With weekday commuter ridership still lagging far below 2019 levels and remote work not going anywhere anytime soon, the agency plans to increase train frequencies on weekends and reduce some weekday service.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) agency, which serves the San Francisco Bay Area, plans to adjust its service to better serve weekend travelers as weekday ridership remains low, reports Adam Shanks in the San Francisco Examiner. “With office vacancy rates in downtown San Francisco climbing to record highs, BART is planning to direct its finite resources to better serve those who rely on the transit agency during off-peak hours.”
Shanks continues, “Under a proposal introduced this week, BART would reduce most lines from four to three trains per hour during the day, but increase service from two to three trains per hour at night and on the weekends.”
In March of this year, weekday ridership was only at 37 percent of pre-pandemic levels. “The yellow line, which runs between Millbrae and Antioch, would be the only one spared from the weekday daytime cuts. It’s BART’s most popular ride, with the busiest train seeing a passenger load more than three times that of the most-packed Orange line train, for example.” BART also plans to increase frequencies on the yellow line and to the region's airports.
Like many other transit agencies, “BART is facing a budget deficit of about $78 million in 2025, when its tranche of federal COVID-19 aid runs dry.”
FULL STORY: BART Plans to Increase Weekend Service, Decrease Service on Weekdays
Post-Pandemic Travel Patterns Call for Different Transit Schedules
As remote work and changed commuting patterns endure, transit agencies are shifting their focus to serve a wider variety of riders.
The Perilous Future of Bay Area Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit, a hugely successful system pre-pandemic, is now struggling to close a massive projected budget gap, with no certain solutions on the table.
South Florida Commuter Rail Tops Pre-Pandemic Ridership
The Tri-Rail service connects Miami to Broward and Palm Beach counties.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research