Comments on: color my BART

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:43:34 +0000

Average speed is actually 33 mph I believe. Fantastic.

Maybe we should realize and admit we’re not the most advanced anymore, and do better.

By: Guy Span

Guy Span — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:56:05 +0000

When built, as one poster noted, every BART rider was to have a seat. Thus no stantions were built on the first series of cars for the “strap hangers.” Brian Stokes, the first GM, promised us a “Swift, virtually noiseless and vibration-free electric train”. We got an electric train.

Average speed – 45 mph. Noiseless – a db meter shows that BART routinely exceeds 90 db, due to unground track and tight clearances. This exceeds OSHA limits.

In 1957 Japan designed a quiet 127 mph electric railway while here in the most advanced Western Country, we designed a scremingly loud 45 mph electric railway.

By: Inside Bay Area > The Capricious Commuter > poverty and the suburbs: a short commute

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 05:44:01 +0000

[...] you see, will connect the Pittsburg/Bay Point Line, or Yellow Line, if you will, to the eastern Contra Costa County communities near the Sacramento [...]

By: Doug Faunt

Doug Faunt — Sun, 13 May 2007 23:59:18 +0000

This could be a win, since the train direct to Millbrae should arrive soon enough to make transfers to Caltrain headed south possible without a 20 minute wait.

I don’t see any mention of the route from Millbrae to SFO and return.

Obviously, doing a wye at San Bruno is possible, and if the timing of the trains is right should be quick enough.

Has this been mentioned anywhere?

By: Samatakah

Samatakah — Sat, 12 May 2007 16:19:45 +0000

Maybe because BART is the only subway system I’ve ever used, I’ve only had one problem taking “the Pittsburg train” or “the Fremont train” to get around. And that was because the very first time I took BART to Oakland, my mom told me to take “the Concord train” and, like most native San Franciscans who never cross the bay unless they’re going to Tahoe, I had no idea where the east bay cities are, I didn’t know that Concord was “this side” of Pittsburg.

I love BART. I’ll love it more when they enact electronic cards like the Fastrak that lives in my vehicle.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 12 May 2007 07:26:08 +0000

Referring to the lines by color makes a lot of sense. I use the SFO extension a few times per year, and I always see people with luggage trying to figure out the map.

I also like the proposed service changes. I stopped transferring to BART at Millbrae when Samtrans reduced the frequency and made all trains to into the SFO station after leaving Millbrae. It cost more and didn’t save any time. I no longer commute this direction but would look into trying it again for Sharks games and the like.

By: david vartanoff

david vartanoff — Sat, 12 May 2007 03:17:54 +0000

Transit and commuter services figured these things out decades ago. Give the rider the easiest ways to decode the system. But, BART deliberately threw out the “old subway” model for a Buck Rogers fantasy. They originally had no hand grabs on the ceilings because”everyone would have a seat”. NO signage on the actual trains because the electronic signs would tell all. “Destination signs may be giving wrong information. Please listen to announcements from the train operator.”