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This past Saturday, April 20, BART fans caught a final ride on the trains all of us will soon miss. Thousands of people, many wearing their favorite BART outfits, including those they made themselves, came to MacArthur Station to bid adieu to the historic legacy fleet and take their last ride on the 51.5-year-old trains. The event included a celebration in the station plaza, a retirement ceremony, and a final journey aboard three legacy trains brought from the yard just for the day. Some people traveled from outside the state just to attend the event. 

“I’m coming out here to pay my respects to an old friend that I’ve been missing these last few weeks," said one rail fan who arrived over an hour early to the event. “It’s going to be sad to see it go, but it’s nice to know I’ll be here for its final moments.” 

In the plaza, throngs of BART fans enjoyed food trucks and activities, including a stamp rally, as well as a raffle for legacy car number plates. There was also a Railgoods popup shop so folks could top off their collections of BART merch and purchase the latest product offerings, including a shirt made specifically for the day. 

The party in the plaza was followed by a ceremony opened by BART Board President Bevan Dufty and including remarks by General Manager Bob Powers, FTA Region 9 Regional Administrator Ray Tellis, and BART Chief of Police Kevin Franklin. There were also representatives from groups who will receive legacy cars after successfully submitting proposals to repurpose the vehicles, including the Western Railway Museum, which is establishing a Rapid Transit History Center that will include three legacy BART cars; the Sierra Train House, a forthcoming residence and short-term rental in the Sierra Foothills constructed from a BART car; and the Original Scraper Bike Team, who will use a car for a bike shop, providing free repairs and bike repair lessons to local youth, as well as a clubhouse for community events and the organization's mentorship program.  

At the end of the ceremony, it was time for the last hurrah aboard the legacy trains. Incredibly, the line to get on a train was so long it reached MacArthur Boulevard. Despite the line, everyone was able to get onboard a train. 

The trip ran from MacArthur to Fremont Station – the reverse of BART’s inaugural run in 1972. Some of the cars in service for that momentous day were hauling passengers for this last ride, more than fifty years after their wheels first touched rail. 

After the trains reached Fremont, they rode off into the sunset and came to rest at BART’s Hayward Yard. A crowd on the station platform at Fremont, their cameras rolling, was there to see them off. 

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BART Director Bevan Dufty said he was “extremely hopeful” about the upcoming year following a vote today that elected him president of the BART Board. Dufty said he will work hard to support and collaborate with the BART team to solve problems and to anticipate the challenges ahead.

“I am so proud of the work this agency does to support the Bay Area community,” President Dufty said. “I look forward to working hand in hand with the rest of the Board in 2024.”   

President Dufty was first elected to the BART Board of Directors in November 2016 and was re-elected in 2020. He represents District 9, which includes portions of San Francisco. Dufty served as president in 2019.

Director Mark Foley, who was elected vice president, said 2024 will be an exciting, but challenging year. 

“There are a lot of great things happening at the agency we should celebrate,” Vice President Foley said. “People in the Bay Area love BART and what we do. We mean so much to people and provide a crucial lifeline for people traveling to school, to doctors’ appointments, and to work.” 

Vice President Foley was first elected to the BART Board in November 2018 and was re-elected in 2022. Vice President Foley represents District 2, which includes Antioch, Brentwood, Concord (partial), and other cities and unincorporated communities in Contra Costa County. 

Vice President Foley served as board president in 2021 and vice president in 2020 and 2022. 

Watch Janice Li’s outgoing remarks as Board President, during which she highlights BART’s top accomplishments of 2023.

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It’s a jazzy no-traffic jam! 

Purchase advance tickets on Railgoods.com or on the day of the event. 

This October, BART Sound Tracks returns with a one-day music festival featuring some of the Bay Area’s outstanding jazz and R&B talents.  

Sound Tracks Jazz Festival, presented in partnership with SFJAZZ, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 3pm to 6pm, in the North Berkeley Station parking lot. In addition to three unique acts – SFJAZZ High School All-Stars, B DeVeaux, and Sun Hop Fat – there will be food trucks, mocktails, and BART merch for sale.  

Now in its fourth year, BART has hosted Sound Tracks at stations as part of its event and rider engagement program, which celebrates transit, activates stations, uplifts local arts and culture, and demonstrates appreciation for our communities. 

