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The BART Police Department recently welcomed ten new members during a formal pinning ceremony hosted by Chief of Police Kevin Franklin. 

The new hires were celebrated by the department and their families as Chief Franklin presented their badges and certificates, a significant achievement that marked their official welcome to the force and the completion of their initial training.  

The new members of the team come from a variety of backgrounds, and we honor their unique experiences that will bolster the department’s ongoing focus on community-oriented progressive policing. The new hires included specially trained Crisis Intervention specialists, members of BART's nationally recognized Progressive Policing Bureau respond to incidents that needn’t require an armed police presence. 

Click thru the above slideshow to learn more about them (to pause the slideshow, click and hold on an image) and please join us in welcoming them to BART: 

Officer Arshdeep Brar 

Office Mario Camacho Jr. 

Officer Janelle Herrera 

Officer D’Mario Hill 

Lataisha Marin, Crisis Intervention Specialist 

Cesar Mora, Crisis Intervention Specialist 

Officer Melissa Hernandez 

Officer Ryan Ortiz 

Officer Vitor Xavier 

Officer Jonathan Morris 

BART has been working to increase its safety presence in the system with significant recruitment efforts that help to ensure the department is fully staffed and able to respond to incidents swiftly and with appropriate resources. 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.  

 To learn more about how to join BART Police, visit joinbartpd.com. 

BART is welcoming Fleet Week by offering longer and more frequent trains at night and on weekends throughout the festivities. This is the first Fleet Week that will benefit from BART’s reimagined schedule that was launched last month. Now riders will wait no more than 20 minutes on a station platform for a scheduled train. We are using only Fleet of the Future trains to fulfill our basic service plan so riders will enjoy a cleaner and safer BART experience. Many lines that have been served by 6-car trains will instead feature 8-car trains as we expand our capacity for riders going to Fleet Week. 

Check out our BARTable guide to SF Fleet Week.

Add Clipper to your digital wallet now

If you need a new Clipper card, save time and $3 by adding a Clipper card to your iPhone, Android phone or Apple Watch before you go. BART is encouraging riders to use  Apple Pay or Google Pay instead of purchasing a new Clipper card because global supply chain issues have depleted the inventory of plastic cards. Setting up a new Clipper card in your digital wallet is free (normally $3) and the cash value is immediately available for use. You can add funds at any point of your trip. Just open your digital wallet and follow the directions to create a Clipper card in your wallet.

Free weekend parking

Riders can take advantage of plenty of available parking at many BART stations. Parking is free at BART after 3pm on weekdays and throughout weekends. The only exceptions are the new Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose stations, whose parking lots are operated by VTA.

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.

BART will run a Saturday schedule on Presidents' Day, Monday, February 17. Saturday service means BART will open at 6am and close at midnight.

For the most up-to-date schedule information use our Trip Planner or our Official BART App to plan your specific trip.

Presidents' Day is also a parking holiday. Parking will be free at all stations except for Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose, which are operated by the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Consult VTA's website for more info. All other BART parking rules will be enforced.