, featured rider-submitted work in stations and online, and used arts programming to make stations more welcoming and community-centered.

“The notion of mixing poetry and other literary forms with transit is not new. New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles, to name a few, all have programs. What makes the BART program so engaging is our commitment to featuring local writers – especially our youth writers,” said BART Art Program Manager Jennifer Easton, whose department launched the dispensers in collaboration with BART Communications. “We love sharing their creativity with our riders, and giving their voices a platform on our Short Edition story dispensers and website is particularly meaningful – and particularly Bay Area.” 

“At 826 Valencia, we believe our students write a better future for all of us,” said Bita Nazarian, Executive Director of 826 Valencia. “Through this partnership with BART, we’re celebrating the creativity and insight of our future leaders as they reflect on what it means to move through the Bay Area. Their stories transform everyday commutes into moments of connection, wonder, and belonging. 

“Bringing the voices of local youth into our stations and trains through their own words is a powerful way to activate public space and connect riders to the Bay Area’s rich stories,” said Michelle Robertson, Principal Marketing Representative with BART Communications. “The creativity and insight students brought to the 826 Valencia curriculum — with BART as their muse — reminds us that transit is more than movement; it’s context for community, connection, and imagination.” 

Since its first day of service, BART has viewed its stations and trains as shared civic spaces. Arts and literary programs help transform wait times into meaningful moments, highlight local talent, and create a more welcoming, human-centered environment for riders. By supporting community voices, especially young riders, BART aims to strengthen connection, creativity, and a sense of belonging across the spectrum of communities the system serves. 

About 826 Valencia 

826 Valencia is a San Francisco–based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting under-resourced students ages six to eighteen with their creative and expository writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. They have three writing centers in San Francisco: in the Mission, Tenderloin, and Mission Bay. Learn more at 826valencia.org.