Purchase advance tickets or at the event on Railgoods.com. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn/camping chairs, picnics, awesome hats and/or low umbrellas (consider your fellow eventgoers) and your dancing shoes. Consuming alcohol, smoking/vaping, and pets (service animals excepted) are not permitted at the event. There will be parking for motor vehicles and bicycles. 

“It is thrilling to evolve Sound Tracks to a multi-artist event in partnership with longtime BARTable partner SFJAZZ,” said BART Art Program Manager Jennifer Easton. Arts and culture surround the BART system and creating an event that celebrates emerging and established local artists is a perfect opportunity to honor that and bring our community together for a great afternoon of music, dancing, and having fun.” 

“SFJAZZ is very happy to extend our collaboration with BART and to curate the BART Sound Tracks Jazz Festival at North Berkeley BART station as part of our 'SFJAZZ presents’ activities across the Bay Area and beyond,” said SFJAZZ Director of Artistic Programming Burkhard Hopper. “SFJAZZ is all about bringing the best of jazz, legends, and newcomers alike to the Bay Area. We encourage our audience to use public transportations to come to this festival and our venue in Hayes Valley.” 

Following the hugely successful Let’s Glow! Anime Festival in September and Under the Stars movie night in August, Sound Tracks will be another great opportunity to discover all the people, places and events accessible by BART as we land in Berkeley – a city known for its dynamic musicians and performance venues. BART and partner SFJAZZ, the largest nonprofit jazz presenter in the world, are bringing the focus on youth and the diversity of Bay Area music sounds that celebrate traditions and highlight innovators. 

What: Sound Tracks Music Festival, presented by BART and SFJAZZ 

When: Saturday, October 11, 3pm to 6pm 

Where: North Berkeley BART Station parking lot, 1750 Sacramento Street, Berkeley, CA 94702 

Tickets: $5 youth includes 1 youth drink (under 18), $10 adult includes 1 mocktail (18+), $24 family (2 adult + 2 youth). Youth under 5 are free. Tickets available for purchase at the event and on Railgoods.com now. 

About the performers 

The SFJAZZ High School All-Stars is a pre-professional training program for advanced musicians from the greater Bay Area. These young artists display a technical brilliance and musical maturity rarely seen in the youth ensemble arena. Each year the students perform, record, travel and participate in national festivals and competitions, and receive training and mentorship from leading jazz artists. 

B DeVeaux is a 25-year-old Neo-Soul vocalist and songwriter, who has performed both as a solo artist and in other projects all over the Bay Area and beyond, including Yerba Buena Gardens, The Breakroom at San Jose Jazz, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the Mountain Winery, the Kennedy Center and most recently Outsidelands. They will make their SFJAZZ debut this season. Hailing from Oakland, CA, DeVeaux has been singing since the age of 3. They have just released their first album, CHRYSALIS.  

Sun Hop Fat has been at the forefront of world music in the Bay Area. Their music blends the rhythms of traditional American funk and jazz with harmonies and melodies from East and West Africa. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Fèla Kuti, Mulatu Astake, and James Brown, and well steeped in the swampy sounds of New Orleans, their sounds include original compositions. This all-star band includes standout musicians from other popular San Francisco Bay Area groups including Afromassive, Harry and the Hitmen, and Smoked Out Soul.  

Whether sit down jazz crowds or igniting the get-up-and-dance vibe, Sun Hop Fat’s wide appeal garners support from diverse audiences.  

“…a steady wall of extraordinary moving sounds and beats” – San Francisco Examiner. 

BART offers alternative bus service called the Early Bird Express for weekday service before BART opens.

Due to low bus ridership on several routes, limited funding, and increasing demand for bus drivers from partner agencies, BART will make a series of service reductions to the Early Bird Express service in 2024. BART will retain eight trips that serve 90% of riders and will eliminate seven trips, impacting 10% of riders. 

The changes will impact fewer than 20 riders.

The first change occurred on April 28, 2024 and June 16, 2024 and then again on August 12, 2024.

The full details of service changes, maps, and suggested alternatives can be found on the Early Bird Express page.

BART and partner bus agencies will do targeted outreach about these upcoming changes.

*This article was originally posted on March 13, 2024 and is being kept up to date.

The BART Board of Directors unanimously elected Mark Foley to serve as its president for the 2025 term during its meeting today, December 19, 2024. Foley served as vice president for the 2024 board term. 

