Bay Area Rapid Transit

A $100 Billion Wishlist for Bay Area Transit
Project priorities for the Faster Bay Area ballot initiative, speculatively proposed for the November 2020 election, have not yet been specified. But BART's new general manager has ideas about the money could be spent.

New BART Fare Gates Raise Questions About Hostile Design
How far is BART willing to go to stop people from jumping fare gates? Social media users have called new fare gates "skull crushers" and "inverted guillotines."

Opinion: Here’s Hoping the New BART Inspector General Can Help Get the Agency Back on Track
BART is a financial and operational mess, and its new inspector general has a slew of major issues to tackle.

BART's New Trains: Back to the Drawing Board to Make More Room for Bikes
BART is readying its "Fleet of the Future," which includes adding more room than originally designed for bike storage.

Plans for TOD Housing at Berkeley BART Station
The city is behind plans to turn parking lots around the North Berkeley BART station into much-needed housing.

Elon Musk and BART Go Toe to Toe (on Twitter)
Transit agencies and advocates are developing a genre of criticism that could be described as calling Elon Musk on his BS. Musk still has plenty of support on social media.

San Francisco Bay Area Transit Fare Discount to Start This Fall
Low-income transit users desperately need a break on fares. A discount is on its way, but won’t be available until later in the year, and transit advocates say it’s not enough.

BART Considers Range of Options for Retired Vehicles
Hundreds of cars in the system will be going offline in coming years, and the agency is looking at a variety of ideas for what to do with them.

Should Planners Run for Public Office?
In an opinion piece bemoaning the passage of legislation that gives the BART board new land use planning authority, BART Director Deborah Allen argues that planners won't make good directors because they lack independence.

BART Rolls Out Upgraded Earthquake Alert System
The new sensor technology gives riders up to a minute to drop, cover, and hold on.

San Jose BART Extension Facing More Delays
Service on a long-awaited BART extension to the Berryessa district in San Jose may be delayed again due to equipment problems.
BART Board of Directors Votes Down Livermore Extension
A controversial vote sets a "fix it first" agenda for regional transit planning—the implications of this decision could potentially reach far beyond the scope of this single project.

Bay Area's Transbay Dilemma: Second BART Tube or Second Bay Bridge?
In December, Sen. Dianne Feinstein reactivated her call for a southern crossing over the Bay while the BART Board last week began studying a second Transbay tube. The San Francisco Chronicle editorial board opines on which is preferable.

BART Goes Renewable
The Board of Directors approved a path to 90 percent renewable energy.

Op-Ed: BART Should Embrace Driverless Trains
Daniel Borenstein points out the irony that while the Bay Area may be the world's top tech hub, BART has no real plans to consider driverless trains.

San Jose's Measure B Transportation Funding Caught in Legal Dispute
A one-woman crusade in San Jose, California has derailed transportation spending enabled by the voter approved funding package of Measure B.

BART Extension Kerfluffle: East Bay Officials Pushing for New Rail Authority
If the city of Livermore and several state legislators gets their way, a proposed extension of BART to the city of Livermore would be planned and built by the Tri Valley-San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority.

Today: BART Goes Farther South Than Ever Before
As it has promised for years, Bay Area Rapid Transit today opens the Warm Springs/South Fremont extension of the regional rail transit system. The first train departs at the station at 5:48 am, and the first train arrives at 7:04 am.
Op-Ed: Time for the Bay Area to Embrace Regional Planning
An op-ed by the San Francisco Chronicle's editorial board takes cues from London's regional transportation planning efforts in an argument supporting regional planning for the San Francisco-San Jose Bay Area.
BART Rolling Out New, Modern Fleet
BART and Bombardier Transportation have completed a two-part, $1.5 billion deal to modernize the BART fleet. The new cars are expected to test in 2015 and commence operation between 2017 and 2021.
Pagination
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.
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Smith Gee Studio
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Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service