See more
When did BART construction start?
June 19, 1964BART construction officially began on June 19, 1964, with President Lyndon Johnson presiding over the ground-breaking ceremonies for the 4.4-mile Diablo Test Track between Concord and Walnut Creek in Contra Costa County.
When was BART built in the Bay Area?
1957Bay Area Rapid Transit / Founded
When was the BART tunnel built?
The 3.2-mile bore through the hard rock of the Berkeley Hills was completed in February, 1967, after 466 work days, to become the fourth longest vehicular tunnel in the U.S. The first major equipment contract was awarded in May 1967 for the nation's first fully automatic train control system.
How long did BART take to build?
Critics have said BART took four decades to develop at a high cost.
How old are the BART trains?
BART began service over 40 years ago, and the original cars are still in use today.
Why are BART trains so wide?
After mathematical computations, the engineers found that the wide gauge “approach would assure the lateral stability of the desired lightweight vehicle more effectively and economically than any other design approach.” In other words, the cost savings in building a wider track would far surpass that of other suggested ...
Why is BART so loud?
Like most trains, BART wheels are tied together with rigid axels and no differentials. This means the wheels always rotate at the same speed, even around corners. Because the inner radius is smaller, there is less distance to travel, which can cause a slippage between the wheels and track, which is noisy.
How fast do BART trains go?
BART has 8 DMU train cars which each have a seating capacity of 104. 70 mph maximum; 35 mph average, including 20-second station stops.
How deep is the water under the Bay bridge?
The bay is actually only as deep as a swimming pool. That's right. The average depth of the bay is about 12-15 feet deep. Heck, between Hayward and San Mateo to San Jose it averages 12 to 36 inches. So much for that bridge!
How are BART trains powered?
Conventional BART trains are 100% electric. As the trains brake, BART trains convert their kinetic energy of motion into electrical energy. Some of the energy regenerated during the process is returned to the power distribution system, where it is then used by other trains.
Is BART profitable?
BART normally tries to break even on its yearly budget. While some folks think that BART is profitable, Powers makes it clear it is not. And therein lies the problem for him over the next five years — how to submit a balance sheet to the BART Board of Directors that gets close to breaking even.
How many employees does BART have?
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) corporate office is located in 300 Lakeside Dr 11TH Fl, Oakland, California, 94612, United States and has 2,905 employees.
How did they build the BART tunnel under the bay?
Built using the immersed tube technique, the Transbay tube was constructed on land in 57 sections, transported to the site, and then submerged and fastened to the bottom – primarily by packing its sides with sand and gravel. Opened in 1974, the tunnel was the final segment of the original BART system to open.
Why is there no BART in Marin?
When BART's final plans were submitted in 1961 to be assessed by the five counties, San Mateo ultimately revoked its own BART connection, citing “high costs,” BART wrote. Marin County, on the other hand, was forced by the transit agency to withdraw in 1962 because the county couldn't afford it.
When was first BART train?
Sept. 11, 1972The brief boisterous event — complete with a high school marching band — celebrated the start of construction of BART, the regional transit service that debuted on Sept. 11, 1972, with eight three-car trains shuttling between Oakland and Fremont.
Why is BART so loud?
Like most trains, BART wheels are tied together with rigid axels and no differentials. This means the wheels always rotate at the same speed, even around corners. Because the inner radius is smaller, there is less distance to travel, which can cause a slippage between the wheels and track, which is noisy.
When was the first BART built?
BART construction officially began on June 19, 1964, with President Lyndon Johnson presiding over the ground-breaking ceremonies for the 4.4-mile Diablo Test Track between Concord and Walnut Creek in Contra Costa County. The test track, completed ten months later, was used to develop and evaluate sophisticated new design concepts ...
When was the BART project completed?
The contract for the production and delivery of BART's revolutionary electric transit cars was signed with Rohr Industries, Inc., of Chula Vista, California, in July , 1969.
How much did the Transbay Tube cost?
The cost of the transbay tube rose to $180 million from an original estimate of $133 million.
When was the Transbay Tube completed?
