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Note: There will be no change to our current weekday service on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11. 

Ahead of Veterans Day, BART celebrates employees who served and acknowledges their ongoing commitment to public service.

"There are more than 200 military veterans in our BART family who each and every day contribute their experiences, values, and expertise to our organization," said General Manager Bob Powers. "We all benefit from what they bring to BART, as do our riders."   

Last month, BART Communications reached out to BART veterans with a few questions: How are the lessons and skills you gained in the military reflected in your work at BART? Why did you wish to continue your public service in a different capacity? Why are you proud to be a BART employee and a veteran?

You can read their responses in the slideshows on this page. To pause on an image, left click and hold your cursor on the image.

BART salutes our nation's veterans and thanks them for their service. 

Outside Lands is the Bay Area’s biggest music festival, with thousands of people coming to experience the three-day event in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. This year, the event will be from Friday, August 9 through Sunday, August 11. 

There is no on-site parking at the festival and street parking will be extremely limited. Skip the hassle and take BART + Muni.

Use BART's Trip Planner for detailed routes and transit options.

Getting There

While BART doesn't offer direct service to Golden Gate Park, you can take BART and transfer to SF Muni or Outside Lands prepaid local shuttles to get to the event. Muni is offering extra service on the N Judah and 5R Fulton Rapid.

BART will run regular service until around midnight on each night of the festival. 

From BART to Outside

Exit at Montgomery Station and take the 5R Fulton Rapid, 5 Fulton, 38R Geary Rapid or 38 Geary Bus to the Main Gate. 

You can also transfer at any downtown station to the N Judah, exit at Judah/34th Ave and walk to the South Gate.

From Outside Lands Back to BART

You can head back the same way you came or catch a special direct bus service—the 5 Fulton Civic Center Express. Pick up this bus by the Outside Lands gates at Fulton/30th Ave or Fulton/25th Ave. The buses will travel non-stop to Civic Center/UN Plaza BART station for drop off.

If you are taking the Outside Lands shuttle, exit at Civic Center/UN Plaza and head to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium across the street from the station.

For more transportation options from BART to the festival, see the travel & transport section of the Outside Lands info page.

BART Parking is free after 3 PM on Friday and is free on Saturday and Sunday except for the Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose stations, which are not operated by BART. 

To save time and hassle, it is recommended you get a Clipper card in advance with round trip fare loaded. You can add Clipper to your mobile wallet and pay for BART fares with Google Pay and Apple Pay. 

The Passenger Information System on BART’s train cars is being updated to show major transit transfer connections at stations as part of a larger effort to make it easier for riders to navigate the Bay Area’s transit systems. The screens now also include the color of the BART line – not just the destination – to provide consistent information across all platforms and BART system maps.

Riders can now look at the six screens inside each BART train car as they approach a station to see major transit lines they can board nearby. The screens will not only show transfers to other BART lines at that station but also transfers to San Francisco Muni Metro light rail Metro trains, cable cars, and street cars near BART’s San Francisco stations.  

Amtrak connections will also appear at Richmond and Coliseum stations, and riders approaching Embarcadero Station will see an icon for ferry connections. 

The screen update demonstrates how Bay Area transit agencies are acting as one network to better serve the Bay Area. The effort is also part of BART’s ongoing efforts to make navigating the Bay Area’s transit connections and transfers easier so that people can seamlessly move between systems. Transit coordination is a key priority for Bay Area transit general managers, who meet on a weekly basis to discuss how regional transit can become even more rider-focused and efficient.  

Last month, BART, Bay Area transit agencies, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) unveiled new test transit maps and signs designed to help make transit journeys easier to understand for both existing and new riders by delivering information that is clear, predictable, and familiar across service areas and county lines.

By making maps, signage, and wayfinding easier to navigate for riders, we hope to improve the overall rider experience and boost ridership across the regional transportation network.  

BART General Manager Bob Powers has announced the hiring of Kevin Franklin as Chief of Police and tasked him with marshaling every available resource to bolster the BART Police Department’s visible safety presence in the system and maximizing recruiting efforts to fill vacant officer positions. The selection of Chief Franklin is the result of a thorough, nationwide search process involving a collaboration between BART, the Police Citizen Review Board, and BART’s Independent Police Auditor.  Watch the Chief's introductory news conference.

Franklin was appointed interim BPD Chief in May and quickly established his commitment to ensuring BART is the safest way to travel around the Bay Area. 

“Chief Franklin is a life-long BART rider with an intimate knowledge of the system and its police department,” said General Manager Bob Powers. “Kevin was instrumental in BPD’s new deployment strategy that has significantly increased the presence of uniformed police personnel on trains and in stations. He is not only detail-oriented, but a creative thinker with a deep commitment to our community. I am confident his leadership will help BART continue to improve the safety of our riders.”

