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Friday, Sept. 22 – There’s lots do this weekend by way of BART, and we’re here to tell you all about it. Can you believe we're already at the end of September? 

Before we get to this weekend's events, we have some exciting news to share. Last weekend, we challenged the region to break the Saturday September 2022 ridership record of 500,000+ trips across all local transit agencies. We are thrilled to announce...we beat the record! On Saturday, Sept. 16, the Bay Area took a stupendous 600,000+ trips. Let's keep the momentum going. 

There are lots more Transit Month events on the horizon for the last week of September. On Friday, Sept. 29, join BART’s General Manager Bob Powers along with eight other regional transit leaders for a ride-along and social event. All Aboard with Transit CEOs begins at 5pm at the Palo Alto Caltrain Station/Transit Center. You don’t want to miss it! More info here. 

Bus bridge alert: This Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 23 and Sept. 24, there will be hazardous tree removal and track work between Union City and Fremont stations. To provide workers with enough room to safely do the work, free buses will replace trains between Union City and Fremont stations. Riders in the area should anticipate delays of up to 30 minutes. There will be no Green Line service this weekend, meaning trains will not come as frequently as usual and transbay riders will need to transfer. Learn more about the bus bridge here and plan your trip using BART’s Trip Planner.  

Now keep reading to hear what’s happening this weekend.... 

For an in-depth listing of local events, visit the BARTable website. We publish a weekly event roundup, BARTable This Weekend, that highlights happenings around the region as well as cool contests and sweepstakes from our partners.     

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Sept. 23, 24, 25: Oakland Athletics play the Detroit Tigers at Oakland Coliseum 

Baseball season continues with three home games at Oakland Coliseum as the A’s face the Tigers. The Friday game (6:40pm start time) includes an Esteury Ruiz t-shirt giveaway; Saturday (1:07pm) is an MLB Network hat giveaway; and Sunday (1:07pm) is Kids Cheer Free, meaning A's fans ages 14 and under can root for the Green and Gold for free (For each regularly priced ticket purchase, adults can add up to two additional free tickets.)  

BART is the best way to get to the game. Read our guide on BARTable.  

Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 23 and Sept. 24: 26th Annual Lafayette Art and Wine Festival  

This weekend, one of Contra Costa County’s largest festivals takes over downtown Lafayette for a weekend of food, wine, beer, art, and music. The 26th Annual Lafayette Art and Wine Festival runs from 10am to 7pm on Saturday and 10am to 6pm on Sunday. Admission and parking are free, and BART is just a short walk from the fest.  

Keep your eyes out for the BART booth, where staff will be on-hand to answer questions and hand out merch.  

One Book One BART: BART launches fall ‘23 book club with acclaimed novel by Oakland-based author 

On Monday, Sept. 18, BART announced the start of the One Book One BART Fall ‘23 Book Club. The novel strategy for rider and employee engagement follows on the heels of our first book club, which debuted last Spring with Hua Hsu’s Pulitzer-winning Stay True.   

This fall – from September 18 to early November – we’ll be reading On the Rooftop (Ecco) by Oakland-based author Margaret Wilkerson Sexton. On the Rooftop is a novel about a mother whose dream of musical stardom for her three daughters collides with their own aspirations, set against a backdrop of a gentrifying 1950s Fillmore District in San Francisco.    

We’ve programmed a series of events for employees and the public throughout the fall, including an author talk at our headquarters in Oakland early November and a Train Read-In (think roving book club-style discussions + trivia on a moving train) in October. We hope to see you there! 

Stay up to date with events and sign up for the mailing list at bart.gov/bookclub. 

Go Shopping, Take BART: Check out vintage and consignment shops near BART stations  

There are many hip vintage and consignment shops near our stations. Get on BART and update your autumn wardrobe without having to spend a pretty penny.  

Check out BARTable’s roundup of some of our favorite vintage and consignment shops here.  

Happy Riding this Weekend!     

We hope you enjoy your weekend adventures aboard our trains. 

Stay in touch by signing up for the BARTable This Weekend newsletter on the BARTable website – your one-stop shop for all things accessible by BART. You can also keep up with BARTable on Facebook and  Instagram.  