Meanwhile, a truly great chapter was written in the history of civil engineering with the completion of the transbay tube structure in August, 1969. Constructed in 57 sections, and reposing on the bay floor as deep as 135 feet beneath the surface, the remarkable $180 million structure took six years of toil and seismic studies to design, and less than three years to contract. Before it was closed to visitors for installation of tracks and electrification, many thousands of adventurous people had walked, jogged, and bicycled through the tube. It received a dozen major engineering awards and rapidly became famous, seeming to capture the imagination of visitors from all over the world. To youngsters, especially, the transbay tube is BART.
When was the Oakland subway built?
Construction began on the Oakland subway in January, 1966. November of that year saw the first of 57 giant steel and concrete sections of the 3.8-mile transbay tube lowered to the bottom of the Bay by a small navy of construction barges and boats.
When was the San Francisco subway built?
The huge construction effort reached its peak in 1969 with a contractor force of 5,000 working on the San Francisco subway and other parts of the system, the weekly payroll was more than $1 million. The final tunnel bore was "holed through" into the west end of the Montgomery Street Station on January 27, 1971.
When was the first train control system built?
The first major equipment contract was awarded in May 1967 for the nation's first fully automatic train control system. Westinghouse Electric Corporation's low bid of $26.1 million was $3 million under the next bidder.
What is Bechtel's role in BART?
Bechtel continued its role with BART as general engineering consultant on a $2.7 billion extension program in four different counties, including service to and from San Francisco International Airport. We later served as general engineering consultant for a $1.5 billion seismic retrofit program.
What conditions did the San Francisco excavation work under?
To deal with the wet, muddy environment beneath San Francisco's busy Market Street, crews did their excavation work entirely under compressed-air conditions.
What was the Bay Area Rapid Transit District?
The Bay Area Rapid Transit District asked a Bechtel joint venture to develop engineering data, a preliminary design, and estimates for a radically new rapid-transit system. The plans were approved in 1962 and the joint venture was given the green light to perform detailed engineering and manage construction.#N#The project team constructed the 3.6-mile- (5.8-kilometer-) long underwater passage in 57 sections. Fabricated above ground, the concrete-and-steel modules were floated into place, immersed—with their ends sealed—into a trench spanning the bottom of San Francisco Bay, between San Francisco and Oakland. Crews made watertight connections between the sections, removed the end caps, and secured the entire tube.#N#The BART project's most dramatic feat, the Transbay Tube, a submerged tube across San Francisco Bay, was completed in 1969. The project also included a hard-rock tunnel through the Berkeley hills.
How many miles is the Bechtel rail line?
Bechtel delivered more than 70 miles (115 kilometers) of wide-gauge, double-track, ballast-free, fully automated electric railway—which later extended to 104 miles (167 kilometers). The original system proved so effective that the length of BART railway has grown by nearly 50 percent. BART now operates nearly 700 revenue-producing vehicles.
When was the Transbay Tube completed?
The BART project's most dramatic feat, the Transbay Tube, a submerged tube across San Francisco Bay, was completed in 1969 . The project also included a hard-rock tunnel through the Berkeley hills.
What is the Bechtel system?
A new approach to mass transit for the Bay Area and beyond. In the San Francisco Bay Area, a Bechtel joint venture designed and built the world's largest and most advanced rapid-transit system.
What is the BART system?
BART was one of the first U.S. rail transit systems of any size to be substantially automated. Routing and dispatching of trains, and adjustments for schedule recovery are controlled by a combination of computer and human supervision at BART's Operations Control Center (OCC) and headquarters at the Kaiser Center in Downtown Oakland. Station-to-station train movement, including speed control and maintenance of separation between successive trains, is entirely automatic under normal operation, the operator's routine responsibilities being issuing announcements, closing the doors after station stops, and monitoring the track ahead for hazards. In unusual circumstances the operator controls the train manually at reduced speed.
How many stations does BART have?
The entirety of the system runs in exclusive, grade-separated right-of-way. BART's rapid transit revenue routes cover about 120 miles (190 km) with 50 stations. On the main lines, approximately 28 miles (45 km) of lines run through underground sections with 32 miles (51 km) on elevated tracks.