Recent BPD accomplishments for rider safety spearheaded by Franklin include:

• 349 felony arrests through July, the highest year-to-date total since the pandemic.
• Average response times to Priority 1 calls at approximately 4 minutes, among the fastest in the Bay Area.
• Working with the BART Board to ensure BPD is offering competitive salaries to attract qualified officer candidates.
• Earned advanced certification from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), ensuring BPD is meeting and exceeding the industry’s highest standards.

Chief Franklin will join General Manager Powers during an upcoming Safe and Clean Plan Listening Tour at BART stations to meet with riders and get feedback about BART’s efforts to regain ridership and provide the best service yet. 

“A clean, safe, rider-focused BART is critical to the Bay Area economy and to the hundreds of thousands in our community who rely on our service every day,” said Franklin. “Ensuring all our riders feel secure will be my first and last priority as Chief. I’m proud of the community-oriented policing strategies we are deploying, and I know we can do even better. The crises of addiction and mental health are bigger than any single agency, but BART PD is already implementing innovative alternative strategies to address these tremendous challenges. I’m going to keep rolling up my sleeves to make sure we are leading the way forward in support of a healthier, safer Bay Area.”

Chief Franklin is a 27-year veteran of the BPD, an Oakland native, and an East Bay resident. He began his law enforcement career at the Oakland Police Department where he served as a Police Cadet and Police Officer before transferring to the BART Police Department in 1996.

Chief Franklin’s BPD career includes serving as interim Chief since May, Deputy Chief of both the Operations and Support Services bureaus, leading BPD’s Internal Affairs division, serving as Manager of Security Programs as well as extensive patrol experience as he worked his way up the chain of command after starting as a Police Officer.

A University of California, Berkeley graduate, Chief Franklin also holds a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from California Coast University and has graduated from the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police. 

Chief Franklin has had a connection to BART from its very first day of service. As a three-year-old toddler, he and his family attended the opening day of the regional transit system on Sept. 11, 1972, taking the train from Lake Merritt Station to Fremont Station and back.

On Saturday, September 6, the BART Police Department K-9 Unit proudly took home first place overall in Explosive Ordinance Detection (EOD) at the first annual Tracy Police Department K-9 Association Trials in Tracy, California.

The event welcomed community members to watch K-9 teams from across the region compete in a series of challenges including EOD, Firearm Search, Tracking, and Agility. We are excited to share that BART PD’s K-9 Kygo, pictured below, earned 1st Place in EOD Building Searches and the coveted 1st Place overall in EOD.

The BART Police K-9 Program has been serving the riders of BART since the 1990s. The specially trained K-9 and handler teams work tirelessly to keep BART patrons and surrounding communities safe by conducting searches of trains, platforms, stations, and surrounding areas. Our teams work and train in all of the areas BART serves and supplement patrol officers to provide enhanced safety and a visible presence throughout the system.

Some of our K-9s are provided by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and our teams work in close cooperation with this agency to enhance safety across the region.

K-9s are not only highly skilled working dogs but also valued members of the BART Police family. If you see one of the K-9 teams while traveling on BART, feel free to say hello. Just remember, our teams are working hard to keep the public safe, so always check with their handler before giving them much-deserved pets.

Updated May 23, 2024

On Thursday, May 23, 2024, the BART Board of Directors appointed Melissa Hernandez to the seat representing District 5.

Hernandez is the first Latina to serve on the BART Board of Directors. District 5 lies in Alameda County and its boundaries currently include the cities/regions of Castro Valley, Cherryland, Dublin, Fairview, Hayward, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Sunol.

For the last eight years, Hernandez has served as a Dublin councilmember and is currently the city’s mayor. She has chaired three regional transit boards: the Livermore-Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA), Tri Valley/San Joaquin Valley Regional Transportation Authority (Valley Link) and the Finance committee of the Alameda County Transportation Commission. 

“My vision is to keep public transportation working for everyone – and to keep BART reliable, affordable, and safe for everyone who rides,” said Hernandez, “By fostering dialogue with my colleagues, partnerships with state and Federal agencies and leaders, and championing equitable policies, I will strive to create a more inclusive and accessible transportation system that benefits everyone.”

“Melissa Hernandez is going to be able to walk into many of the rooms that we need to have leadership and representation, whether that’s in Sacramento or with the San Jose Extension,” said BART Board President Bevan Dufty. “Melissa has a tremendous set of experiences and is well known. Former Director John McPartland has been supportive of Melissa’s candidacy and that heartens me as well." 

The BART Board of Directors is comprised of nine elected officials from the nine BART districts. The District 5 seat became vacant on March 28, 2024, when John McPartland announced his immediate resignation from the BART Board. McPartland cited family matters as his reason for needing to step down. His current term was through December 6, 2024. 

Hernandez and two other individuals who submitted applications were interviewed by the Board at their May 9, 2024 regular meeting.

Hernandez will serve as the District 5 representative through the unexpired portion of the current term. If Hernandez wishes to continue serving on the Board of Directors after the current term expires, she will need to run for election to the seat in the general election to be held in November 2024. 

 Updated May 9, 2024.