Cosplayers dressed up as BART mascot Baylee pose for a photo during BART’s Meet the BART Anime Mascots event on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Powell St. Station. Photo courtesy of CP Productions.  

Riders spin the prize wheel, make buttons, and play games with Half Price Books at the One Book One BART Fall ‘23 Book Club kickoff event on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza.  

UPDATE: BART Holiday Merch is so popular, we have sold out of our current inventory. 

Fear not: You can still purchase all BART holiday merch -- sweaters, vests, beanies, and scarves -- at an upcoming Railgoods holiday popup shop at select BART stations, which will have limited inventory on hand (see dates and locations below). You also have the option to preorder holiday merch on Railgoods.com here (more info below). 

Railgoods Holiday Popups:

• Wednesday, Nov. 6, 3pm to 6pm, Daly City Station

• Wednesday, Nov. 13, 3pm to 6pm, Pleasant Hill Station

• Wednesday, Nov. 20, 3pm to 6pm, El Cerrito del Norte Station 

• Saturday, Dec. 7, 1pm to 4pm, Sweaterfest at Rockridge Station 

• Thursday, Dec. 12, 3pm to 6pm, Dublin/Pleasanton Station

If you preorder your items on Railgoods.com, at checkout you will have the option to:

• Pick up your order at SweaterFest on Saturday, Dec. 7, 1pm-4pm, at Rockridge Station. More info below. 

• Ship your order for a fee. Items will begin shipping the week of December 9. 

• Pick up your sweater at BART's Customer Services Center at Lake Merritt Station (hours: M-F 8:30am to 4:45pm). If you select this option, you will receive an email when your order is ready. Orders should be available for pickup the week of December 9. 

SweaterFest is back! 

Mark your calendars for Saturday, Dec 7, 1pm to 4pm, at Rockridge Station (College Ave. @ Keith). Wear your BART holiday sweater from any year and enjoy crafts, cookies, music, and more. 2024 BART holiday merch will be on sale at the event. There will also be a booth to pickup preordered holiday merch. 

If you preordered a sweater this summer...

If you preordered your holiday merch this summer, your order will arrive shortly. Those who selected the in-store pickup option during the presale should keep an eye out for an alert that their order is ready for pickup.  

You can also win holiday merch from BARTable! Sign up for the BARTable This Week newsletter on bart.gov/bartable to enter holiday sweepstakes and to hear about fun holiday events by BART stations.  

2024 BART Holiday Merch Prices 

Shipping costs vary by weight and location. 

Sweater - $49.99 (limit to 2 sweaters per order)   

Vest - $39.99   

Beanie - $15.99   

Scarf - $19.99 

BART is at the heart of the Bay Area, and we should be proud of the public institutions that make our region merry and bright. Buy some merch and rep your love for BART and the Bay – the ugly sweater way.  

This is the fourth year BART has sold holiday sweaters. Last year, we sold our entire inventory of 3,000 sweaters. Sales exceeded $100,000.   

BART is one of the first transit agencies to sell holiday sweaters. We designed the first sweater in 2021 as a BARTable contest giveaway and ordered just five for the contests. Our inventory proved insufficient after General Manager Bob Powers wore one of the sweaters during a media event about BART’s air filters. People wanted them...badly. A week later, we held a sale for the public, and the sweaters sold out in under an hour.   

Every year since, despite increasing our inventory into the thousands, the sweaters have sold out.

The public is invited to three upcoming community events related to the proposed Ashby BART Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). 

Adeline Alliance Partners, together with the City of Berkeley and BART, are hosting a Community Open House and virtual Office Hours in July to gather input from community members on the future of the Ashby TOD. In addition, the City of Berkeley and BART are hosting an Ashby BART Access and Public Space Community Workshop that is designed for all abilities and ages.  

The proposed project will see the development of hundreds of mixed-income homes, new community/commercial spaces, and enhanced access to BART on the Ashby BART West Parking Lot. Adeline Alliance Partners was selected by the BART Board of Directors at its July 2025 meeting to enter an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with BART for the development of the site.   

