The overcrowding on Bart as a result of the Bay Bridge closure this week reinforces the need for serious capacity improvements in the system. Capacity problems permeate nearly every aspect of Bart–station access, platform area, vehicle space, train operations, parking, etc.–but while Bart has focused a lot on system expansion in recent years, it simply hasn’t put in the effort to meet the current and future needs of the existing system. The overcrowding this week is not a freak occurrence; rather, it is a preview for what Bart will regularly face 10 years (or less?) down the road. Population growth, climate change, peak oil, and traffic congestion are not simply going to go away, and until Bart/MTC can find the $10 billion that it’s going to take to build a second tube (probably in the next 50 years), Bart needs to invest in ways to maximize the efficiency of its current system through better station design, vehicle layout, parking management, transit and bicycle access, and train control. We need to reinvest in Bart for a sustainable future.
Pingback: Streetsblog San Francisco » Today’s Headlines
Pingback: When BART reaches capacity, Oaklanders will be the first to suffer « Living in the O
If we are serious about preserving BART capacity west of the hills (where the bulk of riders are) we need to axe extensions and put the money into more capacity and flexibility on the existing trunks. Given the extreme overpricing of anything they touch, this is a daunting task. However, both an infill station and a short turn relay siding could be added east of Lake Merritt.
There are other overriding issues with BART…when it decided that overnight service is only necessary on Halloween whilst the Bay Bridge is unavailable. How can we trust BART to make logical and socially desireable decisions about capacity?
we don’t need to invest in ‘bart capacity’ so much as we need to invest in ‘bart decongestion pricing’.