Alameda County

BART receives nearly $331 million from federal COVID-19 relief grant

Photo of BART entrance/exit
Matthew Gibson/Senior Staff
Following previous COVID-19 grants, BART received funding from emergency relief programs to aid with staffing and service levels. The East Bay Transit Riders Union has expressed a need for funding local bus systems as well to maintain services and allow for free or low-cost rides.

The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration awarded BART a $330.8 million COVID-19 relief grant Thursday under the American Rescue Plan. 
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City

Inside of Berkeley BART station

Increased safety proposals by BART general manager underway

Starting Monday, Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART, began to enhance public safety by mandating police and fare inspectors to work extra hours in the service’s busiest areas in order to “bolster their visible presence and enhance public safety,” according to a BART press release.
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City

In effort to combat fare evasion, BART may replace station gates

BART spokesperson Anna Duckworth said BART gates are waist-high, while other transit agencies have higher gates that discourage fare evasion. Lt. Randy Gregson, a BART patrol watch commander, described BART stations as “porous” with many portals of exit and entry — another challenge in deterring fare evasion.
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