Thursday, July 16: Ashby TOD Community Open House (in person)

What: Ashby TOD Community Open House (in person), hosted by Adeline Alliance Partners, together with the City of Berkeley and BART  

When: Thursday, July 16, 6pm-8pm  

Where: South Berkeley Senior Center (2939 Ellis St., Berkeley)  

More information: Event flyer 

If you are unable to attend the open house, you can either share your feedback with the developer on the Ashby TOD here or come to virtual Office Hours.

Wednesday, July 22: Ashby TOD Office Hours (virtual)

What: Ashby TOD Office Hours (virtual), hosted by Adeline Alliance Partners, together with the City of Berkeley and BART  

When: Wednesday, July 22, 5:30pm-7pm  

Where: Zoom Meeting Link: http://tiny.cc/ntn6101 

OR: 

Call-in Number: (669) 444-9171, Meeting ID: 871 7579 1898 

Saturday, July 25: Ashby BART Access and Public Space Workshop (in person)

Join this hands-on workshop to share how you move through and experience the area around Ashby BART station. What would help you get to and move around the space more easily and comfortably? What would make this space feel welcoming for all ages and communities? 

What: Ashby BART Access and Public Space Workshop (in person), for all abilities and ages, hosted by the City of Berkeley and BART  

When: Saturday, July 25, 10am-noon  

Where: Ed Roberts Campus (3075 Adeline St., Berkeley)  

RSVP/Accommodations: Visit bit.ly/ashby-bart-workshop to RSVP and to request language assistance or accessibility accommodations. 

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Accommodations for July 16 virtual office hours: To request accommodations, please call (510) 991-2770 or email [email protected]. Requests must be made 72 hours in advance of the event.   

Language Assistance: If you need language assistance services, please call (510) 991-2770 at least 72 hours prior to the date of the event.  

如需語言援助服務，請於活動日期之前至少 72 小時致電 (510) 991-2770。  

Si necesita servicios para comunicarse en otro idioma, por favor llame al (510) 991-2770 al menos 72 horas antes de la fecha del evento.  

Kung kailangan mo ang tulong ng m–ga serbisyo ng wika, paki tawagan ang (510) 991-2770 hindi liliit sa 72 na mga oras bago ang petsa ng pangyayari.  

언어 지원 서비스가 필요하시면, 행사 날짜로부터 늦어도 72시간 전에 (510) 991-2770 로 전화해 주십시오.  

Nếu quý vị cần dịch vụ trợ giúp về ngôn ngữ, xin vui lòng gọi số (510) 991-2770 ít nhất là 72 tiếng đồng hồ trước ngày của dịp tổ chức.  

BART is pleased to announce it will host its 2024 Small Business Summit event on Monday, April 29th, 2024 on the first floor of its headquarters located at 2150 Webster St. in Oakland.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear tips from small business owners who have been awarded BART contracts, network with prime contractors, hear about upcoming contracts, learn about BART’s equity program and certifications process and learn about resources available to small businesses from community partners and other regional transit agencies.

BART is committed to ensuring that small businesses are afforded equal opportunities to participate on District contracts and agreements. Small businesses include Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, Disadvantage Veteran Business Enterprises, Minority-Owned Business Enterprises, Women-Owned Business Enterprises and Micro Small Business Entities.

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. April 29-May 3 is National Small Business Week. Visit bart.gov/ocr for a list of scheduled events during the week.   

Registration is preferred for BART’s 2024 Small Business Summit. Here are event details:

Date: Monday, April 29, 2024 
Location: 2150 Webster Street, Oakland CA 94612 (1st floor)
Time: 12:30-3:30 PM 

 Here is the event schedule:

• 12:30 -1:00 PM: Registration 
• 1:00 - 1:30 PM: Opening Remarks 
• 1:30 - 2:00 PM: Small Business Success Stories Panel 
• 2:00 - 3:30 PM: Networking between BART Staff, Primes, Small Businesses and Public Transit Agencies 

 Please register at the link here! 

BART’s busy and recently modernized El Cerrito del Norte Station now has a restroom attendant to greet riders and ensure restrooms remain clean, safe, and accessible to riders. This recent expansion to El Cerrito del Norte has been accomplished without an additional cost to BART’s budget because BART is using existing staff resources, utilizing employees on a temporary modified assignment. 

