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Bay Area transit agencies have been syncing schedules in a whole new way to make riding transit even faster. Transit agencies from across the region are updating their schedules at the same time in mid-August to significantly improve transfer reliability and timing. With these changes, transit riders who use more than one system will see a variety of improvements across the Bay Area this month, saving some riders as much as 20 minutes on their trips.  

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. 

Four transfer hubs get schedule overhauls 

After a thorough analysis of potential high-impact improvements benefiting the greatest number of riders, four specific locations where riders transfer from one system to another were prioritized for changes to maximize efficiency: 

• Dublin/Pleasanton BART
• Daly City BART
• Palo Alto Caltrain
• Concord BART 

These transfer hubs involved the coordination of BART, Muni, SamTrans, Caltrain, VTA, Dumbarton Express, Stanford Marguerite, Tri Delta Transit, County Connection, StanRTA, and LAVTA’s Wheels.  

In all, 18 bus routes at the four hub locations were tweaked to improve transfer connections with BART, Caltrain, and with each other. For these 18 routes, this effort achieves a 33% increase in weekday ideal transfers, most commonly between 5-10 minutes, and a 47% increase in weekend ideal transfers.  

When a transfer window is too short, riders must sprint to make their connection, or worse, they just miss it and have a long wait. This effort achieves a 23% decrease in weekday transfers that are too short and a 36% decrease in weekday transfers that are too long. 

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.   

“The Big Sync was born from the idea that while we are separate agencies by name, we all work as one to serve the region,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers, who leads a Monday morning call with all operators with a focus on coordination and transformational improvements.  “Bay Area transit agencies are maximizing our limited resources by working collaboratively to speed up travel times across the region and make it easier to ride the bus, train, or ferry.”   

View this map as a pdf

Some of the biggest travel time savings from this Big Sync include: 

Peninsula Travel Time Improvements 

• Riders from the Peninsula coastside to Millbrae will on average save 20 minutes in the morning peak and will save 14 minutes returning in the evening peak for those who take SamTrans #117, SamTrans #110, and BART.
• Riders from the Peninsula coastside to Downtown San Francisco will on average save 17 minutes in the morning peak and on average save 14 minutes returning in the evening peak for those who take SamTrans #117 or SamTrans #110, and BART.
• Midday riders from Union City to San Mateo will save 3 minutes in the westbound direction and 19 minutes in the eastbound direction for those who take Dumbarton Express and Caltrain beginning in September.  

East Bay Travel Time Improvements 

• 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. 

Other transit service coordination efforts for August include:  

• 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 Station for improved LAVTA Wheels connections.
• 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.
• Muni is offering more morning service on the 49 Van Ness/Mission, 30x Marina Express and 1x California Express that connect to BART and the Salesforce Transit Center based on feedback from their riders.
• VTA’s 500 bus at Berryessa BART will shift to align with BART’s new schedule.
• County Connection Route 35 at Dublin/Pleasanton BART will shift to align with the new BART schedule. In June, County Connection implemented changes to weekend routes 310, 314, and 320 to improve bus-bus connections at Concord BART.
• AC Transit has updated 104 bus lines as part of the all-new Realign network. Realign brings a range of improvements, including coordinated scheduling to support smoother transfers to BART and expanded service for better connections with Golden Gate Transit. Developed over two years with an equity focus, Realign right-sizes their bus network to address fiscal challenges while remaining flexible to meet the evolving travel needs of East Bay riders.
• Tri Delta Transit is making changes to several routes to better align with BART, County Connection, and WestCAT as part of a new “TDT Network” revitalized system update, with feedback from their riders, offering more frequent, efficient, and faster service.
• SamTrans is updating schedules for routes 110, 121, SKY and PCX in the Daly City area to better align with BART arrivals and departures. Farther down on the Peninsula, routes 280 and 281 will shift to better connect with Caltrain service at the Palo Alto Transit Center.
• Caltrain continues to work and meet with BART, VTA, and SamTrans to improve transfers. By sharing data and rider patterns with our partners, we were able to collaboratively sync up several routes that connect at the Palo Alto Transit Center and Caltrain Station, greatly reducing travel times. Because of that, ideal transfer connections have jumped from 44 to 146 and those that were too long or too short have dropped from 106 to just a couple dozen. 

