Feedback sought on new fare gate tones to help customers who are blind or have low vision

BART is seeking feedback as we experiment with new fare gate tones to help customers who are blind or have low vision. 

BART’s fare gates currently generate beeps – one when entering the fare gates and two when exiting – to let customers know the fare gate is open to pass through. The beeps are generated when the customer holds their fare media on the reader for an extra second.   

The old fare gates used beeps because these were among the few tones the gates could produce. Fortunately, BART’s Next Generation Fare Gates, now installed at every BART station, can make a wider range of tones.

BART is now piloting new “chime” tones intended to make stations more welcoming and simpler to navigate. The chimes include a bell-like ascending chord when entering the station through the gates and a similar descending chord when exiting.  The new chimes are being piloted at all fare gates at Civic Center, Rockridge, and Ashby stations now through the end of December. Listen to the new entrance tone here and the new exit tone here. For comparison, listen to the old entrance tone here and the old exit tone here. 

BART is inviting customers, especially those who are blind or have low vision, to try out the new tones, compare them to the old ones, and provide feedback. Staff will evaluate the feedback and determine whether to expand the pilot to additional stations.

Take the survey at bart.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cGQTxzfoSFuIHJk