A train leaves the Coliseum BART station on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, in Oakland, Calif.
A train leaves the Coliseum BART station on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, in Oakland, Calif.
Photo: Special To The Chronicle / Noah BergerWhy can’t BART have 24-hour service?
How many among us have longed for 24-hour BART service (or at least service that starts before 8 AM on Sundays)? Alas, it’s simply not physically possible on the BART system. Unlike most rail systems, BART only has one track going in each direction; there’s no alternate route for trains while maintenance is done on the tracks. Additionally, the third rail needs to be shut off during repairs for obvious safety reasons, so trains can’t run at all. Unless BART suddenly gets an extra set of train tracks, 24-hour service is only a dream.
lessWhy can’t BART have 24-hour service?
How many among us have longed for 24-hour BART service (or at least service that starts before 8 AM on Sundays)? Alas, it’s simply not physically possible on the BART
... moreWhy are the add fare ticket machines cash-only when the normal ticket machines take credit cards?
The short answer: Because the machines are old and were designed before the ubiquity of credit card use. Although they’ve gotten plenty of complaints, BART ultimately decided the cost of replacing the machines too high, especially considering most transactions are just for a few more cents. Officials also think credit cards would make the add fare lines longer as they slow down transaction speed. So remember to bring cash, or set up your Clipper to autoload.
lessWhy are the add fare ticket machines cash-only when the normal ticket machines take credit cards?
The short answer: Because the machines are old and were designed before the ubiquity of credit card use. Although
... moreWhy does it take so long to fix broken BART trains?
Because BART is a special snowflake. It uses a 5-foot-6 “Indian gauge” for its trains, rather than the 4-foot-8.5 “standard gauge” that nearly every other rail system in America uses. Because of this, equipment has to be custom-built for BART. Which, as you’d imagine, can take a long time.
lessWhy does it take so long to fix broken BART trains?
Because BART is a special snowflake. It uses a 5-foot-6 “Indian gauge” for its trains, rather than the 4-foot-8.5 “standard gauge” that nearly every
... moreWhy are the cars so freaking hot?
There are several common mechanical issues that could be making your train car hotter than the Amazonian rainforest. The oldest train cars use a system that was meant to regulate the temperature for 56 people, the maximum seated capacity of a car. Of course, trains are usually much more crowded than that, leading to a steamier ambiance and not in a fun way. Another common problem is that the sensors in the temperature control units, located in the air ducts, don’t trigger correctly when the car gets too hot.
lessWhy are the cars so freaking hot?
There are several common mechanical issues that could be making your train car hotter than the Amazonian rainforest. The oldest train cars use a system that was meant to
... moreWhy are BART trains so loud?
Screeeeech, nothing sounds quite so piercing as a BART train zipping through the Transbay Tube. A few years ago, a Chronicle study found that the loudest stretches of track topped out at 100 decibels; 85 decibels is considered the threshold for potential hearing damage. The sound comes from the steel wheels of the train rolling over the steel rails, especially around curves and on inclines. And, of course, underground where the sound is amplified.
lessWhy are BART trains so loud?
Screeeeech, nothing sounds quite so piercing as a BART train zipping through the Transbay Tube. A few years ago, a Chronicle study found that the loudest stretches of track topped
... moreHow did they build the Transbay Tube/Am I really going under the bay?
Yes, you are! The Transbay Tube’s 57 sections were built on land first, with bulkheads on each end. They were then taken out into the bay on a barge. The sections were lowered into a trench and gravel and mud was used to stabilize them along the bottom of the bay. Once all the sections were connected, the bulkheads were removed and the tunnel was connected.
lessHow did they build the Transbay Tube/Am I really going under the bay?
Yes, you are! The Transbay Tube’s 57 sections were built on land first, with bulkheads on each end. They were then taken out into the bay
... moreThe tube actually curves around the Bay Bridge at one point, even though you feel like you’re zipping in a straight line through the tunnel.
The tube actually curves around the Bay Bridge at one point, even though you feel like you’re zipping in a straight line through the tunnel.
Why is it so dang hard to find something to hold onto on the train?
If you’re short (like me), finding a hand-hold can be a real challenge on a crowded commute train. The reason for BART’s lack of hand-holds is because when the trains were originally built, BART imagined that all riders would be seated...
lessWhy is it so dang hard to find something to hold onto on the train?
If you’re short (like me), finding a hand-hold can be a real challenge on a crowded commute train. The reason for BART’s lack of hand-holds
... more... Obviously, that was a short-sighted prediction. The new train cars (seen here) will have added poles and hand straps.
... Obviously, that was a short-sighted prediction. The new train cars (seen here) will have added poles and hand straps.
Photo: Paul Chinn, The ChronicleWhy on earth did BART trains used to have wool seats and carpet?
When BART opened in 1972, its trains of the future were supposed to be like your living room: comfortable, cozy and luxurious. Wool seats and carpeting enhanced the “luxury” … that is, until they were immediately dirtied by the system’s many users. Dry cleaning alone was costing BART $6,000 a month by the time the last wool seats were removed in 2014.
lessWhy on earth did BART trains used to have wool seats and carpet?
When BART opened in 1972, its trains of the future were supposed to be like your living room: comfortable, cozy and luxurious. Wool seats and
... moreWhy is BART allowed to strike when it’s a crucial public service?
Simply, because there are no laws against it. Transit strikes were only outlawed in New York City after a major strike in 1966; the next year Taylor’s Law was passed, which punishes work stoppages with fines and jail time. BART unions have long fought anti-striking laws because they believe without the ability to strike, they’ll have less leverage against management in contract talks.
lessWhy is BART allowed to strike when it’s a crucial public service?