A sea of BART holiday sweaters swarmed the plaza at Rockridge Station for BART’s SweaterFest ‘24 this past Saturday. 

Joy was in abundance as hundreds of people descended upon the station to celebrate the season with a BART twist. And it wasn’t just humans who came to party with the Bay’s biggest transit fans – a spirited snowman, an energetic gingerbread man, and even Chewbacca made appearances.  

Charlie Barreda & Friends played holiday jams for the crowd and Full Belly Bakery served delicious desserts as attendees bought their BART holiday merch from Railgoods and explored the myriad activities stationed around the plaza.  

BART fans young and old crafted wreaths with old paper tickets, took photos in front of a BART holiday wonderland backdrop, got a fresh stamp for their BART Stamp Passports, and wrote odes to BART at the poetry booth.

Didn’t make it to SweaterFest? 

There’s still time to buy a sweater, scarf, and beanie (the sweater vests are sold out). Head to Railgoods.com to get your BART holiday swag! 

UPDATE December 29, 2023

The next phase of work at Bay Fair will start on January 15th and will last 4 weeks. During construction, all pedestrian detours will be accessible. Construction will take place in two locations (see map below): 

1. In the passenger loading zone, the accessible loading zone will be replaced and the regular pathway to the passenger loading zone will be blocked by fencing. To get to the passenger loading walk through the bus area, towards Bus Bay C1. A temporary crosswalk will be provided from there to the passenger loading zone. 
2. On the pathway towards the Bayfair Center. A segment of sidewalk will be replaced between the station and the first crosswalk. A pedestrian detour will be provided from the station elevator, across a small parking area, and around a landscaped area to connect to the existing crosswalk.  

No construction will take place in the bus area during this phase. 

The Accessibility Improvement Program (AIP) will improve accessibility in and around BART stations to better meet the needs of people with disabilities, including replacement or upgrade of ramps, sidewalks and accessible paths, bus and passenger loading zones, as well as handrails, wall protrusion detection, wheelchair-accessible phones, TTY devices, courtesy phones, and elevator lobby lighting.

The entire project will be done in phases with full completion by Spring 2024. Thank you for your patience as we work to improve access to the BART Station. 

UPDATE December 7, 2023:

Construction for the next phase of the Bay Fair Station Accessibility Improvements Project will begin on Friday, December 8, 2023 and last for approximately 3 weeks. 

During this phase, buses will return to their permanent locations (see list below for locations and map below). Construction will take place on sidewalks in the parking lot just south of the Police substation. All pedestrian detours will be ADA accessible. 

AC Transit buses and shuttles will be located to the following bus bays. 

• Line 10 to Hayward BART: A2
• Line 10 to San Leandro BART: A1
• Line 28 to Hayward BART: A4
• Line 28 to San Leandro BART: B3
• Line 35 to Juvenile Justice Center: C2
• Line 35 to Foothill Square: C3
• Line 40: B2
• Line 93: A3
• Line 97: A6
• Line 706: B1
• Line 801 to Fremont BART: A2
• Line 801 to San Leandro BART: A1
• Alameda County Sustainability Shuttle: C4
• San Leandro Flex Rides: C4

Temporary wayfinding signage will be posted to direct customers.

The Accessibility Improvement Program (AIP) will improve accessibility in and around BART stations to better meet the needs of people with disabilities, including replacement or upgrade of ramps, sidewalks and accessible paths, bus and passenger loading zones, as well as handrails, wall protrusion detection, wheelchair-accessible phones, TTY devices, courtesy phones, and elevator lobby lighting.

The entire project will be done in phases with full completion by Spring 2024. Thank you for your patience as we work to improve access to the BART Station. 

UPDATE November 9, 2023:

Construction for the next phase of work on the Bay Fair Station Accessibility Improvements Project will begin on Thursday, November 16, 2023 and last for approximately 3 weeks. 

During this second phase, bus bays B1, B2, B3, and C4, will be closed. All pedestrian detours will be ADA accessible. AC Transit buses and shuttles will be relocated to Bus Aisle A and Bus Aisle C as follows:

• Line 10 to Hayward BART: A2
• Line 10 to San Leandro BART: A1
• Line 28: A4
• Line 35: C3
• Line 40: B4
• Line 93: A3
• Line 97: C1
• Line 706: A0
• Line 801 to Fremont BART: A2
• Line 801 to San Leandro BART: A1
• Alameda County Sustainability Shuttle: A0
• San Leandro Flex: A0

Temporary wayfinding signage will be posted to direct customers. All pedestrian detours will be accessible.

