the PERFECT BART map?

What if BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) were perfect? Would it look like this?

#bart #bayarea #trains

[socoman]

If you look closely at the bottom left hand corner of the "Perfect BART Map", you'll see the disclaimer, "Based in part on the original Bay Area Rapid Transit plan published in 1956". This plan was basically what the planners saw as the future of the Bay Area, as its need for a modern mass transit system was going to be critical for economic development and the quality of life for Bay Area citizens. Unfortunately, the answer was money, or the lack of it. The other villain in the story was the automobile, oil and tire industries who did everything they could to destroy public transit in the USA, ala Los Angeles. Public transit was the obstacle to people having to buy a car to get around, so General Motors bought up all the private transit companies in LA and then put them out of business and lobbied for more freeways for more cars. That story was repeated around the country in the 50's and 60's, with only a few cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco saying "no", and only after some major battles, like the horrendous Embarcadero Freeway which ran right in front of the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street. People cheered when it was finally demolished years after the Loma Prieta earthquake.

[dcfog]

Ideal BART map would have a station at Jack London Square (Howard Terminal) 😉

[TohaBgood]

All of this can still be built! In fact, a bunch of these ideas are being implemented, are planned, or are in various other stages of implementation, but not necessarily as BART. Caltrain is basically becoming "second BART" with 15 minute train frequencies, electrified service, eventually level-boarding, etc. The Capitol Corridor is rerouting to minimize freight conflicts, adding new trains, and is hoping upgrading to Caltrain levels. Same goes for ACE, SMART, and the San Joaquins. All are either upgrading right now or are planning to upgrade in the future.

My point is, we absolutely _can_ have this map! All it takes is rerouting some of that crazy money we now spend on highways to rail and we can have this exact map or something nearly indistinguishable! It might not all be BART. Some of it will have to be new Caltrain-like, or even just goosed-up commuter rail. But who cares as long as we get this map, right?

[joelbernard]

Some of this is already in place, only through other agencies. SF Muni already runs trains to many of the stations listed as does cal train.

There is BART ish service all the way up to Windsor now.

It would be far easier and more cost effective to improve the existing services and increase connectivity between them than to build hundreds of miles of new track that is a weird gauge that only BART can use.

[marlins]

Beautiful! Love that map! No more driving across the San Rafael Bridge! I wish BART had extended into Marin. I would have attended even more A's and Raiders games! Plus, avoid having to drive the Nimitz Freeway to the Coliseum.

[RollingTiger]

If BART were like this imaginary map, with frequent service, car traffic would be greatly reduced and car dependency and costs associated with it. I won't get into all the positives since the notjustbikes YouTube channel has great videos explaining them better.

I wish BART was already like this.

[amrickdhillon]

If public transportation in the bay area was as good as it is in England, I would only own one car in my entire lifetime just for when I travel outside of the bay area. This would be nothing short of amazing

[travisfinucane]

The entirety of the London Metro map spreads 30 miles (from Heathrow Airport to Hornchurch town in East London, as the crow files). Los Gatos to Santa Rosa is 70 miles. The SF Bay Area doesn't have the density to support that dreamer map. There is commuter rail along some of the corridors listed: Caltrain for the Peninsula, SMART for Sonoma county, and Amtrak Capitol Corridor up to Fairfield.

[Warriorcats]

SMART exists for Marin and Sonoma, but it really ought to extend into Sausalito, ideally close enough to that Ferry.

[SebastianSegura]

Having a stop to Pacifica after Colma would be nice!

[sharkaholic_]

If it weren't for the expensive pricing the state has this would be golden. You could possibly get around without having a car depending on your life style.

[garyhall]

Would definitely need a systemwide monthly pass that could transfer to local bus agencies. As someone mentioned, a HT stop would be awesome.

[steveshea]

If you add more local stops, you also get longer travel times when traversing those new stops. Chicago Transit Authority has A, B, and AB stations on some lines, where they hopscotch. So "perfect" might include not only wider distribution, more local access (=more stations), and more routes, but also express train planning. Notice that nowhere in the BART system has three tracks? They never planned for express trains because it's not a local subway service (except where it is, downtown Oakland and SF). The perfect solution would at least preserve the higher speeds BART can reach with the local access through express tracks and scheduling.

[Dulaman]

I wish this is what the system map looked like. I live in Solano and being able to take BART from my neighborhood to my school in Napa or to my partner’s house in Ashby would be incredible. That in mind, while this system map as it is will never exist, something like it is beginning to take shape. SMART is planning on an eventual extension east from Novato to Fairfield, the Capitol Corridor is planned to be re-routed through Vallejo, and there’s talk of increasing service on systems like ACE and eBART

[chasemartin]

We need less people saying "just one more lane bro" and more people saying "just one more line bro"!

[wavesnbikes]

A perfect system like this will be fully integrated with CAHSR, Amtrak, Caltrain, ACE, Muni, AC Transit, VTA, etc, etc, etc...

[jacobbyers]

Brodie an urbanist GOAT? I am pleasantly surprised!

[jazziered]

I remember them testing the Bart track by my house in Hayward when I was a kid. I am old as dirt. 😂

[markplott]

Simple Solution = NEVER should have Dismantled the KEY System and SP red cars.

[gotthework]

We definitely need stations in the north bay, The closest station to me is at least a 20 minute drive away. Having these frequent stops would make bart a lot more practical for pedestrians.