What is the Bay Area Rapid Transit System?
Some of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system's current coverage area was once served by an electrified streetcar and suburban train system called the Key System. This early 20th-century system once had regular transbay traffic across the lower deck of the Bay Bridge, but the system was dismantled in the 1950s, with its last transbay crossing in 1958, and was superseded by highway travel. A 1950s study of traffic problems in the Bay Area concluded the most cost-effective solution for the Bay Area's traffic woes would be to form a transit district charged with the construction and operation of a new, high-speed rapid transit system linking the cities and suburbs. Marvin E. Lewis, a San Francisco trial attorney and member of the city's board of supervisors spearheaded a grassroots movement to advance the idea of an alternative bay crossing and the possibility of regional transit network.
What county is San Francisco in?
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District is a special district consisting of Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and the City and County of San Francisco. San Mateo County, which hosts six BART stations, and Santa Clara County, which hosts two, are not part of the BART District.
How many passengers does BART have?
With an average of 411,000 weekday passengers and 118 million annual passengers in fiscal year 2019, BART is the fifth-busiest heavy rail rapid transit system in the United States and is operated by the Bay Area Rapid Transit District which formed in 1957. The initial system opened in stages from 1972 to 1974.
What are the major airports in the Bay Area?
BART also runs directly to two of the three major Bay Area airports: San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport .
Is there a surcharge on BART?
Fares on BART are comparable to those of commuter rail systems and are higher than those of most subways, especially for long trips. The fare is based on a formula that takes into account both the length of the trip and the counties passed through. A surcharge is added for trips traveling through the Transbay Tube, to Oakland International Airport, to San Francisco International Airport, and/or through San Mateo County, a county that is not a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District .
When did the BART start?
Service began on September 11, 1972, reporting more than 100,000 passengers in its first five days. The Market Street Subway opened on November 3, 1973 and the Transbay Tube finally opened on September 16, 1974, linking the four branches to Daly City, Concord, Richmond, and Fremont. Service then was still 14 hours a day, and for five years BART operated weekday-only: Saturday trains began November 1977 and Sunday in July 1978. Until November 1975, fare was $1.20 ($6.3 adjusted for inflation) from Concord or $1.25 ($6.56 adjusted for inflation) from Fremont to any station west of the bay; Richmond to Fremont was $1.10 ($5.77 adjusted for inflation).
What is the BART plan?
BART was intended to take over existing rail corridors as well as incorporate new routes into the regional system. This map from 1960 included service through the Caltrain right of way as well as the Twin Peaks Tunnel, currently used for Muni Metro service, in addition to a Geary Subway and the constructed route down Mission Street (truncated to Balboa Park in this plan).
What was the purpose of the BART system?
As one of the first entirely new rapid transit systems built from scratch in the 20th century, the architects of what would become BART intended to design a rail system that could be marketed to other cities and regions. This led to several unconventional design choices for the system.
What was the most cost effective solution for the Bay Area's traffic woes?
The commission's 1957 final report concluded the most cost-effective solution for the Bay Area's traffic woes would be to form a transit district charged with the construction and operation of a high-speed rapid rail system linking the cities and suburbs.
What was the third rail line in the 1910s?
There were also plans for a third-rail powered subway line ( Twin Peaks Tunnel) under Market Street in the 1910s. A 1915 study prepared for the cities of Oakland and Berkeley called a rapid transit link between the two cities "imperative," suggesting new street railway lines or an elevated railway between the two cities.
When did San Francisco airport expansion start?
Efforts were started as early as 1984 for extension south from San Francisco, the first step being the Daly City Tailtrack Project, upon which turnaround project the San Francisco Airport Extension would later build. Expansion of the system was finally made possible by an agreement under which San Mateo County was to contribute $200 million ($340 million adjusted for inflation) to East Bay extensions as a " buy-in " to the system without actually joining the BART district.
When was the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District formed?
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District was formed by the state legislature in 1957, comprising the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo. Because Santa Clara County opted instead to first concentrate on its Expressway System, that county was not included in the original BART District.