The application period for the seat representing District 5 on the BART Board of Directors is now closed. The Board of Directors conducted interviews of the applicants on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 9:00am at their board meeting. Watch the meeting.

The Board of Directors are expected to make an appointment at the May 23, 2024 Board meeting.

The following individuals submitted timely applications for the Board of Directors’ consideration:

1. Bruce Delevaux - View the submitted application. 
2. Melissa Hernandez - View the submitted application. 
3. Gabriel Rodrigues - View the submitted application.

Please contact the District Secretary with any questions via phone at (510) 464-6080 or email at [email protected]. 

Updated April 12, 2024

At the April 11, 2024 board meeting the BART Board of Directors approved a motion to move forward with filling the District 5 vacant seat using an appointment process. 

All interested applicants must complete and submit an application form and packet as outlined below. Application packets are due by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, 2024. The application materials outlined below must be submitted to the Office of the District Secretary via email at [email protected] or in person/via courier at BART Headquarters, 2150 Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94612. 

Failure to complete all parts of the application form or to submit all required application materials may result in rejection of the application. All finalists are subject to a background check prior to appointment.

The Application Packet Includes:

1. Application Form (download and fill it out)
2. Background Check Form (download and fill it out)
3. Cover Letter
4. Resume
5. Two (2) References

Please contact the District Secretary with any questions via phone at (510) 464-6080 or email at [email protected]. We encourage all applicants to monitor the District’s Board Agenda and Minutes webpage to view agendas for upcoming Board Meetings.

Visit the District 5 Vacancy page for information and updates.

Applicants must be a registered voter and resident of the geographical boundaries of District 5. Eligibility can be verified by contacting the Alameda County Registrar of Voters located at 1225 Fallon Street, Rm. G-1, Oakland, CA 94612 (phone: 510-272-6973). You may review district boundaries on the District Boundaries webpage.

The successful applicant will serve as the representative for District 5 through the unexpired portion of the current term, which expires on December 6, 2024. If the appointed applicant wishes to continue serving on the Board of Directors after the current term for the seat representing District 5 expires, they must run for election to the seat in the general election to be held on November 5, 2024. The term of service for all newly elected Board Members is four years. Information about elections is posted on the Director Elections webpage.

Regular meetings of the Board of Directors are generally held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month beginning at 9:00 a.m. Additionally, duties include service on Board Committees, representing BART on various external Boards and Committees, and attendance at special meetings and other meetings as required. Board members that meet attendance requirements receive a monthly stipend of approximately $2,026.91. Board Members are also eligible to receive medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. We've posted other helpful links and resources below. 

On March 28, 2024, John McPartland announced he is resigning from the BART Board effective immediately. McPartland cited family matters as his reason for needing to step down from his elected position. McPartland’s current term was through December 6, 2024.

McPartland has served on the Board since he was elected in November 2008. Before joining the Board, McPartland was a BART Safety Specialist and a retired Oakland Fire Department Battalion Fire Chief. 

BART Board President Bevan Dufty announced the resignation at today’s Board meeting and noted he will put an item on the agenda of the next Board meeting on April 11, 2024, to discuss next steps. 

Due to the vacancy, the Board may appoint a Director to the District 5 seat by majority vote by May 27, 2024. If the Board does not make an appointment by May 27, 2024, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors may make an appointment by June 27, 2024.

Typically, when there is a vacancy, the Board may also opt to call for a special election to fill the seat, however due to the timing of the November 2024 election, this is not a practical option.

If there is an appointed District 5 Director they will serve until the expiration of the current term, which is December 6, 2024. If the District 5 Director wishes to continue serving in the seat through the next four-year term, they will be required to run for election to the seat on November 5, 2024.

The person appointed to the seat must be a resident of District 5 which includes Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and parts of Hayward and Unincorporated Alameda County. The BART stations include Castro Valley, Dublin/Pleasanton, Hayward, West Dublin/Pleasanton.

Questions related to next steps should be directed to BART Board President Bevan Dufty at [email protected].

This article was originally published March 28, 2024.

On May 6, 2025, at around 5:30pm, BART Police K9 Baron sprang into action following a shooting near 14th Street and Broadway in Downtown Oakland. After the armed suspect fled the scene, Baron and his handler, BART Officer Saechao, came to the assistance of the Oakland Police Department. The pair tracked a blood trail for nearly one mile and recovered a handgun that was discarded out of plain sight in a flower planter box. 

Baron had recently completed a Canine Tracking Course thanks to Officer Saechao’s leadership enrolling his K9 and accompanying Baron to the course. At the planter box, Baron showed clear behavior that something related to the shooting was located there, and Officer Saechao accurately read the behavior. All BART K9s have undergone detection and patrol training, but Baron is the only one with tracking training. 

K9 Baron was rewarded for his great performance with treats and love. 

"It is truly remarkable Baron tracked the discarded weapon so far away, and BART is grateful to have Baron's talent on our team," said Kevin Franklin, BART Chief of Police.

BART Police use K9's to help patrol BART property, including responding to calls related to unattended packages and other circumstances.