Sustainability

Warm Springs rooftop solar

Sustainability at BART is both what BART does and how BART does it

What BART Does

BART carries approximately 132,000 passengers on a typical weekday (as of calendar year 2022). During peak periods, BART transports more people from the East Bay to San Francisco than the Bay Bridge. BART’s daily riders save nearly 130,000 gallons of gas and directly reduce CO2e emissions by 2.6 million pounds per weekday.

By providing accessible transit, BART helps people rely less on cars for their daily needs and encourages dense, mixed-use development. The compact, walkable communities made possible by BART support healthy lifestyles, and reduce transportation costs for its riders. 

How BART Does It

BART is committed to advancing regional sustainability by providing safe, affordable, equitable, and environmentally-friendly transit to move people to jobs, recreation and services. BART incorporates cost-effective sustainability through fulfillment of the goals found in the Sustainability Policy.

Use the menu to navigate to different pages and learn more about our sustainability goals.

2022 Sustainability Report Highlights
BART Calendar Year 2022 Sustainability Highlights

BART Riders Get the Equivalent of 73.3 Miles Per Gallon

A typical car gets about 23 miles per gallon. A BART rider gets the equivalent of 73.3 miles per gallon. On average, BART is three times more efficient than a typical car driven alone (on a passenger-miles per gallon basis of comparison).

  • 2021 average number of weekday trips: 132,181
  • Average trip length: 15.1 miles
  • Gallons of gas saved by avoiding driving (round trip): 1.3 gallons
  • CO2e avoided in one average round trip: 25.5 lb. CO2e

An Even More Energy Efficient Future

BART’s new trains will be electric and will offer a variety of sustainable features that reduce energy use and pollution:

  • Lightweight aluminum exterior reduces energy use and the aluminum can be recycled when the trains cars are eventually retired.
  • White roofs reflect heat and reduce the load on the interior cooling system.
  • LED lighting reduces energy use.
  • Seats are 74% recyclable by weight.
  • Space is dedicated for bikes.

View Sustainability Polices, Plans & Reports
View details about our energy use
Learn about our energy procurement
Learn about our green buildings and infrastructure
Learn about electric vehicle charging
Learn about our water use

Click here to view our Green Factsheet (PDF) from 2017.