Foley made a point to welcome the four new board members who took office for their first meeting. “Your fresh ideas, new perspectives, and diverse experiences are exactly what we need as we navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead,” Foley said. “I am confident that your contributions will be invaluable as we work together to shape the future of BART and public transit in our region.”

Foley will lead the BART Board during a time of unprecedented financial uncertainty. The Board of Directors and BART staff are seeking a reliable long-term funding source to replace federal and state emergency funds that are projected to run out in 2026. If unsuccessful, BART faces devastating cuts that will have serious impacts on the quality of life in the Bay Area. 

“The work ahead requires deep collaboration, and I look forward to working closely with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and our partners to develop a regional funding measure,” Foley said.

In his speech, Foley noted some exciting improvements expected in 2025, including the completion of the Next Generation Fare Gate Project, more reliable power for train service thanks to new electrical substations under construction, and progress on a new train control system to increase train frequency and reliability. 

Foley was first elected to the BART Board on November 6, 2018, and was re-elected in 2022. Foley represents District 2, which is in Contra Costa County, and includes the City of Pittsburg, the City of Antioch, the City of Brentwood, the City of Oakley, the northeastern part of the City of Concord and the northern part of the City of Martinez, as well as the unincorporated communities of Mountain View and Vine Hill. District 2 BART stations include: Antioch, Concord (shared with District 1), North Concord/Martinez, Pittsburg/Bay Point, and Pittsburg Center.

Foley previously served as Board President in 2021 and as Board Vice President in 2020 and 2023.

Director Melissa Hernandez elected as BART Board Vice President

The Board of Directors also unanimously elected District 5 Director Melissa Hernandez as Board Vice President. She is the first Latina to serve on the BART Board of Directors.

First appointed to the Board on May 23, 2024, to fill the vacancy for District 5, Hernandez was elected in November. 

District 5 is in Alameda and Contra Costa counties and includes a portion of the City of Hayward, ranging from Castro Valley Station in the north to Hayward Station in the south. It also includes the City of Pleasanton (except for a portion near Kilkare Woods), the City of Livermore, the City of Dublin, the southeastern part of San Ramon, and rural areas in east Alameda County.

Previously, Hernandez served as a City of Dublin councilmember for eight years and also served as the city’s mayor for four years until June 2024. She has chaired three regional transit boards: the Livermore-Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA), Tri Valley/San Joaquin Valley Regional Transportation Authority (Valley Link), and the Finance Committee of the Alameda County Transportation Commission. 

BART will provide four trains with limited stops before regular BART service begins for the Bay to Breakers event on Sunday, May 19, 2024. The special service will get race participants to Embarcadero around 7am.

The special early morning event trains will pick up passengers for an Embarcadero arrival with limited service from the following peninsula stations; Millbrae, Daly City, and 16th Street Mission in San Francisco and from the East Bay; West Oakland, MacArthur, Pleasant Hill, El Cerrito del Norte, Bay Fair, and Dublin stations. These stations will be the only stations opened early for service.

These four trains will go out of service once they drop riders off at Embarcadero. Riders cannot board a train at Embarcadero. 

Special Service Details

• One train will leave Millbrae at 6:30am and will stop at Daly City at 6:43am, 16th Street Mission at 6:53am and then Embarcadero at 6:58am. No other stops will be made along the line.
• A second train will leave Pleasant Hill at 6:24am and will stop at MacArthur at 6:43am, West Oakland at 6:52am and then Embarcadero at 6:58am. No other stops will be made along the line.
• A third train will leave Dublin at 6:18am and will stop at Bay Fair at 6:35am, West Oakland at 6:55am, and then Embarcadero at 7:01am. No other stops will be made along the line.
• A fourth train will leave El Cerrito del Norte at 6:36am and will stop at MacArthur at 6:49am, West Oakland at 6:58am and then Embarcadero at 7:04am. No other stops will be made along the line.

Regular systemwide BART service starts at around 8am.

Tips

BART parking is free on Sundays. People driving to BART to take the train should park at one of these stations being served: Pleasant Hill, El Cerrito del Norte, MacArthur, Bay Fair, West Oakland, Daly City, and Millbrae. 16th Street Mission does not have a BART parking lot.

BART has loaded these event trains as special service to the Trip Planner.

Once on the platform, these four trains will be labelled as: “Limited Stop to Embarcadero.”

Load your Clipper card in advance with enough funds for the round trip.

If you don’t have a Clipper card, add one for free ($3 savings) to your phone’s wallet in advance and use Google Pay or Apple Pay.