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The latest progress of the Measure RR rebuilding program is making a difference for riders by enhancing the reliability of the system and reducing service delays. The number of trains delayed due to outdated rail fell by more than 400 instances thanks to work that in some cases replaced track that had been in place since the start of BART service in 1972.
 
The reduction in service delays is among the findings in the latest Measure RR Annual Report published by the Bond Oversight Committee (BOC). The BOC’s independent oversight of the rebuilding program emphasizes cost-effectiveness, quality, and timeliness of work completion. The new annual report will be presented to the BART Board of Directors at its meeting on Thursday, July 11.

“Measure RR is a crucial part of our ongoing efforts to ensure BART is truly the safest way to get around the Bay,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers. “This Measure RR Annual Report highlights how the rebuilding program is boosting safety, making our core infrastructure more resilient, and improving our on-time performance for our riders.”

Through March 2024, $1.81 billion of Measure RR funds have been invested in rebuilding projects. There are now 157 projects in planning, design, construction, or have been completed. A total of 61 projects are complete, including 13 projects that have been completed since the BOC issued its last annual report in 2023. Measure RR money spent, and work completed to this point, have exceeded initial expectations.
 
Much of this progress for riders has been accomplished during weekend track shutdowns, when crews temporarily close a portion of the trackway to expedite track work that’s too large to accomplish during the few overnight hours when BART is not running trains. An example of this work is the ongoing effort to rebuild the core of the system in Oakland. You can learn more about the project and upcoming work dates here.
 
Measure RR is a $3.5 billion bond measure to replace BART’s aging infrastructure. It was approved by voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties in 2016.

BOC members review projects and data presented by BART staff in quarterly briefings. Members of the committee can request additional documents, information, and presentations on an ad hoc basis. The BOC is comprised of volunteers who represent a diversity of expertise. The organizations represented on the committee include the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management, the Project Management Institute, and the League of Women Voters of the Bay Area. You can learn more about the committee at bart.gov/bondoversight.

BART is currently hiring entry-level and lateral dispatchers. Salaries start at $81,000 - $99,000 annually, and BART Police is offering a $15,000 hiring incentive. The role include premier benefits, including enrollment in the CalPERS pension retirement program. To be considered, applicants must possess a high school diploma, GED, or recognized equivalent.  

For more information, download the recruitment flyer and visit joinbartpd.com/police-dispatcher.  

(Pictured above: Dispatchers Robert Lowell, Taylor Fulmore, and Kasey Frost at work.)

You won’t hear a phone ring for long in the BART Police Dispatch Center.  

“We answer the phone after two or three rings almost always,” said BART Police Dispatcher Taylor Fulmore. “You are going to get a real human on the phone very quickly." 

BART Police has one of the fastest response times in the nation for major incidents, averaging 4 minutes and 25 seconds for Priority-One emergencies. BART’s skilled dispatchers play an essential role in making that rapid response happen.  

“We’re like orchestra conductors,” said Senior Dispatcher Robert Lowell, who’s worked BART dispatch for 21 years. “You’re telling the officer units where to go, when, and why. We’re the gateway that makes the department flow.” 

When you consider jobs at a police department, you probably think of the obvious one: police officer. But there are a multitude of non-sworn, civilian roles that are crucial to the functioning of a well-oiled police department. 

Dispatchers are the first conduit in a network of fast actions triggered by a 911 call. They’re staffing the phones 24 hours a day to connect those who may be witnessing or experiencing a crime with safety services. And they do it with impressive speed and dexterity.  

“Staffing the phones” is a bit misleading. Dispatchers don’t simply answer calls; they’re also responding to texts from the non-emergency line and fielding messages from the BART Watch App. That’s not all. At any given moment, a dispatcher will have upwards of 10 computer tabs and programs open, each with a different but important purpose. They’re scanning camera feeds, analyzing a real-time map of every train in the system, and managing a program that collates active calls and available units. Each dispatcher’s desk has five monitors, three mice, two keyboards (one for the computer, one for the phone), and a foot pedal for the dispatch radio so they can call for units while typing information.  

Communications Supervisor Patty McPeak pictured at her desk. McPeak has worked for BART for 29 years. 

“Dispatchers have to multitask and must possess a lot of common sense,” said Communications Supervisor Patty McPeak, who’s been with BART for 29 years. “We need people with street smarts, not just book smarts. You have to use your entire brain in this job and juggle multiple things at once.” 

The work of dispatchers intersects with multiple expertise: law enforcement, customer service, public health and social services, and even some behavioral psychology.  

“We’re all really good at anticipating what suspects will do,” Dispatcher Fulmore said. “For example, if we get a call that someone just had a phone stolen on the concourse, we know the suspect will run to the platform to get on a train, so we stop the next train from entering the station. We have a lot of techniques to set officers up for success.”  

Dispatchers do detective work, too, added Dispatcher Stacie Richardson, an 18-year veteran of the department who was essential in the arrest of Nia Wilson's convicted killer in 2018.  

“I remember that day well,” she said. “I got a call from a guy, saying, ‘Hey, I got off the train at Fruitvale five minutes ago, and I think I saw the suspect onboard. It was going toward downtown Oakland.’” It wasn’t much info to work with, but his description of the suspect matched the warrant, so Dispatcher Richardson leapt into investigative mode.  

“There were so many trains running at that time, but based off that little bit of info, I was able to track the right one down,” Dispatcher Richardson said. “I found the suspect on the security camera feed and was pretty certain it was him. I followed him on the cameras until he disembarked at MacArthur Station to board a Pittsburg-bound train. I held that train, alerted the nearest police unit, and within minutes, they arrested him.”  