When did the BART open in San Francisco?
By Michael C. Healy , John King. When BART opened in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1972, it became a catalyst for a renaissance in modern rail transit, both nationally and internationally.
Who was the manager of the BART?
Michael C. Healy. Nicknamed “Mr. BART” by his colleagues, Michael C. Healy was responsible for BART’s media affairs and marketing activities from 1971—about ten months before trains started running—until his retirement in 2004.
Where is the San Francisco Ferry Building?
Located on The Embarcadero at the foot of Market Street. The San Francisco Ferry Building is also the embarkation point for ferries to Sausalito, Tiburon, Larkspur, Alameda, Oakland and Vallejo. Schedules and more can be found at www.511.org. Steuart Street: A collection of notable restaurants lines this row.
What is the name of the street in San Francisco?
Portsmouth, who raised the American flag on July 9, 1846 and occupied Yerba Buena for the United States. Known as the “Wall Street of the West,” Montgomery Street is the heart of San Francisco’s financial district.
What is the largest neoclassical building in the United States?
San Francisco conceived its grand Civic Center after the 1906 earthquake and fire and it is the largest assemblage of neo-classical public buildings in the United States with the exception of Washington, D.C.
What is the busiest intersection in San Francisco?
Powell and Market streets is one of the busiest intersections in San Francisco and the length of the line of individuals waiting to board the cable car is often considered a barometer of how well the tourist season is going.
What is the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art?
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art: The first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th Century art, SFMOMA was originally opened in 1935. The museum’s current home is an architectural landmark designed by Mario Botta ...
When did the Ferry Building Marketplace reopen?
Over five blocks of fun, along Sacramento Street from Sansome to Drumm. Ferry Building Marketplace: The 1898 landmark reopened in 2003 after an extensive four-year restoration and renovation. The ground floor is devoted to a world-class public food market, a “gourmet galleria.”.
Where is the San Francisco Symphony?
Davies Symphony Hall: Home of the San Francisco Symphony, Davies Symphony Hall is the place to be for classical music. After the regular season, the POPS concerts take over for July. On the corner of Van Ness Ave. and Hayes St.; www.sfsymphony.org.
How long is the BART subway?
With service between San Francisco and surrounding communities through an underwater tube more than 3.6 miles (5.8 km) long, BART was the first system of its sort—part subway and part elevated—to be built in half…. Read More.
What is the name of the transit system in San Francisco?
… systems such as BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) in San Francisco; MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) in Atlanta, Georgia; and the Metrorail in Washington, D.C. The BART system serves as a useful example; it consists of more than 75 miles (120 kilometres) of track, with about 100 trains…
When was the rapid transit system established?
establishment of rapid-transit system. …automatic operation is BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) in the San Francisco Bay area, completed in 1976. Trains are operated by remote control, requiring only one crewman per train to stand by in case of computer failure.
Overview
Infrastructure
The entirety of the system runs in exclusive, grade-separated right-of-way. BART's rapid transit revenue routes cover about 120 miles (190 km) with 50 stations. On the main lines, approximately 28 miles (45 km) of lines run through underground sections with 32 miles (51 km) on elevated tracks.
