If you thought BART was crowded when it set a new ridership record on Oct. 31, the day of the Giants World Series victory parade, just wait another dozen years.
By 2025, according to Metropolitan Transportation Commission estimates, BART will be carrying about the same number every weekday, BART noted Thursday in releasing a blueprint for the transit agency's future.
The plan calls for express trains between core stations, more frequent Transbay Tube service, increased speeds on some stretches and even trains that un-couple at Bay Fair station into two trains and go separate ways.
Also included in the plan presented by staff to the BART board are extended night and weekend service on some lines, more timed transfers and of course more cars.
The BART ridership record set on Wednesday, Oct. 31, was 568,061, a "whopping" 40 percent increase above a typical October Wednesday, BART announced at the time.
By 2025, the agency can expect 560,000 riders every day, the agency noted in a news release.
The draft study presented to the board, "BART Metro: Sustainability Communities Operational Analysis," offers "a glimpse into BART’s future," BART said. A copy of the presentation is attached to this article.
Implementation of the blueprint depends on several elements, including funding, the fleet upgrade and capital investments, BART said. The plan will be finalized next year, the agency said.
The BART news release listed the following "exicting components" of the plan:
- More frequent direct Transbay Tube service
- More “show up and go” service and more timed transfers
- Express service between core stations
- Increased operating speeds in key locations
- Additional peak-period service on Pittsburg/Bay Point-SFO and South Hayward to Daly City lines
- Extended service on nights and weekends on the Richmond-Millbrae and South Hayward to Daly City lines
- Using Bay Fair Station as a “coupling” station where trains can un-couple, creating two trains with one heading to Dublin/Pleasanton and the other heading toward Berryessa Station.
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One thing missing is double tracking BART. It was stupid then and it's stupid now that BART has only one rail going each direction. At the very least they should have tracks that bypass stations so they can have truly express services between selected stations.