Simply, because there are no laws against it. Transit strikes were only outlawed in New York City after a major strike in 1966; the next year
... moreWhy doesn't BART go to Marin?
Why doesn't BART go to Marin?
That’s a complicated issue. When the BART system was being planned in the mid-1950s, 88-percent of Marin residents were in favor of trains coming to Marin. The plan was to have
... moreWill the underground stations ever reopen the bathrooms?
BART closed all of its station bathrooms for safety reasons after 9/11, and they’ve slowly reopened the non-subterranean station restrooms. But the most trafficked stations, those in downtown SF, remain shuttered. BART is concerned that the bathrooms, which are behind steel doors, aren’t just a terrorism risk; they’re a possible den for illegal activities like drug use. But if you’re desperate to use a BART bathroom, officials are considering opening them back up again. The bathrooms will require renovations and will cost about $1 million per year, mostly for cleaning services, to operate.
lessWill the underground stations ever reopen the bathrooms?
BART closed all of its station bathrooms for safety reasons after 9/11, and they’ve slowly reopened the non-subterranean station restrooms. But the most
... moreWhich station is the least-used in the system?
If you’re looking for a solitary platform, your spot is North Concord/Martinez. The station only had 2,776 weekday riders in 2015. The busiest station is Embarcadero with over 45,000 average weekday riders.
lessWhich station is the least-used in the system?
If you’re looking for a solitary platform, your spot is North Concord/Martinez. The station only had 2,776 weekday riders in 2015. The busiest station is
... moreCrime was up on BART by more than 20 percent this year — most of it involving the theft of cell phones and other electronic devices — even before a group of youths swarmed a train Saturday, according to the transit system’s interim police chief.
The increase of approximately 22 percent from the same time last year comes despite a drop so far in 2017 in car break-ins, as well as automobile and bicycle thefts, said interim Chief of Police Jeffrey Jennings. It also reverses three years of declining crime rates.
The spike had stirred extra police patrols at some stations before at least 40 juveniles and young adults rushed aboard multiple cars of a Dublin-bound train at the Coliseum station and robbed passengers Saturday night. Since March 11, there have been extra patrols, and 19 people aged 12 to 21 have been arrested on robbery charges, Jennings said.
“In the first quarter, we saw a significant increase in crime,” Jennings told BART’s board of directors Thursday at an unusual evening meeting. As for Saturday’s mass robbery, “we haven’t had anything of this scale before. There have been incidents with two to 12 people, but nothing this large.”
To deal with the current situation, BART has increased overtime spending to deploy more officers to stations hit by crime. Thursday, Jennings also shifted to emergency staffing levels; officers will work five days on with two days off, rather than four days on and three days off.
Saturday’s incident wasn’t on the meeting’s official agenda, but it was discussed as the first order of business.
There were questions about the timeline of the incident, which was first reported at 9:27 p.m. as multiple youths jumping the fare gates. By the time the first police car arrived at 9:32 p.m., they were gone. Several suspects have now been identified — in part because at least one of the cars that was stormed had a working video camera.
Mostly, though, directors emphasized their concern for the victims, as well as the station staff members who are powerless in such situations to do anything except call for help.
“I’m horrified at what happened this weekend,” director Lateefah Simon said after Jennings’ presentation. “What we want is for our riders to be comfortable and safe.”
Coincidentally, an item that was on the agenda involved the strategies by which BART staff hopes to cut down on the growing problem of fare evasion, which is estimated to cost the system somewhere between $15 and $25 million.
Some of the responses include what is called “station hardening,” such as taller fare gates and higher barriers between the free and ticketed areas of a station — changes made last winter at the Pittsburg/Bay Point station. Elevators that go from outside a station directly to the platform, such as at Powell Street in San Francisco or the North Berkeley station, would be relocated.
Another change would include giving police officers and new inspectors the ability to move through stations or cars and require passengers to show they have a valid ticket for their ride. This is done on Muni and is common on other urban transit systems.
Judging by the discussion after the presentation, BART directors are more comfortable with raising obstacles to hopping the gates than demanding proof of payment. One, Director John McPartland, raised the specter of fare evaders causing injuries to other patrons as they fled inspectors.
“I’m very much in favor of making our stations more secure,” McPartland said. “Put staff on plaforms going after fare evaders? As far as I’m concerned, not a chance.”
Others said fare evasion is a too-obvious symbol of recent problems in the system, from frequent delays in service to the common sight of people panhandling on cars.
“We’re getting to have a culture on BART where too many people decide that because of X or Y or Z, they don’t have to pay for a ticket,” said Director Deborah Allen. “We run trains, and people need to pay for their rides.”
There is no correlation between increases in fare jumping and the recent jump in crime levels, Jennings said. However, he suggested to reporters outside the meeting that the two topics are related.
“If we crack down on fare evasion, you will see a reduction in nefarious acts,” Jennings said. “People who come into the system with crime on their mind are probably not going to buy a ticket to get in.”
No vote has been scheduled on what steps to take to tamp down on fare evasion. Even if all the staff suggestions are implemented, nobody expects the problem to go away.
“The idea is not to catch people. The idea is to deter them,” said Paul Oversier, BART’s assistant general manager for operations. “If we wanted to get down to no fare evasion at all, we’d have to spend more than we saved.”
John King is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron
Read Full Original Content Crime was up on BART even before Saturday's attack - SFGate : http://ift.tt/2qptGZ2
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