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Like something out of the Blade Runner universe, Vallery Lancey’s transit photographs crackle and burn with an undercurrent of energy. You haven’t seen BART like this before, folks.

Lancey, a software engineer based in San Francisco, knows her way around the transit system. The Canadian national is a transit enthusiast – and member of the famed Transit Twitter Besties group. She found herself drawn to photographing BART, a system she takes often to visit friends in the East Bay, because “I really enjoy taking photos of ordinary stuff we take for granted and making people look at it differently.” Lancey said she doesn’t drive and has “always been transit-dependent.”

The photographer is relatively new to the game. A painter in a family of artists, Lancey started making photographs as inspiration for paintings. She became more serious about photography in winter 2020, during lockdown, when she began hiking and snapping pictures of sunrises.

Her photographic progression – from the natural light of the setting sun to the artificial light of a transit station at night – followed naturally. When she found herself on transit, she also found herself taking photographs. Plus, she’s carved a unique niche and style for herself.

“There’s a lot of people in the Bay Area who care about transit,” she said, “but not a lot of people making transit-themed art. So, there’s an appetite for my work.”

Much of the effort comes after the photo is taken, Lancey said. Rather than using gel lights, she extensively edits her photos in post-production, applying a multitude of manipulations (turn down the highlights here, up the vibrancy there).

Some of the settings Lancey uses during the editing process.

“It’s a little hard to boil down,” she admitted. “I think the particular thing I do is I play with clarity, which gives it a smoother or sharper feel.”

She started toying with her images’ clarity to hide the blurriness of a moving train or bus, but she thinks it’s helped her develop her signature style.

“The right combination of lighting and clarity make the photos feel soft in a way that’s very visually appealing and un-photographic,” she said.

BART makes an attractive photography subject, she said, because you can view extensive scenery in “good light” thanks to the trains’ large picture windows. The stations themselves provide for interesting lighting and architectural details, as well. In Lancey’s hands, the text on BART’s digital displays glows and sizzles in red. Especially at night, the stations come alive behind her lens. Her favorite station to photograph is West Oakland, she said, thanks to its beautiful cross-the-bay views of San Francisco.

“I like it when people take away more appreciation for the environment around them,” Lancey said in conclusion. “What really keeps me going from station to station on a Monday evening is I feel like I’m creating art that no one else really is. It’s so satisfying to be able to do that – and keep getting better at it.”

You can view a selection of Lancey’s photographs in the above slideshow. She also regularly posts images to her Twitter, @isthelaststop. 

50 years ago on June 19, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson was the honored guest for the official groundbreaking of BART on the outskirts of Concord that celebrated the start of construction on the 4.5 mile Diablo Test Track. The track would eventually become part of the Concord line.

Johnson praised the project as being a "...victory for vision...”.  Here is a link to the complete text of his speech.

He then pushed the plunger to set off dynamite marking the beginning of construction.

The test track was a lab for research. Every component of the system was tested there: laying track, power sources, the train propulsion system and more. Four different train control systems were tested. Westinghouse Electric Company had the winning low bid of $26 million. 

Bay Area riders can now plan and book short Uber trips — ranging from two to seven miles — to and from BART stations directly within the Official BART App. This exciting partnership between BART and Uber Transit is part of BART’s ongoing commitment to enhance the customer experience by expanding and modernizing technology solutions that offer riders more flexible, convenient ways to get where they need to go.  

BART is partnering with Uber Transit to fully integrate seamless end-to-end journey planning and payment all within the BART app. Riders will no longer need to use multiple apps to plan their BART trip and plan and pay for an Uber ride. Everything can be done without leaving the BART app, and the total trip time will be displayed, making things faster and easier for users. 

Uber Transit is focused nationwide on supporting transit agencies to provide low-cost paratransit trips and to solve first/last mile challenges. This new partnership addresses a key challenge within the Bay Area’s transit network: providing reliable connections for people whose starting location or destination is too far to comfortably walk to a station or bus stop or is underserved by frequent bus or rail service. 

Read BART + Uber Integration FAQs here

“Embracing technology to help people leave their cars at home and reduce congestion is a shared value within the Bay Area,” said Bob Powers, BART’s General Manager. “Collaborating with Uber will help attract new riders and will simplify the process for those who take Uber to and from BART stations. This partnership will also expand access options as we build more housing in place of parking lots at stations.” 

“Uber Transit is proud to partner with BART to bridge the crucial first/last mile challenge, helping transit agencies close gaps that too often keep people from getting where they need to go,” said Chris Margaronis, Head of Transit Partnerships at Uber.  “By integrating Uber rides directly into the BART app, we’re simplifying travel, expanding access, and making public transit a more flexible, reliable option for everyone — especially those in underserved areas. Together, we’re reimagining how people move across the Bay Area.”  

“No longer having to use multiple platforms to plan, book, and pay for a trip involving BART and Uber is a game changer for our riders,” said Ravi Misra, BART’s Chief Information Officer. “Providing this simple option on the BART app shows how innovation can improve access to BART and increase ridership.” 

The BART and Uber partnership includes a special, limited time $5 Uber trip discount at the launch of the program for trips starting or ending at the following ten selected BART stations: 

• Antioch 
• Bay Fair 
• Concord 
• Daly City 
• Fruitvale 
• Lake Merritt 
• MacArthur 
• Richmond 
• Walnut Creek 
• West Oakland 

Riders can take advantage of the special $5 discount up to six times over seven calendar days. 

These stations were selected based on locations where people may not live on a bus line and in a way to ensure bus ridership is not significantly impacted. Great care has been taken to ensure sustainable and active modes of transportation remain featured in BART’s Trip Planner.  

In addition to Uber trips, BART’s popular multimodal Trip Planner continues to include walking and biking options as well as other transit, bike-share, and scooter-share options for getting to and from BART stations. Riders can also customize preferences such as walking and biking speeds for planning their trips. To enhance regional transit coordination, BART’s Trip Planner includes the schedules for regional rail service, such as Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, and ACE, as well as buses, ferries, and cable cars. During times when BART is experiencing major service disruptions, transit riders can plan itineraries that don’t include BART as an option to help them get around.