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Behind the scenes on Veterans Day: How BART & partners help homeless vets get off streets
By MELISSA JORDAN BART Senior Web Producer If you don't personally know a veteran to thank on Veterans Day this Friday, here's a suggestion: be grateful for the men and women who work tirelessly to assist homeless veterans who seek shelter in BART stations. Outreach workers from the nonprofit organization
New art exhibit recalls silver android who rode BART for performance art piece in 1978
Photo by Kathleen Karp, copyright JBLee 1978 By Melissa Jordan BART Senior Web Producer The year was 1978. Star Wars fever had swept the nation a year earlier, with fantastic characters like the droid C-3P0 capturing the public imagination. In San Francisco, an artist who went by the name JONaEON took on the
BART Police Chief Statement on fatal stabbing at 24th St. Mission Plaza, station closure
Statement from BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez at 4pm, August 28, 2022 The BART Police Department is leading the investigation into a fatal stabbing this afternoon at street level on the 24th Street Plaza above 24th Street Mission Station. Our surveillance cameras show two adult males arguing near the elevator
BART invites small business owners to its 2025 Small Business Summit
BART is pleased to announce it will host its 2025 Small Business Summit event on Monday, May 19th, 2025 on the first floor of its headquarters located at 2150 Webster St. in Oakland.
Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in BART’s new disparity study to help BART evaluate and refine its efforts to encourage small business participation, as well as meet BART staff from various departments to hear about upcoming contracts and purchasing needs, network with prime contractors, learn about BART’s equity program and certifications process and learn about resources available to small businesses from community partners.
BBC Research & Consulting (BBC) is conducting a disparity study for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to assess outcomes for person of color- and woman-owned businesses in BART's contracting and procurement. The study will help inform BART's efforts to encourage the participation of those businesses in BART's work. BBC, with BART's support, will be holding one in-person stakeholder engagement session to provide information about the study, answer questions about the study, and collect insights about business conditions in the Bay Area marketplace, which will be integrated into the disparity study.
Representatives from several departments and groups at BART will be available at the event to answer questions about upcoming contracts, programs and resources for small businesses. These include representatives from BART’s Infrastructure Delivery and Procurement departments along with staff from BART’s Office of Civil Rights and Small Business Support Services. May 19-23 is BART’s Small Business Week. Visit bart.gov/ocr for a list of scheduled events during the week.
Registration is preferred for BART’s 2025 Small Business Summit. Here are event details:
Date: Monday, May 19, 2025
Location: 2150 Webster Street, Oakland CA 94612 (1st floor)
Time: 1:00 PM-4:00 PM
Here is the event schedule:
- 12:30 -1:00 PM: Registration
- 1:00 - 1:30 PM: Opening Remarks
- 1:30 - 3:00 PM: New BART Disparity Study
- 3:00 – 4:00PM: Networking between BART Staff, Primes, Small Businesses and Community Partners
Please register at the link here!
BART offers extended service for 2022 New Year’s Eve; Avoid lines with Clipper on your phone
For New Year’s Eve we will run standard Saturday service but with an extended closing time and extra event trains. 1 am Service at a Glance: Three-line special service (Yellow, Blue and Orange only- see map below). Trains will be waiting at MacArthur, 12th St and Bay Fair for timed transfers. SFO and OAK
U.S. House Committee increases transit security funding eight times for BART and other mass transit
Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher spearheads efforts to base funding on risk U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher (Walnut Creek-D) and a bi-partisan group of powerful congressional committee members are so determined to better protect BART riders and the passengers of the nation's other mass transit systems from a
BART's 2023 Sustainability Report highlights agency's innovation and improvements to rider experience
BART continued in 2023 to pioneer sustainability initiatives aimed at enhancing rider experience while prioritizing environmental stewardship. With a legacy rooted in forward-thinking transportation solutions, BART reaffirmed its commitment to reducing carbon footprints and advancing sustainable transit practices. The accomplishments of 2023 are detailed in the annual Sustainability Report, officially presented to the Board of Directors on July 11, 2024.
"BART’s sustainability efforts were all about innovation in 2023," said BART Board President Bevan Dufty. "We are dedicated to integrating creative solutions that not only improve the rider experience, our immediate priority, but also emphasize long-term sustainability."
Established over fifty years ago with a vision to alleviate regional traffic congestion through eco-friendly transit options, BART has continually evolved its practices to reflect contemporary environmental standards. Notably, engineers initially opted to power trains with electricity rather than fuel, a decision that laid the foundation for ongoing sustainability achievements.
In a poignant farewell to its legacy fleet, BART hosted a memorable "retirement party" in February 2024, marking the culmination of efforts to retire older vehicles. Thousands of attendees gathered to bid farewell to the trains that had served millions of passengers over the years. The decommissioned cars are being repurposed for various projects, including a BART car short-term rental in the Sierra Nevada and a youth bike shop and clubhouse in East Oakland, demonstrating BART’s commitment to sustainability beyond transit operations.
The introduction of new, energy-efficient train cars has furthered BART's sustainability goals, boasting a 7% reduction in energy consumption compared to previous train car models. By running shorter trains during off-peak hours, BART has achieved significant energy savings. 88% of BART’s electricity comes from greenhouse gas-free sources like solar, wind, and hydropower.
