Search

Each year,  Engineers Week provides an opportunity to celebrate the problem-solvers who shape the world around us. This includes the hundreds of BART engineers bringing to life ambitious projects that are redefining how the Bay Area moves. From advanced train control systems to strengthened electrical infrastructure, BART’s engineers are enacting the theme of this year’s Engineers Week – Transform Your Future – every single day. 

BART's engineering workforce spans dozens of specialties, from civil and structural to traction power and construction management, fostering a collaborative environment where diverse expertise comes together to tackle large-scale challenges. Their work ensures the system remains safe, resilient, and ready for what's to come.  

“Engineers are at the heart of everything we do at BART,” said General Manager Bob Powers, a Professional Engineer himself. “Their work doesn’t just improve BART operations – it strengthens communities and ensures that everyone who lives here has access to enriching opportunities and experiences.”  

“BART’s engineers are truly an elite group of puzzle solvers driven by a passion for making a difference for the Bay Area” said Sylvia Lamb, Assistant General Manager for Infrastructure Delivery.  “They leverage industry expertise to deliver safe reliable service for today’s passengers while maintaining an innovative vision for transforming tomorrow’s.” 

What are BART engineers working on? Keep reading to hear about some of the exciting projects happening around the system.  

Next Generation Fare Gates 

BART recently completed installation of its Next Generation Fare Gates at all stations, modernizing fare control equipment for the first time in decades.  

The new gates feature advanced sensors, improved accessibility for people using wheelchairs, bikes, and strollers, and a more secure, durable design that helps deter fare evasion while improving passenger flow. The systemwide rollout was completed ahead of schedule and is already enhancing reliability and the overall rider experience. BART engineers are now using the fare gate’s advanced sensors to optimize their performance. 

Communications-Based Train Control

One of the most ambitious efforts underway is Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC), which will replace BART’s legacy fixed-block signal system with a modern, communications-based platform. The project represents a generational upgrade to rail operations, fundamentally changing how the agency manages train movement, capacity, and reliability for decades to come. By allowing trains to operate more precisely and closer together, CBTC will increase throughput through the busiest parts of the system, including the transbay corridor, helping deliver more frequent and dependable service. 

Implementing the technology requires installing new trackside communications equipment, onboard systems, and advanced control software while maintaining daily passenger service. It is widely considered one of the most ambitious signaling modernizations in U.S. transit and showcases the scale and technical complexity of BART’s engineering work. 

Traction Power Cable Replacement 

Behind every BART trip is a vast electrical network that supplies power to the trains. BART’s traction power cable replacement program is renewing aging 34.5kV sub-transmission cables that distribute electricity from substations to traction power facilities across the system. 

Replacing these decades-old cables improves reliability, increases capacity, and reduces the risk of service disruptions, ensuring trains have the consistent power needed to provide continuous and frequent service. The new cables will also be used for traction power substation control and to monitor other vital BART assets. 

Investing in the Next Generation of Engineers 

The 2025 BART Engineering Interns are pictured at BART HQ. From left to right: Israel Banez, Alexa Banuelos, Thi Phan, Kevin Nguyen, Miguel Coronado, Kai Gottschalk, Devine Pritchard, Aidan Tamayo, Gianna Pietro, Yonas Isaak Mussie, Alexandro Silva. 

Engineers Week is also about inspiring future problem-solvers. BART’s Engineering Internship Program provides paid, hands-on opportunities for college students and recent graduates to work directly with staff engineers on active capital, maintenance, and a wide range of other engineering projects and initiatives. Interns gain experience in areas such as design support, field inspections, construction coordination, data analysis, and systems testing, and the opportunity to apply core engineering principles and contribute to real-world improvements across stations, track, power, and train control. Five engineering interns who participated in the 2025 program were later hired full-time as Junior Engineers.

Students interested in learning more can visit bart.gov/internships. The application period will open this spring.  

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. 

BART has been awarded the Triple Crown Award by the Government Finance Officers Association, one of the highest honors in public finance. The distinction for the fiscal year that ends in 2024 recognizes governments that have achieved excellence in budgeting, financial reporting, and financial planning, and is earned by only 441 governments across the United States and Canada. 

The Triple Crown Award recognizes agencies that achieve excellence in three critical areas of financial reporting and accountability: the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the Popular Annual Financial Report, and the Annual Budget. Organizations must meet rigorous standards for transparency, accuracy, and communication of financial information to qualify. 

The award places BART among a small percentage of public agencies recognized for demonstrating the highest levels of professionalism and excellence in public finance. 

“This recognition reflects BART’s ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of public funds,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers. “As we face significantly challenging financial times for public transit, we remain focused on ensuring taxpayers, riders, and stakeholders have confidence in how we manage every dollar entrusted to us.” 

The honor comes as BART continues to implement cost-saving measures and pursue new revenue opportunities. Earlier this month, when the BART Board of Directors adopted a balanced FY27 budget, it also voted to adopt a series of recommended early action strategies meant to enhance revenue and reduce costs. The items are based on recommendations from an independent Bay Area Financial Efficiency Review commissioned by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.  

The actions approved by the Board include improving fare compliance through optimization of BART’s new fare gates, enhancing parking revenue, leasing communications assets, expanding the Clipper BayPass program, improving service reliability through schedule changes, operating shorter trains during lower-demand periods, identifying contract savings opportunities, and evaluating expanded retail partnerships. 

The third-party review found that between 2019 and 2025, BART reduced operating costs by more than $516 million through service reductions, workforce controls, and operational efficiencies. 

The Triple Crown Award also follows another significant external validation of BART’s financial and operational management. In its FY 2025 Triennial Review, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) found BART in compliance with all 23 federal standards evaluated, including financial management, federal grant administration, procurement, and project implementation. The review was the result of a nearly 10-month process that included multiple site visits and thorough examination of BART’s management practices. The FTA’s findings reinforced BART’s commitment to responsible use of public resources and effective oversight.  

Together, the GFOA Triple Crown Award, the independent Financial Efficiency Review, and the FTA’s comprehensive assessment underscore BART’s continued focus on fiscal responsibility, transparency, and delivering value for riders and taxpayers across the Bay Area.