The Accessibility Improvement Program (AIP) will improve accessibility in and around BART stations to better meet the needs of people with disabilities, including replacement or upgrade of ramps, sidewalks and accessible paths, bus and passenger loading zones, as well as handrails, wall protrusion detection, wheelchair-accessible phones, TTY devices, courtesy phones, and elevator lobby lighting.

The entire project will be done in phases with full completion by Spring 2024. Thank you for your patience as we work to improve access to the BART Station. 

NOTE: The information below was originally posted on October 6, 2023

Construction for the first phase of the Bay Fair Station Accessibility Improvements Project will begin on Monday, October 16, 2023 and last for approximately 5 weeks. 

During this first phase, the first aisle of buses (shown in map as Aisle A), will be closed. Pedestrian access to Elgin Street, south of the station, will be available by walking down Bus Aisle B. The pedestrian detour will be ADA accessible. AC Transit buses will be relocated to the Bus Aisle B and Bus Aisle C as follows:

• Line 10 to Hayward BART: B3
• Line 10 to San Leandro BART: B2
• Line 28: B1
• Line 35: C3
• Line 40: B4
• Line 93: A0
• Line 97: C1
• Line 706: B1
• Line 801 to Fremont BART: B3
• Line 801 to San Leandro BART: B2

The Alameda County Sustainability Shuttle will remain in its current location of Bus Bay C4. Temporary wayfinding signage will be posted to direct customers.

The Accessibility Improvement Program (AIP) will improve accessibility in and around BART stations to better meet the needs of people with disabilities, including replacement or upgrade of ramps, sidewalks and accessible paths, bus and passenger loading zones, as well as handrails, wall protrusion detection, wheelchair-accessible phones, TTY devices, courtesy phones, and elevator lobby lighting.

The entire project will be done in phases with full completion by Spring 2024. Thank you for your patience as we work to improve access to the BART Station. 

On December 28, 2023, BART opened the new fare gates at West Oakland station. 

Installation of the prototypes of BART’s next generation fare gates is scheduled to begin the week of December 11 at West Oakland Station. The installation process is expected to take approximately two weeks to complete and the new fare gates will be open for use before Jan 1, 2024. 

During those two weeks a construction barrier will be built around the existing station gate array. Riders will use two temporary accessible gates to enter and exit West Oakland Station.  During peak hours, riders should expect lines to form. We advise people to arrive a few minutes early.  

Both gates are located next to the Station Agent Booth, one on each side. When facing the booth from the non-paid area of the station, the fare gate to your right is used to enter the station and the fare gate to your left is used to exit. 

Additionally, a carpet has been installed immediately before the entrance to each fare gate, to make these two gates easier to locate for riders with visual impairments. The removal of the old gates and installation of the prototypes will not impact train service. 

The prototypes being installed at West Oakland will help us to test the new gates in a station environment with riders. These are not the final version of the fare gates that will be installed throughout the rest of the system. The development team is researching the latest door-braking technology and will add that enhanced capability to the fare gates in the coming months.

All BART stations will have new fare gates by the end of 2025. You can learn more about BART’s Next Generation Fare Gate project at bart.gov/about/projects/fare-gate. Riders can provide feedback about the new gates at bart.gov/comments.

BART General Manager Bob Powers released a statement on new fare gates: 

“As a transportation system, we take tremendous pride in saying our riders are what runs BART. Among the world’s transit agencies, BART relies the most on rider fares; they are directly responsible for funding our operations. These new, state-of-the-art fare gates will protect against fare evasion, expand access to transit-dependent riders, and reduce system downtime due to maintenance, which helps boost investment in BART’s long-term growth.”

BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin also applauded the unveiling in a statement: 

“We welcome the new fare gates starting at West Oakland and its future expansion to other stations. These stronger, higher gates will limit fare evasions through self-enforced fare payments, keep riders safe and engaged to return to BART, and have police officers focused on more serious situations that require emergency services.”