"Our shorter trains not only save energy and reduce costs but also enhance safety and efficiency in maintenance," BART General Manager Bob Powers added. "These innovations underscore our holistic approach to sustainability across all facets of our operations."
In addition to transit improvements, BART expanded its Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) program, constructing 531 new housing units near BART stations. Projects like the Gateway at Millbrae Station and the Upper Yard at Balboa Park Station not only address regional housing needs but also promote sustainable urban development and economic revitalization.
Highlighting unique environmental initiatives, BART's Sheep and Goat Fire Mitigation program has grown substantially, utilizing over 500 grazers to mitigate fire risks across its properties. Meanwhile, the Falconry-Based Nuisance Bird Control program, now implemented at 12 stations, effectively manages pigeon populations through pesticide-free methods.
For more information on BART's sustainability initiatives and ongoing projects, visit bart.gov/sustainability.
BART unveils Cab Cam video series, showcasing the entire system in 4K
From Antioch to Millbrae, the Transbay Tube to the Dublin hills, BART fans can now see the system like never before as BART releases a new series of videos showcasing the entire BART System from the point of view of a Train Operator. The BART Cab Cam series is the first time this footage will be available to view on YouTube at youtube.com/@bartable.
BART released the first video -- a ride on the Red Line from end to end -- on Monday, September 1, to kick off Transit Month. A total of 12 videos will be released of all five BART lines and the Oakland Airport Connector in both directions.
The videos will be published on YouTube weekly over the next 12 weeks, with the final video debuting on November 3.
Produced in-house by the BART Communications and Marketing teams, the videos were filmed throughout 2025 and showcase BART’s diverse service area in stunning 4K.
Watch the first video above and subscribe to BART’s YouTube channel to see the rest of the Cab Cam series as soon as they’re released.
Find more stories and videos about BART infrastructure at bart.gov/railtales.
BART to offer more service than ever before for SF Pride 2024
BART will offer its most robust service ever for the annual San Francisco Pride Parade. The parade will be held on Sunday, June 30, beginning at 10:30am, along Downtown San Francisco’s Market Street.
We encourage you to take BART and “ride with Pride” to get to and from the parade safely and expediently. Embarcadero, Montgomery St, Powell St, and Civic Center stations are all along the parade route (see rider guide).
BART will open at 8am and run 5-line service with trains every 5 minutes through Downtown San Francisco. Additional event trains will be dispatched as ridership warrants. After 9pm, BART will run 3-line service.
In the morning, event trains will bolster our service between Millbrae and Downtown San Francisco as well as between Pleasant Hill and Downtown San Francisco from 9:30 to 11am. Later in the day, event trains will start at 2pm in and continue into the evening, supplementing scheduled service.
The parade begins at 10:30am at Market and Beale streets, closest to Embarcadero Station. It will end at Market and 8th streets, closest to Civic Center Station.
Riders should expect large crowds at Embarcadero Station before 10am and large crowds all day at Civic Center Station, as well as heavy ridership to and from all Downtown San Francisco stations and 16th St Mission Station. Riders are encouraged to use Montgomery St and Powell St instead of Civic Center or Embarcadero stations.
Last year, BART handled 140,006 trips as riders took advantage of expanded Sunday service. That's about 6,000 more riders than took BART for Pride 2022 and 117% of pre-COVID ridership projections for a June Sunday. At the time, it was BART's busiest Sunday since the start of the pandemic.
Tips for taking BART to the SF Pride Parade and Celebration
- Before you leave home put a Clipper card on your cellphone through either Apple Pay or Google Pay. There is no $3 new-card fee for riders who add either of the mobile options. Please ensure you have sufficient funds for a round trip.
- Embarcadero, Montgomery Street, Powell Street and Civic Center stations can all be used to get to the parade route.
- Download the official BART app to plan your trip, get real-time departures, and pay for parking.
- Be patient. It could get crowded on trains and in our stations. BART’s busiest hours are expected to be from the parade start until 2pm and from 4 pm to 8 pm leaving the parade and celebration.
- When boarding trains, move to the center of the car so more people can fit and remove backpacks.
- Don’t jam a train door, which can take the whole train out of service.
Getting to BART/Parking
Consider taking a bus, getting dropped off, riding your bicycle, or walking to your station.
BART offers free parking on weekends, except at Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose stations, which are owned by VTA and VTA's parking rates still apply. More info on parking at BART: bart.gov/parking.
BART in the parade + booth at Civic Center Celebration
BART staff, their families, and friends will march in the San Francisco Pride Parade with the BARTmobile and a specialized Hi-Rail vehicle that is typically used to transport BART workers around the system when trains are not running.
BART will also have a presence at the Civic Center Celebration in Civic Center/UN Plaza (served by Civic Center Station) on Sunday, June 30, ONLY. We will no longer be at the celebration on Saturday.
On Sunday, Railgoods will sell BART merch, including new Pride 2024 items, at the booth. Pick up your swag in person and skip the shipping fees!
Have a safe and happy Pride!
San Francisco Pride is the largest annual gathering of LGBTQ+ people and allies in the nation and has come to symbolize the long history of LGBTQ+ dignity, the freedom of all people to meaningfully and proudly express their sexual and gender identities, and the commitment of LGBTQ+ people to combating oppression.
BART wishes everyone attending a safe and happy celebration.