"Getting the guy doesn’t make it any easier for the family,” Dispatcher Richardson added. “But I know it gave them a sense of relief.” 

(Note: To get help as fast as possible on a train, it’s important to take note of the car number, which tells dispatchers exactly what train you are on and where it is going. The car number is located above the doors on the inside of each end of the train car.) 

Dispatcher Robert Lowell smiles at his desk. Lowell has been deemed the team DJ. 

Every BART dispatcher works the police radio channel for a few hours a shift. On the radio, they have the responsibility of prioritizing calls and dispatching units in a timely fashion, all while taking into account the availability of officers.  

“Dispatchers are often coordinating train holds, assigning calls to units on the field, relaying real-time updates, and gathering information,” said Communications Supervisor Sabrina Castro. “The radio dispatcher is often interacting with Officers, Ambassadors, Crisis Intervention Specialists, Community Service Officers, Fare Inspectors, Amtrak Officers, Detectives, Deputy Chiefs, and Watch Commanders at any given time.” 

Said Dispatcher Fulmore, “We can stop someone’s commute with just four numbers on a keyboard, so prioritization is critical.” Dispatchers don’t want to hold a train unless they absolutely must.  

Dispatcher Fulmore said she never imagined she’d be working in a police department. She studied communications in college and figured she’d work in media.  

“I’m still using that communications knowledge, just in a different way,” she said. “We need people from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds to accomplish what we’re trying to do in the dispatch center. There are very few jobs you can come into at the entry level.” 

Dispatcher Patsy Hernandez said her previous career as a dental assistant helped prepare her for the job.  

“In the dental office, I learned customer service, how to deal with different types of people, how to problem solve,” she said. “All of those skills prepared me for this work." 

Newly hired dispatchers receive thorough training that lasts around a year. Training starts in the classroom followed by a three-week academy course for general policing knowledge, geography training in the field, phone training, and lastly, radio training. Those who are already familiar with BART tend to finish training earlier. You must know the BART map inside and out, how the railway operates, and understand the complex dance of trains moving through the system.  

You might think the BART Police Dispatch Center is full of people shouting into phones and rushing to and fro. To the contrary, the room is dimly lit and peaceful – calmer than many open-floor offices. A mini waterfall bubbles peacefully in supervisor McPeak’s and Castro’s office against a sonic backdrop of clacking keys, low voices, and sometimes cackles as the dispatch partners lob jokes at each other across the room. 

Dispatcher Lowell has been deemed the team DJ. During his shift, he spins his favorite tunes for the group – some Rolling Stones here, some Eric Burdon and the Animals there. He said it helps keep the good energy flowing and builds camaraderie. 

With some training, dispatchers learn to let tough calls go, to talk them out with their partners, and to reach out to the peer support team when they need extra support. And supervisors Castro and McPeak are always looking for stress management techniques for their team; around Halloween, for example, they hosted a coloring contest with a $50 gift card for the best work.  

“We decorate for the holidays, throw lots of baby showers, and you’ll find balloons all over the place for birthdays,” said Dispatcher Fulmore. “We’ve made this place a home.”  

That’s part of the reason BART’s dispatch team has low turnover. Nearly half the team has worked at BART for more than twenty years. The most senior dispatcher, Evelyn Hammer, has 31 years at BART under her belt.  

“We stay here,” said Dispatcher Richardson. “You look forward to your shift. It doesn’t feel like work a lot of the time, though it is definitely work.”  

"But it’s meaningful work,” Dispatcher Fulmore added. “We’re part of the culture of community care in the Bay Area. We’re behind-the-scenes heroes.” 

Heading back to office for work or sick of sitting in traffic?

BART staff will come to your office building and present about all the ways BART is improving service and safety. 

We will take your questions and share insider tips. 

Encourage your leadership to invite BART to your building. It can be a brown bag lunch, an all-hands meeting, or any format.

Remote presentations are also an option.

Please email [email protected] if you would like to arrange something.

Resources for sharing:

One page hand out about our Safe and Clean Plan.

View our sample presentation.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced new support for plans to develop climate-friendly homes near two East Bay BART stations. The Catalytic Infill Infrastructure Grant investments target plans at West Oakland and El Cerrito Plaza. The funding will go to affordable-housing developers as well as the cities of Oakland and El Cerrito. BART’s TOD program leverages outside housing and infrastructure funding to advance development at and around BART stations in support of the District’s ridership, affordability, and climate goals.

A $20 million grant to the City of El Cerrito will support transit-oriented development (TOD) by funding preparation for the affordable housing structured parking, bringing in site utilities, and enhancing an existing bike and pedestrian trail. Funding will also support landscaping and green space, a bike station, and bus shelters. BART hopes to bring as many as 800 housing units, a new public open space, and potentially a public library to El Cerrito Plaza.

The City of Oakland is getting $40 million to support site preparation work including clearing, grubbing, and erosion control. Money will also go towards utility improvements, resurfacing of roads, and various capital improvements. The TOD plan for West Oakland calls for 762 residential units including 240 that qualify as affordable housing. There will also be 382,000 square feet of office space and 75,000 square feet of retail on approximately five acres.

The funding comes out of $239 million announced by Governor Newsom to help launch housing projects across the state. The funding is meant to help underserved neighborhoods build greener, more walkable communities and allow Californians to live closer to work and other key amenities such as public transit.

BART has 13 completed TOD projects at its stations. Another four are under construction and seven approved projects are in the pipeline.  Completed TOD projects at BART have created more than 3,200 housing units including 900 that are affordable.