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Bay Area transit agencies rode a wave of increasing ridership in the first three months of the year that was felt across the region. Many agencies posted double digit gains in ridership compared with the same period last year. Caltrain led the charge with a 50% ridership increase over the first three months of 2025 fueled largely by the agency’s switch to an all-electric service. The nine agencies reporting gains handled a combined total of 3.24 million more trips from January through March compared with the same period in 2024.

Caltrain was not alone in seeing a major ridership increase during the first three months of the year:

*Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) saw a ridership bump of 38%. That increase means SMART’s ridership averaged 134% of pre-pandemic levels.

*San Francisco Bay Ferry had a 21% increase from a year ago. That number is 47% higher than ridership in 2023.

*Golden Gate Ferry ridership increased nearly 16% from last year and 40% from 2023.

*Ridership for Marin Transit jumped 10%, Petaluma Transit was up 7%, and Golden Gate Transit increased 5%.

Larger systems also saw significant ridership growth in the first three months of the year. BART ridership was up almost 6.5% from 2024 while Muni increased by 4%.

“This growth in ridership is happening as transit agencies make major investments in improving the rider experience with an emphasis on boosting safety, cleanliness, and reliability,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers. “BART hosts a weekly meeting with the transit leaders from each agency to coordinate on everything from preparing for Super Bowl 2026 and FIFA World Cup to better synching our schedules.”

These ridership gains come as transit agencies are still recovering from post-pandemic ridership declines and are about to run out of federal and state emergency funds. Agencies have used these funds to invest in quality service for the Bay Area as more people are making trips and choosing transit. Many face the potential of devastating cuts that will have serious impacts on the Bay Area’s quality of life.

The Bay Area’s transit agencies, working with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), are prioritizing collaboration to make the rider experience more seamless. The goal is to make transit more connected, more efficient, and more user friendly. These efforts include a regional mapping and wayfinding project to provide a unified look and feel for maps and directional signs. Transit agencies have also been working together to identify opportunities to reduce total travel times across services and coordinate schedule changes.

MTC and Bay Area transit agencies have a joint website to share the various projects they are coordinating on to improve transit. Learn more at allaboardbayarea.com. 

Check out what’s inside mainline technician Aaron Dofredo’s bag in the above video. 

If train A leaves the station going 50 miles per hour and train B leaves the station five minutes later going 65 miles per hour, how many minutes until train B to catch up to train A? 

We’re not trying to spur flashbacks to math class. The ol’ train joke is actually not a joke at all to BART’s Tango team, who makes sure trains are running as they should be running while they’re running.  

The nickname “Tango” comes from “T” for “technician” in the NATO phonetic alphabet, but officially, the team is called the Revenue Vehicle Trouble Desk (RVTD). 

A Train Operator calls the Operations Control Center to report a vehicle-related issue, such as flickering lights, a communications problem or a hot car (meaning the AC’s not working). From there, the RS&S Central Maintenance Supervisor (call sign Tango-1), identifies the Mainline Technician stationed nearest the affected train and determines the fastest route for them to board and resolve the issue. 

Mainline Technicians are strategically positioned throughout the BART system to ensure rapid response. The team’s mission is to assess problems and identify the necessary corrective actions. This includes determining whether the issue can be fixed while the train stays in-service or if it needs to be taken to a shop, as determined by stringent safety protocols.   

The dispatch call goes something like this: “Tango 22 – On Train 367 departing San Bruno, a patron reports Car 2673 is making an unusual noise while moving. I need you to head south towards Balboa Park Station to meet the train. You have a train at Embarcadero Station to use as your ride to meet Train 367 at Balboa Park.” 

In most instances, the tech is on a train headed to the issue within five minutes of that initial report from the Train Operator. That’s why they keep their equipment at the ready and bags packed. You never know when that call might come in, and you must be ready to jump on that approaching train.  

“There’s no time for overthinking it, and you have to know the system inside and out,” said Mainline Technician Don Coulter. “This job is fast paced and requires on-the-fly problem solving.” 

