Service Advisory:

Track Closure Bus Bridge and Green Line Cancellation: Buses replace trains between Union City and Warm Springs this weekend (7/25-7/26) for track replacement project. Expect 30-40 minute delays, the last train of the night from Berryessa departs at 11:26pm.

Search

Search Results

Five new BART Police officers graduate from Alameda County Sheriff’s Department academy

BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez (third from right) with the new BPD recruits. On Monday, five BART Police recruits took their oaths to serve and protect the community at a ceremony celebrating their graduation from the Alameda County Sheriff Department’s police academy. Joined by their friends and families

“Transit and music connect us”: BART Customer Services Center worker is also an opera singer

BART Customer Services Center worker is also an opera singer

Taylor Thompson has the sort of voice that makes you stop in your tracks. Smooth and strong, his tenor range hits each note with precision and accuracy. Thompson is a store clerk in BART’s Customer Services Center at Lake Merritt Station. He is also an established opera singer, having performed in productions

BART is on a hiring blitz for engineers to manage Transbay Tube retrofit work and more

By MELISSA JORDANBART Senior Web ProducerBART is on a hiring blitz for engineers who will manage projects underwater, in the air, on the ground and in the hills. Bridges. Tunnels. High-voltage. Low-voltage. AC. DC. And more.“We do it all,” says Tracy Johnson, Group Manager for Civil/Structural & Construction

Crisis Intervention Specialist Stephine Barnes shares her story of helping those on BART in need

Stephine Barnes has been with BART for 27 years, working as a Station Agent and caring for riders taking BART all around the Bay Area. In the past year, Barnes has transitioned from the station agent booth to the station platforms and trains as a new Crisis Intervention Specialist, a new position within the

Look out for a special BARTy train car roving the BART system

Starting Monday, April 20, look to the BART tracks. You might spot something never seen before in the Bay Area: a bright blue train car covered in dancing BARTy mascots.

The eye-catching car is expected to spark smiles, waves, and plenty of photos as it rolls into stations. But beyond its playful appearance, the train is part of an ongoing effort to explore new and creative revenue opportunities for BART.

The BARTy design is being used to test wrapping new train cars in paid advertisements as a potential new revenue source as BART addresses a significant fiscal cliff. At the same time, BART continues to implement cost-cutting measures that have already reduced expenses by hundreds of millions of dollars.

“This is a fun and creative way to connect with riders while exploring a new source of revenue,” said Dave Martindale, Director of BART Marketing and Research. “If this pilot proves successful, train wraps could become a unique platform for advertisers and help support the transit service our riders rely on.”

BART previously sold train car wraps for its now-retired legacy fleet. This pilot will help determine how the new cars, which have a different exterior finish, perform with wrap materials, including durability, appearance, and maintenance over time in real-world conditions.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SFBART (@sfbayarearapidtransit)

Following the test, staff will evaluate whether selling train car wraps is a viable long-term option for advertisers.

“Wrapping a train car is a detailed, hands-on process that requires precision and coordination with our maintenance schedules,” said Catherine Westphall, Manager of BART’s Advertising Franchise Program. “This pilot helps us understand how the material performs on our Fleet of the Future cars and what it would take to scale this as a revenue program without impacting service.”

In the meantime, keep an eye out for the BARTy car as it roves across the system over the next few months. And if you find yourself onboard the special train, don't worry -- you can still see out the windows!

See the train in the wild? Snap a photo and tag BART on social media:

Instagram:@sfbayarearapidtransit
Bluesky: @bart.gov
X: @sfbart
Facebook: facebook.com/bartsf
YouTube: youtube.com/bartable
TikTok: @sfbart

BART wants your input on the planned, less-than-inflation July 2022 fare increase

After delaying a planned fare increase at the height of the pandemic, BART is now studying a small increase to keep up with the cost of providing reliable and safe service. BART has a fare increase program, that was approved by the Board in 2019, that calls for small, regular, less-than-inflation increases

Take BART to Oakland Museum of California grand re-opening May 1-2

Celebrate with OMCA! The newly transformed Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) opens Saturday, May 1, with 31 hours of continuous, round-the-clock free programs and events. The weekend promises non-stop entertainment, activities, and fun for visitors of all ages. Festivities begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 1

BART will no longer accept paper/magstripe tickets beginning Nov 30

Beginning November 30, 2023, paper tickets will no longer be accepted at BART as fare payment and for use at the fare gates. This change is occurring as BART begins to roll out new state of the art fare gates which will not accept paper tickets and as Clipper prepares for the launch of the next generation of Clipper.

Paper tickets balances cannot be transferred onto a Clipper card. BART offers paper ticket refunds for tickets with a remaining value greater than $1.00. It can be multiple tickets that add up to $1 or more. Click here for directions to request a refund.

There is no deadline for requesting a refund. Refund requests do not need to be submitted by November 30th.

Pay By Phone

Clipper is now available through Apple Pay and Google Pay. Riders can get a new Clipper card on their phones for free (normally $3). Funds added using Apple Pay and Google Pay are immediately available for use.

Set up is easy and can be done on the spot or in advance while you are at home. Every rider needs their own digital card. For families travelling together, multiple cards can be added to an Apple phone, but users must turn off Express Transit mode to toggle between each card when tagging at the fare gate.

Next Generation Clipper

BART has moved to a Clipper-only fare payment system because the region has prioritized the use of Clipper as the Bay Area’s all-in-one transit card administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. In calendar year 2024, the next generation of Clipper will be rolled out including open payment which provides the option to tag a credit/debit card at a BART fare gate, including Apple Pay or Google Pay, without setting up a card on your phone in advance. The next generation of Clipper also opens the door for new discount programs, promotions, and potentially fare capping for BART riders.

