Fewer seats and more room for standing commuters are among the updates to the rail cars coming to BART.
After getting the approval of the California Public Utilities Commission, ten new rail cars are ready to be integrated into BART service in the Bay Area. "The new cars have three doors on each side for quicker passenger loading and unloading, modern signage and automated announcements," Michael Cabanatuan writes for the San Francisco Chronicle. The seats also feature new coverings.
"BART’s original timeline called for the first of hundreds of new cars to go into service in 2016, but delays caused by electrical problems pushed the start date into November 2017," Cabanatuan reports. There are over 600 cars in the BART system, and current plans call for that number to go up to 775 cars by 2020.
FULL STORY: New BART rail cars could start service in time for Friday’s evening commute
San Francisco’s BART Awarded $545 Loan for Upgraded Rail Cars
The agency plans to modernize its fleet with more efficient rail cars equipped with new safety features.
BART Closes $35 Million Deficit
Cost control and revenue generation measures prevented service cuts.
BART to Raise Fares in January
The transit agency says it needs more state and federal support to meet its operating costs and avoid a growing budget gap.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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