Michael Hung, the Superintendent of RVTD, echoed his colleague’s sentiments. Before his current position, Hung was a Mainline Technician and Tango-1.  

“When I first started as a Mainline Technician in 2002, my supervisor would say that we’re like firefighters, in the sense that when there is an issue on a train, we’re dispatched immediately to respond and intercept it,” he said. “You have to be ready to respond with a moment’s notice to ensure that you can play your part in helping mitigate any concerns or delays.”  

Often, techs are diagnosing and fixing trains in front of an audience of passengers. 

“I once reset a car’s power supply and when the lights came on, the whole car cheered!” recalled Mainline Technician Nathan Koch, who carries handmade stickers with him to pass out to children he meets on BART. “Our job description entails running in to save the day, and you know you’ve saved the day when the passengers can keep going on their way." 

Vessica Martin, who started as an electrical helper at BART and worked her way up to mainline tech, said she’ll ride as many as 20 trains a shift on the busiest days (the new fleet of train cars experiences significantly fewer issues than the recently retired legacy fleet). Sometimes, Martin won’t see another tech for weeks. That’s because they’re all tangoing around each other in the system every day, all day. It’s a dream job for the lone wolf-type who wants freedom to roam and a workspace on wheels.  

Said Dofredo: “And the best part of the job is the Bay Area is your office." 

If you see a mainline tech on your train, there’s no need to worry. Their goal is to fix issues without having to stop the train or remove it from service, which would spur system delays. Most of the problems techs fix are routine, such as resetting the electrical system on a car so the information screens turn back on. 

Most of the time, you probably won’t even notice these stealthy technicians. 

Said Koch: “The biggest success for a mainline tech is when there’s an issue and we fix it before anyone notices." 

The Link21 Program is making progress toward its goal of creating a faster, more connected train system across the 21-county Northern California Megaregion that provides equitable, affordable, and accessible travel for future generations. One key aspect is building a second underground train crossing of the San Francisco Bay, allowing riders to travel to various destinations in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento area, Monterey Bay area, and Northern San Joaquin Valley.

Link21 recently completed an exciting analysis of the different benefits that standard-gauge (Regional Rail) and broad-gauge (BART) train technologies can provide to the region through this project. This Program milestone will determine which technology should operate in the new crossing as an important step toward defining a project that will provide riders with enhanced and more reliable travel options.

Through the spring and early summer, Link21 is on an informational roadshow sharing analysis findings that demonstrate how the two technologies provide similar benefits and where they differ in terms of service, equitable outcomes, connections, and operations.

“Link21 will make investments to offer more train service for future generations to thrive, connect, and flourish in our vibrant Megaregion,” said Link21 Program Director Sadie Graham. “The community and stakeholder engagement we do now and the decisions we make will help ensure the project delivers accessible, reliable, and environmentally conscious transit solutions that will benefit our communities for years to come."

Virtual Community Meetings

Register at Link21Program.org/events to attend a meeting via Zoom and hear a presentation from Link21 Team members.

• Thursday, June 6, 2024 | 6-7:30 p.m.
• Monday, June 10, 2024 | 6-7:30 p.m.

Meetings will be interpreted in Spanish and Cantonese. To request American Sign Language and other accommodations, email [email protected] or call 855-905-Link (5465) at least three days in advance of the meeting date. 

Online Open House

Visit Link21OpenHouse.com anytime 24/7, starting in mid-June, to conveniently participate when it works for you, whether it’s from the comfort of your own home or while commuting on the train. The Online Open House will be available for several weeks.

Can’t make the events? Link21 will be in local communities. Visit Link21Program.org/events for more information.

About Link21

Link21 is a long-range transportation program sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) and Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority. Together with partners, Link21 will transform the train system within the 21-county Northern California Megaregion, which includes the greater San Francisco Bay Area, the Monterey Bay area, the Sacramento area, and the Northern San Joaquin Valley.  

Link21 will make it more convenient for people to take BART and Regional Rail (commuter, intercity, and high-sped train service) throughout the Megaregion. 