This is the first time BART is deploying an attendant to an above ground station and the first time BART is using existing BART staff and not a contractor. Previously only underground station restrooms that have been recently reopened to the public included attendants staffed by contracted workers from District Works.  

Seven BART stations now have restroom attendants during all operating hours including Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, Lake Merritt, 19th Street Oakland, Downtown Berkeley, and now El Cerrito del Norte. Attendants greet riders, record bathroom usage, check on cleanliness, notify janitors when they are needed, and intervene, if necessary, by calling BART Police.  

When the El Cerrito del Norte Station was modernized, the restrooms were rebuilt with a more open concept with partitions inside and no main door at the entryway. This design, along with the addition of an attendant, has reduced lines to use the restroom. Station Agents can now focus on other customer service assistance instead of needing to check on the restrooms and handle issues related to restrooms being abused.  

BART Director Rebecca Saltzman requested the addition of attendants at El Cerrito del Norte station, “Restroom attendants have proven to discourage unwanted behavior inside restrooms, ensuring they remain open, clean and safe,” said Saltzman. “Since we’ve added an attendant at El Cerrito del Norte, I have personally noticed an improved experience for riders using the restrooms. I want to thank BART leadership for testing this new approach of using existing staff resources to add an attendant to the restroom.”

Join BART as our new Anime Mascots overtake Powell St. Station for Transit Month and BART’s 51st anniversary. Take photos with the mascots, make buttons with staff, grab a prize from the BART capsule ball machine, and meet cosplayers! Come in cosplay and get a rare BART anime charm. 

The Link21 outreach team will also be there to talk about our project to build a second train crossing connecting Oakland and San Francisco. 

When: Saturday, September 16, 2pm-6pm
Where: Powell Street Station in the free area on the concourse level between BART secondary Station Agent booth and Muni agent booth (4th and Market entrance/exit)

Learn more about BART's Anime Mascots at bart.gov/anime.

BART is grateful to Governor Newsom for signing Senate Bill (SB) 63 into law. The Governor has been a steadfast advocate of transit and BART specifically, recognizing our role in moving the region and strengthening the economy. SB 63 is a historic opportunity to allow voters in five counties of the Bay Area to consider a sales tax measure in November 2026 aimed at preserving and improving transit. 

A regional transportation funding measure would provide a reliable funding source for BART and other agencies to address deficits caused by remote work. The BART Board of Directors supported SB 63 because it will cover a significant portion of BART’s operating deficit and allow us to maintain current service levels and improve the rider experience. 

Before measure funds become available, BART will rely on internal cuts, efficiency measures, and a series of one-time solutions to pay for operations. BART will continue to identify additional cost savings and efficiencies to address our deficit, and we welcome the enhanced accountability measures and financial efficiency review included in SB 63.  

BART is also grateful to Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín for championing this legislation and their fierce advocacy for transit funding. 

BART’s transformative Next Generation Fare Gates Project is being recognized by two prestigious national organizations. The American Public Works Association named the fare gates as its winner of the 2026 Public Works Project Award and the International Partnering Institute announced the gates as its 2026 Collaborative Project of the Year.  In August 2025, BART completed the replacement of 715 gates in all 50 stations across a system that spans five counties. The project was completed four months ahead of schedule.

“No other transit agency in the world has fare gates quite like these,” said BART Assistant General Manager for Infrastructure Delivery and head of the fare gates project Sylvia Lamb. “This project is a true example of a BART-wide effort with every department contributing to the successful installation of new fare gates at every station.”

There are several examples of how Next Generation Fare Gates have transformed the rider experience:

*The number of riders who tell BART they’ve witnessed fare evasion has dropped more than 50% compared with before the start of installation.

*New gates and BART Police Department’s increased visible presence are critical parts of a comprehensive approach to rider safety that has resulted in a 41% drop in BART’s overall crime rate. 

*Hours spent on corrective maintenance inside BART stations for vandalism, graffiti, and broken items decreased 961 hours in the first six months after all stations had new gates.

*Early indications are the gates are responsible for BART fare revenue growing by about $10 million annually through reduced fare evasion.

The gates feature a unique door locking mechanism that makes their swing barriers very hard to push through, jump over, or maneuver under. The overall fare gate array height (gate, console, integrated barrier) forms a barrier of 72 inches minimum to deter fare evasion. 

