BART ridership on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, the first day of the Shelter in Place orders, was 54,031. That represents an 87% drop in ridership compared to an average Tuesday in February. BART is running regular service, with trains long enough for social distancing, to provide transportation for essential workers such as health care providers, first responders and grocery store clerks.
Starting Thursday, March 19, BART will temporarily eliminate the extra commute trains that run during the AM and PM commute on the Yellow (Antioch-SFO) line until further notice. The regular base schedule of 15-minute headways during commute hours will remain systemwide. The trains being cancelled are the extra trains that provide more frequent service during our busiest hours on our busiest line. These trains are traditionally cancelled during periods of low ridership, such as the December holiday season.
Social distancing will remain possible on the yellow line all day. BART staff pulled data from Wednesday morning showing cars that make up the extra commute trains carried an average of 7 riders per car. Moving these riders to the base trains that run every 15 minutes will not cause crowding and riders will be able to maintain social distancing.
The Trip Planner and platform digital monitors will show the eliminated trains as “cancelled.”
Temporarily eliminating these extra trains during low ridership will reduce maintenance needs, allow for additional cleaning of the cars, and provide train operators to backfill vacancies.
3 comments
1.15 million people in this county, probably half out here in the “yellow line” area, and they constantly shit on us; like we’re lesser citizens and deserve something less than Bart. Oh that’s right, we got Fart instead (Fake Bart), lousy, tiny parking lots where Keller justified it because we only contributed “this much” as an area while others have contributed so much more and therefore deserve it more. We’re not as dense out here but we all pay the taxes for this as a region. Therefore, the region can pay for service out here, same as everyone else. These Socialist bastards want to pick and chose who gets what benefits, playing capitalists when it’s convenient for them; well if you’re going to play the socialist game then you’ve got to give the same to all. What’s it going to be?
Granted, this is a temporary situation, but my point still stands. Why are we treated as lessers and not equals by Bart? We’ve been short-changed for years and just because we finally have “something” out here doesn’t mean they’re excused of their obligations to we, the taxpayers. BART has been lying to me my entire life and I think they are all a bunch of crooks for not meeting their obligations to myself and the rest of the taxpayers out here. The union workers are still going to get paid the same. F the operating expenses, run the trains. That’s your JOB, Bart. Fulfill your obligations. This is the problem with bureaucrats who are HIRED into their positions for life, rather than elected.
I couldn’t agree with you more. This county could have been designed to be walk and bike friendly with super duper mass transit. Instead, we get pathetic eBart with those horrid unsheltered tiny stations and inadequate parking which is too expensive, fares too expensive, transients, thieves, no employee does their job decently. Worst transit system period. I hope BART will be reorganized and ran by someone who actually knows how to manage public transit. BART Management and the Board are horrible and just can’t get anything done. Reduce the salaries of your overpaid employees and cut their $100k a year in overtime.
Your points regarding BART and East County are right on. However, you don’t know what a Socialist is. All that “ socialist” nonsense you’re spouting is just that. Nonsense. Stick to what you’re good at. I’ll storm the castle with you in regards to BART, but I am quite happy with my Social ( it’s) Security check
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