------

September 11, 2023 Update:

Beginning Saturday, September 30, 2023, BART will no longer sell magstripe paper tickets at SFO. Only Clipper cards will be available at SFO vending machines and riders will continue to be encouraged to add a Clipper card to their phone for a card-free option.

BART began offering paper tickets at SFO in October 2022 in response to global supply chain issues impacting the region’s plastic card inventory. The region now has an adequate supply of cards and BART will eliminate the sale of all paper tickets. This includes the sale of red paper tickets at the Customer Service window at Lake Merritt Station for RTC applicants waiting for their Clipper card to arrive and paper tickets for group sales.

Riders are still able to use the paper tickets they already have on hand, including weekend promotion tickets, to enter and exit through most fare gates until November 30, 2023.

Officer-involved shooting at Union City BART Station parking lot

(Tuesday, 11/19 11:45am update)

Statement from BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin on the incident at Union City Station:

"On Monday, November 18, at 8:57pm BART PD officers responded to a report of reckless driving in the parking lot of Union City Station. As part of the overall investigation, the two responding officers conducted a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, the driver is alleged to have assaulted a police officer which led to one of the officers discharging their firearm.

The suspect, 32-year-old Jasmine Gao of Union City, was shot in the upper body. Gao was provided with immediate first aid and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Once medically cleared, she will be charged with assault with a deadly weapon on police, reckless evading, failure to follow a court order, and resisting arrest with an enhancement of committing a felony while out on her own recognizance. She also had two outstanding arrest warrants. The suspect is reported to be in serious, but stable condition.

Pursuant to standard department protocol, drug and alcohol testing was conducted for the officer who fired their service weapon. Per policy, both officers had their body-worn cameras activated.

Union City Station was closed Monday night as part of the investigation and was reopened in time for the start of BART service Tuesday morning. Union City Police also responded to the incident and provided support including securing the scene. Anybody who may have additional information should contact BART PD detectives at 510-464-7040."

(Tuesday, 11/19 9am update)

Here's the entry for this incident in BART PD's daily log:

245 (c) PC / 2800.2 CVC / 166(a)(4) PC / 148(a)(1) PC / Warrant (x2) Arrest (Prohibition Order will be issued) – Union City Station

11/18/2024 2057 hours Officers conducted a traffic stop and contacted the driver Jasmine Gao (05/03/1992, Union City). During the incident, an officer involved shooting occurred. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to hospital for treatment. Once medically cleared, Gao will be booked into the Alameda County jail in Dublin on the above listed charges. 2411-1355 L26

Additional info:

The listed charges include assault with a deadly weapon on police, reckless evading, failure to follow a court order, and resisting arrest with an enhancement of committing a felony while on your own recognizance.

BART Police confirms an officer-involved shooting took place approximately 9:30pm on Monday, November 18, 2024 in the parking lot of the Union City BART Station. One suspect was shot by police and transported to the hospital. Their condition at this time is unknown. BART Police closed the station on Monday night for the investigation. More details will be released as information is confirmed.

Per policy, BART’s Office of the Independent Police Auditor has been notified and has responded to the scene for their investigation.

BART’s schedule will change on August 11, 2025, to improve key transfers

On Monday, August 11, 2025, BART will make minor schedule changes in coordination with the region’s other transit systems as part of a collective effort to sync schedules, reduce impacts, and improve transfers for transit riders in the Bay Area.

Minor Adjustments

Overall, some departure times will shift by a few minutes, and we encourage riders to check the schedule before August 11, 2025, to see if their trip is impacted.

The BART Trip Planner has been updated with the new schedule so riders can start planning their trips using the date August 11, 2025, and beyond. PDF timetables have also been posted.

Improved Connections

The BART to Antioch connection at the transfer platform will speed up. The wait time will be reduced from seven minutes between arriving on the BART to Antioch DMU train to departing on the BART Fleet of the Future train to four minutes.
BART trains will have a longer dwell time at Millbrae Station for improved reliability of Caltrain and SamTrans connections.
BART trains will have a longer dwell time at Dublin/Pleasanton Station for improved LAVTA Wheels connections, and Wheels made changes to speed up the following trips:
- Riders from East Dublin to Downtown San Francisco will save 17 minutes in the morning peak for riders who take LAVTA’s Wheels #2 and BART.
- Riders from Pleasanton to Downtown San Francisco will on average save 15 minutes in the morning peak for riders who take LAVTA’s Wheels #8 and BART.
- Riders from Livermore to Downtown San Francisco will save 17 minutes in the morning peak for riders who take LAVTA’s Wheels #10R and BART.
BART will have more even train spacing between the Orange & Green lines from Berryessa to Richmond for improved connections with VTA, AC Transit, and Union City Transit bus service. Currently trains run every 7 and 13 minutes toward Berryessa, and it will now be 9 and 11 minutes. Trains heading in the Richmond direction will go from 9 and 11 to 10 and 10.

Transit Coordination – The Big Sync

Bay Area transit agencies have been syncing schedules in a whole new way to make riding transit even faster and improve transfer reliability and timing. Transit agencies from across the region are rolling out new schedules in mid-August in coordination with each other and have now aligned the timing of schedule changes twice each year, once in summer (mid-August) and once in winter (mid-January).

This is the third iteration of a coordinated Big Sync in the Bay Area. Agencies meet several months in advance of each schedule change to share planned changes and to look for opportunities to improve transfers.

Advancing schedule change alignment is a key priority for Bay Area transit general managers who meet on a weekly basis to make transit more rider-focused and efficient.