Learn more about BART’s Next Generation Fare Gates Project here.

BART’s new two-year budget maintains train service levels and staffing for enhanced safety and cleaning efforts while avoiding cuts that will have a negative impact on the local economy, traffic conditions, and the state’s ambitious climate goals. The BART Board of Directors voted to adopt the budget at its June 13, 2024, meeting.

The budget prioritizes the systemwide installation of new, taller, fare gates to add an additional layer of security at stations. As the new fare gates will make it harder to skip paying the fare, the budget continues to fund the newly increased discount for low-income riders, offering 50% off trips through the Clipper Start program.

“It’s more important than ever that we provide the best service possible for our nearly 200,000 riders we serve each day and to attract new riders,” said BART Board President Bevan Dufty. “This sensible budget preserves shorter wait times between trains, better weekend and evening service and, overall, more convenient public transportation to serve as an alternative to driving.” 

Operating Budget Focuses on Improvements to the Rider Experience

The $1.1 billion FY25 operating budget supports optimized train schedules and train lengths. With more people working from home and commuting less during the traditional rush hours, the schedule introduced in September 2023 eliminated 30-minute wait times by increasing train service during evenings and weekends while maintaining adequate daytime service on weekdays. The longest interval between scheduled trains is 20 minutes and most riders have options about every 10 minutes until 9pm on weekdays. 

The budget relies on right-sized trains to reduce costs, which also results in improved safety and cleanliness. BART now operates 8-car trains on the Yellow Line as well as selected Red and Blue line trains, and 6-car trains on all other lines on weekdays and weekends. This has reduced traction power costs by almost 20% and decreases mileage on the fleet overall.

The budget supports BART’s focus on safety and security and ensuring police are riding trains more, increasing their visibility, and deterring crime. BART Police will continue to recruit to fill all vacant officer positions and the General Manager has committed to adding 19 additional officer positions once vacancies are filled. Unarmed Crisis Intervention Specialists, Ambassadors, and Fare Inspectors will continue to ride trains to boost BART’s visible safety presence. 

Capital Budget Prioritizes Reliability and Reinvestment

The $1.2 billion FY25 capital budget provides funding dedicated to important rider improvements such as the Next Generation Fare Gate program, escalator replacement, new train cars and Measure RR rebuilding projects.
It’s designed to be a flexible spending plan with the ability to adapt to changing priorities and project schedules, yet the capital budget retains a central focus: 98% of BART’s planned capital investment in FY25 and FY26 will be in System Reinvestment – investments to keep BART’s existing system reliable and safe – and Service & Capacity Enhancement – investments to enhance the rider experience, support more frequent service and add system redundancy to improve reliability.

Manageable Near-Term Outlook

While the FY25 operating budget is balanced, the FY26 operating budget faces a $35 million dollar deficit. Measures are being taken to reduce the projected deficit, such as containing discretionary expenses. A 5.5% inflation-based fare increase on January 1, 2025, combined with an identical fare increase this past New Year’s Day, is estimated to generate an additional $20 million over the two-year budget term. BART will also defer some operating budget allocations to capital projects. 

“We have a number of options still available to address the FY26 operating deficit,” said BART Assistant General Manager for Performance & Budget Pamela Herhold. “We’ll be working with the Board throughout the coming year to chart the best course of action.”

Uncertainty Mid and Long-Term Outlook

The outlook after FY26 changes dramatically as BART is expected to exhaust the remaining emergency federal and state funding. One-time federal emergency assistance of $1.6 billion has allowed BART to sustain operations since 2020, but the last of this funding will be spent in FY25. SB 125 state and regional assistance of $352 million, to be allocated in 2024 and 2025, will also be used to offset operating deficits over the FY25 & FY26 budget period.

In FY27, BART’s first fiscal year without emergency assistance, the deficit is projected to be $385 million. Since BART’s outdated model of relying on passenger fares to pay most operating costs is no longer feasible, the agency must modernize its funding sources to better match other transit systems throughout the country that receive larger amounts of public funding. BART needs a more reliable long-term source of operating funding and continues to advocate at the federal, state, and regional levels for the permanent funding needed to sustainably provide the quality transit service the Bay Area needs.