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The BART Police Department’s continued focus on boosting its visible presence in the system appears to be having an impact for both rider and front-line safety. The end-of-the-year Chief’s Report shows overall crime on BART in 2024 was down 17% from the previous year and violent crime was down 11% over that same period. The substantial drop in crime happened even as BART served 2.6 million more trips than it carried in 2023.

Additional highlights from the latest Chief’s Report include:

*The total number of property crimes on BART fell by 536 incidents compared with 2023.
*There were 229 fewer auto thefts, a 34% drop.
*BART PD’s response time to Tier 1 emergencies in December was 3 minutes and 56 seconds, among the fastest for any law enforcement agency in the Bay Area.

BART PD is using both sworn officers as well as non-sworn, unarmed Crisis Intervention Specialists, Transit Ambassadors, Fare Inspectors, and Community Service Officers to maximize its visible presence in the system. Their efforts are being bolstered by the installation of Next Generation Fare Gates, which are already in place at 16 stations across the system. The taller and more resilient gates are improving the station environment and deterring fare evasion. BART plans to install new gates at all 50 of its stations by the end of this year.

Last year was also BART PD’s strongest recruitment year since the pandemic. The officer vacancy total has fallen to 16 and the department is continuing its aggressive recruitment campaign by highlighting its $15,000 hiring bonus for officers and dispatchers as well as the unique career opportunities only BART PD can offer.

BART saw significant ridership increases across the system from Friday through Sunday as sunny weather and a weekend-long closure of a stretch of eastbound Interstate 80 in San Francisco prompted thousands of people to turn to transit as a reliable alternative. The sharp increases underscore BART’s critical role in keeping the region moving when major infrastructure is out of commission. 

On Friday, April 17, BART recorded 182,570 trips, a 16% increase compared to the previous Friday, with nearly 25,000 additional riders. Growth accelerated over the weekend, with Saturday, April 18, reaching 139,700 trips – up 46% week over week – and Sunday, April 19, totaling 98,850 trips, a 46% increase over the prior Sunday. The increases were also bolstered by warm weekend weather; the previous weekend was rainy, which typically decreases BART ridership. 

April ridership to date is about 10% higher than a year ago, continuing an overall upward trend. March broke multiple post-pandemic ridership records. 

BART as a backbone during disruptions 

The weekend’s ridership surge highlights how BART serves as essential infrastructure for the Bay Area, not only for daily commutes and events, but also during unexpected or planned disruptions to the region’s transportation network.  

When major roadways like I-80 are unavailable, BART provides a high-capacity, reliable alternative that can quickly absorb increased demand. The system’s ability to accommodate tens of thousands of additional riders in a single weekend demonstrates its importance to the region’s mobility and resilience. BART had the capacity to accommodate this increase in ridership while running standard 5-line weekend service. 

BART will continue to play a vital role in supporting the Bay Area during major events, infrastructure projects, and other moments when reliable transit is needed most.