The main system uses an unusual 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge (mostly se…
Services
BART serves large portions of its three member counties – San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa – as well as smaller portions of San Mateo County and Santa Clara counties. The system has 50 stations: 22 in Alameda County, 12 in Contra Costa County, 8 in San Francisco, 6 in San Mateo County, and 2 in Santa Clara County. BART operates five named heavy rail services plus one se…
History
Some of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system's current coverage area was once served by an electrified streetcar and suburban train system called the Key System. This early 20th-century system once had regular transbay traffic across the lower deck of the Bay Bridge, but the system was dismantled in the 1950s, with its last transbay crossing in 1958, and was superseded by highway travel. A 1950s study of traffic problems in the Bay Area concluded the most cost-effec…
Rolling stock
The mainline BART network operates six types of electrically operated, self-propelled railcars, built from four separate orders. The first four types, built from 1968 until 1996, total 669 cars (although 662 are currently available for revenue service), and have two sets of passenger doors on each side of the car. The newer two types, which are technologically incompatible with the older types, are in the process of manufacturing, delivery, and commissioning, and are due to replace all olde…
Fares
BART has distance-based fares, which requires riders to use faregates to both enter and exit, with a flat fare of $2.15 for trips under 6 miles (9.7 km). A surcharge is added for trips traveling through the Transbay Tube ($1.40), to/from Oakland International Airport ($6.70) or San Francisco International Airport ($4.95), and to/from San Mateo County ($1.45, except $1.25 for Daly City). Payi…
Ridership levels
For most of its history, BART's ridership has reflected the U.S. economy, growing modestly during periods of economic expansion and dropping slightly during recessions. A major exception occurred in 1989 in the aftermath of the Loma Prieta earthquake, which severely damaged the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, causing its closure for a month. BART became the only direct route between the East Bay and San Francisco, resulting in a nearly 17% ridership jump for the 1…
Organization and management
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District is a special district consisting of Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and the City and County of San Francisco. San Mateo County, which hosts six BART stations, and Santa Clara County, which hosts two, are not part of the BART District. A nine-member elected Board of Directors represents nine districts. BART has its own police force.
Overview
Bay Area Rapid Transit, widely known by the acronym BART, is the main rail transportation system for the San Francisco Bay Area. It was envisioned as early as 1946 but the construction of the original system began in the 1960s.
Origins and planning
The idea of an underwater electric rail tube was first proposed in the early 1900s by Francis "Borax" Smith – the San Francisco Chronicle ran a front-page editorial in 1900 suggesting an electrified subway. There were also plans for a third-rail powered subway line (Twin Peaks Tunnel) under Market Street in the 1910s. A 1915 study prepared for the cities of Oakland and Berkeley called a rapid trans…
The initial system (1964–76)
BART construction officially began on June 19, 1964, with President Lyndon Johnson presiding over the ground-breaking ceremonies at the 4.4-mile (7.1 km) test track between Concord and Walnut Creek in Contra Costa County. The system was scheduled to be completed in 1971.
The enormous tasks to be undertaken were daunting. System wide projects w…
Loma Prieta earthquake
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake severed the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge for a month and destroyed the Cypress Street Viaduct in Oakland. With some Bay Area freeways damaged or destroyed, BART trains, within five hours of the earthquake, were again running; full service resumed at 5 am the next day. Even with service interruptions following aftershocks for inspection of tracks, o…
San Francisco International Airport extension (1984–2003)
Service south of Daly City was outlined in the 1961 proposal, but the exit of San Mateo County from the planning district caused these plans to be shelved.
Efforts were started as early as 1984 for extension south from San Francisco, the first step being the Daly City Tailtrack Project, upon which turnaround project the San Francisco Airport Extension would later build. Expansion of th…
Spur lines (1995–2018)
Part of San Mateo's buy in was used to offset funding for extensions of the core system in the East Bay. Trains to North Concord/Martinez began on December 16, 1995, and to Pittsburg/Bay Point on December 7, 1996. On May 10, 1997, a new branch to Castro Valley and Dublin/Pleasanton opened via a right of way constructed in the median of Interstate 580. The Dublin/Pleasanton extension …
Silicon Valley extension (2009–present)
Santa Clara County was originally to have been a member of the BART district, but local leaders voted down participation early in the project. Minor service at Palo Alto, right over the border from San Mateo County was also planned originally. However, San Mateo County also opted out, leaving Fremont the closest end of line. In 2000, Santa Clara County voters approved a 30-year-lon…
BART Police shooting of Oscar Grant
On January 1, 2009, a BART Police officer, Johannes Mehserle, fatally shot Oscar Grant III. BART held multiple public meetings to ease tensions led by BART Director Carole Ward Allen who called on the BART Board to hire two independent auditors to investigate the shooting, and to provide recommendations to the board regarding BART Police misconduct. Director Ward Allen established BART's first Police Department Review Committee and worked with Assemblyman Sandre Swan…