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BART on Sunday schedule for Labor Day holiday, Monday, Sept. 5

BART will run on a Sunday schedule on Labor Day, Monday, September 5, 2011, meaning service will open around 8 a.m. Labor Day is also a BART parking holiday, meaning parking permit and fee requirements are not enforced in station parking facilities. Plan your trip using BART's QuickPlanner.

BART General Manager Grace Crunican announces pending retirement

Statement from BART General Manager Grace Crunican to the Board of Directors: "Directors: It has been my honor to have served BART for nearly eight years. Today I am announcing my plans to retire from BART and to begin the next chapter in my life. This announcement has inspired many conflicted emotions - as

BARTy: The official history of BART's beloved mascot

BARTy: The official history of transit’s favorite mascot

There’s a lot to love about BARTy. 

BARTy is BART’s mascot, and if you live in the Bay Area, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the cartoon train out on the town (or on social media). It's got big dewy eyes, perpetually blushing cheeks, and a square head-slash-body. You can't miss the lil' guy and its smattering of accessories, be it binoculars, rainbow sweatbands, or a Ballers baseball cap. 

Since 2019, BARTy has been appearing on BART t-shirts, stickers, graphics, and signage. There are now more than 20 iterations of the anthropomorphized train – sugar skull BARTy, cricket player BARTy, Frankenstein’s monster BARTy, etcetera. 

But before all that, BARTy was a seven-year-old's sketch. 

Original concept drawingx

It was winter break in 2019, and BART graphic designer Joe Lash brought his seven-year-old son to the office with him. There was much to be done in the office that day, and Lash needed something to entertain his kid while he got some work done.  

“That year, I was tasked with designing a t-shirt for employees to wear in the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco,” Lash remembered. “I was coming up with a bunch of concepts, and I said to my son, ‘Why don’t you draw some, too?’”  

His son got to work sketching. Every one of his designs featured a square train with a smiling face, and because it was the Year of the Rat, the seven-year-old added a rat and cat “dabbing” on top of the train. 

“That drawing didn’t make the final cut, but the square train design did,” Lash said. “That was the birth of BARTy.” 

Mouse dabbing on a train

People loved those Chinese New Year t-shirts, so the BART Creative Services team decided to try the concept again for St. Patrick’s Day. Things went totally off the rails from there. 

“At the time, we were thinking about designing a new BARTmobile, and I was working on various faces for it,” Lash said of the mini train that BART rolls out for parades and events. “I thought a kawaii-style face would be awesome for it.” Kawaii means “cute” in Japanese. It’s a popular aesthetic style that emphasizes adorableness and simplicity, often characterized by rounded shapes, big eyes, and soft colors.

Joe Lash pictured with three BARTys on a stick

BART graphic designer Joe Lash with three "BARTys on a stick."

 

A new BARTmobile never came to be, but the facial concepts Lash designed for the vehicle stuck with him. And got stuck on BARTy. 

In the years since its conception, every BART graphic designer has created many BARTys for many occasions. Part of the appeal of the character is its adaptability. Fourth of July? Add an Uncle Sam hat. Pride parade? Make BARTy dance on a disco ball. Halloween? BARTy becomes a pumpkin. 

 

Joe's favorite BARTys

Lion dancer BARTy
Lion Dancer BARTy – "Characters for the Chinese New Year Parade are always particularly enjoyable for me to work on. This is still one of my favorites, even though it is one of the first."
Oski BARTy
Oski BARTy – "BARTy with a lot of attitude. Maybe a little old school, but fun."
Reindeer BARTy
Reindeer BARTy - "This is where I think BARTy first stepped out of the parade scene and into helping us promote BARTable events. I mean, look at those eyes!"
Ballers BARTy
Baller BARTy – "Baseball, BARTy, Bay Area, Ballers. They just go together so well."

The character has taken on a life of its own. Sometimes, you’ll see BARTy in social media videos wandering the system on a stick (unlike BART trains, BARTy doesn’t have functioning wheels and require some assistance). Other times, you might find the cartoon on BART valentines or even informational ads on trains.

“BARTy really taps into what BART means to the Bay Area,” said BART Marketing Manager Roderick McFarland. “BARTy isn’t just BART, it’s a part of the community, every holiday, every celebration—from Lunar New Year to Dia de los Muertos and 4th of July to Hanukkah. It’s about being seen, acknowledged, and valued. BART employees come from every possible Bay Area community, and BART serves every community. BARTy is a playful embodiment of that relationship.” 

People outside of BART have run with the concept, too, designing their own versions of BARTy. We invite you to do the same by downloading this printable template. Share your drawing with us by tagging us on social media! Find some inspiration below from the BARTy masterpieces created by riders at SweaterFest '25.

 

BARTy masterpieces by riders

BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders
BARTy masterpieces by riders

BART and Oakland Police team up to arrest carjacking suspects

Thanks to BART’s robust surveillance camera system and BART officers’ diligent follow-up, two carjacking suspects from an incident earlier this month at the MacArthur Station parking lot have been arrested. On October 10 at 11:51pm, two victims were walking towards their 2004 BMW 330 in the MacArthur parking

Pleasant Hill BART Station bike/pedestrian shortcut considered

A bicycle/pedestrian shortcut path at the Pleasant Hill BART Station will be considered by the Walnut Creek City Council at a meeting on Tuesday, July 15, at 7 p.m., in the Council Chambers at 1666 N. Main St., Walnut Creek. Contra Costa County proposes to construct a trail along the north side of the BART

People with disabilities, seniors take BART Train and Track Tour

Around 150 people with disabilities and senior citizens from around the Bay Area got an unusual vantage point on the BART system Wednesday, by participating in what's known as a Train and Track Tour. It's a special opportunity to get up-close and personal with the BART system. Coordinated by BART's Access

BART Police host National Night Out events on Aug. 4

BART invites you to meet its Police Officers and learn more about crime prevention on Tuesday, Aug. 4, as the BART Police Department hosts National Night Out events at six stations from 4 pm to 7 pm. National Night Out is a family friendly event geared towards educating our riders about public safety, raising

BART Police seek public's help in investigating suspicious death

The BART Police Department is investigating a suspicious death in which a 22-year-old white male from Berkeley, Konstantin Tomashevsky, was found at the UN Plaza entrance of the Civic Center BART Station on May 5, 2010. He was found in the early morning unconscious and breathing. Mr. Tomashevsky was

BART-dedicated Homeless Outreach Team expanding to Mission Stations

HOT team members go over data sheets that are used to collect information in the field By MELISSA JORDAN BART Senior Web Producer A new BART-dedicated Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) that will expand coverage to San Francisco's Mission District got their orientation last week -- quickly showing how valuable they