BART’s Safe and Clean Plan focuses on attracting riders to return to the system by introducing the transit system to the 21st century. BART is making dramatic improvements, from new payment method systems to infrastructure renovations, to guarantee customers a clean, safer ride.

Construction for the next phase of the Hayward Station Accessibility Improvements Project will begin on Monday, March 25, 2024 and last for approximately 3 weeks. 

 During this phase, five bus bays will be closed, and buses will move to new locations within the station area. 

Buses will be located in the bus bays shown in the list below. 

Bus bay numbers are shown in the map below and posted at each stop location. 

Aisle A is closest to the station, Aisle B is the bus island, Aisle C is in the Passenger Loading area. Bus bays are numbered sequentially starting from the bays closest to B Street. 

Cindy and Jeff, who celebrate 41 years of marriage this year after meeting on BART, smile in a recent photo. 

It was 1983. BART was pretty new to the Bay Area and so was 23-year-old Cindy when she stepped onto a BART train that would change her life.  

A few months before this BART ride, Cindy’s company had transferred her from Phoenix to their offices in San Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid. Everything was different and new and exciting in the glittering city by the bay. Nonetheless, Cindy quickly realized Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City was rooted more in reality than fiction when it came to the local dating game. 

“I dated some interesting people when I got here,” Cindy said, laughing.  

It was the Friday before Memorial Day and a sunny spring day in the city – a refreshing reprieve from that winter’s record-setting rains – and Cindy was out with coworkers at a bar on the Embarcadero.  

“Back then, they’d let you go early on Friday afternoons before a holiday weekend,” she said. “And that meant happy hour.”  

After some cocktails and gossip, Cindy bid her coworkers farewell and walked to Embarcadero Station, catching an eastbound Yellow Line train.  

The train car was packed that evening, and Cindy – her feet aching from too many hours squished into heels – couldn't find a seat.  

“Why didn’t I bring flat shoes today?” she said aloud, speaking more to the universe than any person in particular.  

But then a human voice responded: “Why don’t you just take your shoes off?” 

The voice belonged to a young man hanging onto the strap beside Cindy. The two struck up a casual conversation as the train began its underwater journey through the Transbay Tube: “Where are you headed? Are you from here? What do you do for work?” 

“He told me he grew up in the Bay Area and had just moved back, and I told him how I’d just been transferred to work in the Transamerica Pyramid,” Cindy said.   

After chatting the entire way, the man got off at Lafayette, and Cindy continued her journey to Walnut Creek, where she was meeting coworkers for a “continuation of happy hour.”  

At that second bar, Cindy offhandedly mentioned she met a nice guy on BART. Her colleagues – most of whom were married and eager to set up the new girl in town – pestered her with questions. “Did you get his name? His number? Anything?” 

“Nope,” Cindy said. And that was that.  

Actually, that wasn’t that. Fast forward to the following Wednesday, and Cindy gets a call from the Transamerica receptionist on her floor.  

“Did you meet someone on BART last Friday?” she asked.  

“Uh why?” Cindy replied.  

According to the receptionist, a man had just stopped by with a bouquet of flowers and a note with his phone number, signed “Jeff.” He told the receptionist to deliver the flowers to “the girl who just moved to San Francisco from Phoenix.” He provided no further identifying information.  

After picking up the bouquet, Cindy returned to her desk, picked up her landline and called the man named Jeff.  

The two set a date for that Friday night.  They started out at the Washington Square Bar and Grill and then went to dinner at St. Pierre’s in North Beach. They were the first patrons at the restaurant and the last to leave. At the end of the night, they walked together to the BART station.  

“After that first date, I thought the guy definitely had potential,” Cindy said.  

Cindy’s early intuition was spot on. She and Jeff were engaged that April, less than a year after meeting, and married that October. Seven years later, they welcomed a baby girl, and three years after that, a baby boy. 

This fall, Cindy and Jeff celebrate their 41st anniversary. Four decades later, they’re still head over heels. 

So many people have found love on BART! Read some of our past BART meet cute stories:

BART attorney met the love of her life on San Francisco-bound train

BART Connects: A transit wedding happened naturally for these newlyweds 

Couple who met on BART tie the knot with whimsical BART-themed wedding at Fairyland  

"Good vibes on the train": BART employee takes BART to wedding ceremony at San Francisco City Hall 

“BART Guy” and “BART Girl” finds love on an empty Embarcadero platform