Learn more at Link21Program.org.

The two projects transforming entrances at downtown San Francisco BART stations made significant progress in the first month of 2025.

A newly rebuilt escalator at Civic Center Station connecting the platform to the concourse level opened on Friday, January 31st. Soon, work will begin to replace another platform at the station, the last of the four platform escalators to be completely rebuilt. 

Earlier in the month, a brand-new canopy opened at Embarcadero Station. The canopy protects the entrance on the north side of Market Street near Drumm Street. Work is already underway on a new canopy across Market Street near Main Street. 

Meantime, broken glass panels at some of the canopies are being replaced. A total of two dozen panels at Embarcadero, Powell St. and Montgomery St. Stations were vandalized late last year and a suspected perpetrator was arrested

Embarcadero’s panels were replaced the last week of January and the panels at Powell St. and Montgomery St. are expected to be installed in February. The total cost of replacing all the damaged panels is estimated at more than $500,000. 

BART is in the midst of a seven-year project to install 22 canopies above the four downtown San Francisco stations. The canopies protect new escalators being installed and improve the rider experience by providing an added layer of station security and cleanliness through motorized gates that allow the entrances to be locked at street level when stations are closed. 

UPDATE: Monday, July 15, 2024

The elevator was put back in service on Monday, July 15, 2024 just before 3pm.

UPDATE: Monday, July 15, 2024

Due to unforeseen issues, the estimated return to service date for the elevator is Tuesday, July 16, 2024. 

The concourse to platform elevator at Powell St. Station will be taken out of service on Monday, July 8, 2024 for emergency replacement of cables. The elevator is expected to be back in service by Friday, July 12, 2024.

This is the only concourse to BART and Muni platform elevator at Powell St. Station. Riders will not be able to access the Powell St. Station platforms via elevator from the concourse or street level, nor exit the Powell St. Station platforms via elevator to get to the concourse or street levels.

We recommend riders use the Civic Center or Montgomery Street stations as alternatives. Powell Street Station is 0.4 miles away from Civic Center Station and 0.5 miles away from Montgomery Street Station. Riders can use Muni at street level to travel to and from the Civic Center and Montgomery Street stations. To check if an elevator is in service before arriving at a station, please call 510-834-LIFT (510-834-5438) or 888-2-ELEVAT (888-235-3828), or sign up for elevator status alerts at www.bart.gov/elevators.

If you arrive at any station and find that the elevator(s) are out of service, you may contact a Station Agent to arrange for a lift van to take you to a nearby station with a working elevator.

We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

Updated September 21, 2023

The Embarcadero Station entrance at Market and Davis streets is expected to open Tuesday, September 26th will remain upon completion of Phase II work on a new canopy.

Updated September 15, 2023

The Embarcadero Station entrance at Market and Davis streets will remain be closed until at least September 21st as Phase II work on a new canopy continues.

Updated August 31, 2023

The Embarcadero Station entrance at Market and Davis streets will be closed for up to three weeks for the Phase II work on a newly opened canopy. The Phase II work includes installing an access door, new glass panels, and a luminated handrail. The new entrance canopy protects  our escalator at this entrance from the elements to help limit breakdowns.

Original bulletin

On Monday, August 28 the Embarcadero Station entrance at Market and Davis streets will be closed for up to one week for the Phase II work on a newly opened canopy. The Phase II work includes installing an access door, new glass panels, and a luminated handrail. The new entrance canopy protects our escalator at this entrance from the elements to help limit breakdowns.

While this entrance is closed, patrons will still be able to use one of the other entrances to the station. Entrances open during construction include Pine and Market streets as well as Drumm and Market streets.

Over the next 4-5 years BART will construct 16 canopies on Market Street over downtown station entrances.  As part of a separate project, new escalators will be installed at each of these locations following the canopy construction.  In addition to protecting new escalators the canopies will improve safety and reduce station maintenance costs.

We thank you for your patience as we work to complete this important construction project.  For more information on this project visit: bart.gov/about/planning/sfentrances.