BART
BART has completed a $1.5 billion Earthquake Safety Program for its rapid transit system and the Transbay Tube, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sept. 16. It covered “74 miles of track and 34 stations and structures in addition to the Transbay Tube, which runs along the bottom of San Francisco Bay between Oakland and San Francisco,” according to the newspaper, which said work began in 2017 and was completed this year, “the 50th anniversary of the first BART train to travel through the 3.6-mile tube.”
With the Earthquake Safety Program, “BART was not just preparing for a major earthquake, but one that might be centered closer to the core system, which runs directly adjacent to the San Andreas and Hayward faults,” the transit agency reported in a recent article commemorating the Transbay Tube’s anniversary.
On Nov. 2, 2004, voters in Contra Costa, San Francisco, and Alameda counties approved Measure AA, which BART said allowed it to issue general obligation bonds to fund up to $980 million of the $1.4 billion price tag for earthquake safety improvements.
“Over the past five years, crews installed steel plates on the interior of the tube along with a more powerful pumping system to handle any leaks that could occur during a major earthquake,” the Chronicle reported. “The retrofitted tube isn’t designed to withstand any specific magnitude of earthquake — those standards are no longer used, BART spokesperson Jim Allison said — but to protect the lives of passengers and remain operable in the event of the strongest t[r]emblor expected in 1,000 years.”
Meanwhile, the latest numbers from the BART Police Department show that as enforcement activity has increased, the number of trains impacted by unwanted behavior has declined, BART reported Sept. 17. In the first six months of 2024, BART PD reported 10,359 enforcement contacts, which is nearly double from the 5,490 enforcement contacts reported for the first half of 2023, according to the transit agency, which noted that the increase in activity comes as BART continues to implement its Safe and Clean Plan. A focal point of the plan, it said, has been a boost in BART PD’s visible safety presence on trains and in stations supported by devoting additional resources to hire and retain more officers.
“As enforcement contacts have increased, the number of trains impacted by unwanted activity has been trending downward since mid-2023,” BART noted. The number of BART PD incidents causing delays has dropped from a high of 374 in May 2023 to 255 in August (see chart, top).
“Our presence deters crime and allows us to address problems before they turn into incidents that cause train delays,” BART Police Chief Kevin Franklin said. “I think this is very encouraging because it shows that our presence is a positive thing for on-time service and the safe and clean customer experience.”
More riders have been telling BART they notice the difference in safety since implementation of the new deployment strategy that emphasizes presence, according to BART. It noted that the past four consecutive quarters have been the first in history where the percentage of riders who reported seeing BART PD on their trips exceeded the department’s official goal of 12%. In the most recent fiscal year quarter (fourth-quarter 2024), more than 19% of riders reported seeing BART PD’s safety presence, BART said.
GCRTA
WTS Northeast Ohio on Sept. 17 presented GCRTA with a 2024 Innovative Transportation Solutions Award in recognition of its “Baby on Board” program. According to the transit agency, the program aims to reduce transportation barriers for pregnant woman or families with a child two years old or under living in Cuyahoga County.
In January 2021, GCRTA, in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, received a grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation to start the Baby on Board program. The program provides free transit passes to expectant and new mothers, fathers, and family members, in addition to improving bus stop amenities such as shelters, seating, lighting, and sidewalk connections near key destinations, the transit agency said. Over the past three years, more than 5,300 passes have been distributed.
“We are very excited and honored to receive this award,” GCRTA Director of Programming and Planning Maribeth Feke said. “The Baby on Board program demonstrates GCRTA’s commitment to its mission of connecting the community by focusing on providing transportation to expectant and new mothers, fathers, and family members.”
