San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District

Major BART Delays This Morning, Thanks to Man Climbing on Trains

If you're sorta really late to work this morning, you can blame it on this random train-climbing dude. A man who was spotted walking on the tracks and climbing on top of BART trains near the MacArthur station in Oakland this morning has created a commute hell. According to BART, all trains in all ... More >>

BART to Start Banning Peeing and Pooping Criminals From its Trains Today

Back in January, we warned you that BART would start coming down hard on those miscreants who think it's okay to pee, poop, and stab people on their way home. Four months should have given you plenty of time to potty train yourself. Let's just hope, because today, no more. BART is cutting the cord ... More >>

Have You Seen This Man Who Killed Raymond Harris, East Bay Man, at BART?

BART police released a sketch of the suspect who shot and killed a woman at the Richmond BART station last month, hoping someone will come forward with information on his whereabouts. The shooting occurred on March 14 at about 6 p.m. in front of the Transit Office at the Richmond BART station, kil ... More >>

BART Passenger Zaps Other BART Passenger With Stun Gun

Nothing that you see on BART will shock you, until it actually does. A man was zapped while riding a San Francisco-bound train after he got into an argument this morning with another passenger over a BART seat. According to Lt. Aaron Ledford, the call came in just before 8 a.m. on reports of a fig ... More >>

Georgia Man Learns The Hard Way That Southern Men Have to Pay For BART, Too

The worst time to commit a crime is when you're wanted for a crime. In this week's edition of People Behaving Badly, Stanley Roberts caught up with BART police who were trying their damndest to write a ticket to this dude who "piggybacked" on a BART fare, meaning he followed a paying customer thro ... More >>

BART Train Kills Person in Oakland, Expect Long Delays

Update 12:30 p.m.: Transit officials are now saying all trains are moving again and service is back to normal. BART is now stopping at the 12th Street station. Original Story 11:34 a.m.: An unidentified person was hit and killed by a BART train in downtown Oakland this morning. According to pres ... More >>

Here's Why You Should Love Having Bikes on BART

Heads up, BART riders: the cyclists are coming. Once again, BART has decided to temporarily drop its rush-hour bike blackouts and open its (often dysfunctional) doors to pedalers for the morning and evening crush. As seasoned BART riders already know, bikes of the ungainly, unfoldable variety are u ... More >>

Boozed Up Bro Commits Ultimate Party Foul: Punches Cop

Alcohol almost always influences you to do stupid things: make out with that ugly chick/dude, take a crap on BART, drive your mother's car, or call a news station claiming you saw a UFO. Go ahead and add punching a cop to that list. San Francisco police arrested a 37-year-old man who was either ... More >>

Man Apparently Crushed by Elevator at Montgomery BART Station

An unidentified man was found dead inside the elevator shaft at the Montgomery BART station Sunday night. According to BART police, the cops were called to the station at about 9:35 p.m. on reports of a person stuck in the elevator; BART employees managed to get the man out of the elevator, howeve ... More >>

Waste Management: Why Muni Won't Ban Serial Bus-Soilers

Prepare to Pay More to Ride an Already Miserably Crowded BART Train

It seems that last year's record ridership on BART didn't do much for us passengers: Not only are the trains still unbearably crowded, but those additional bodies haven't staved off fare increases. BART informed the public that it's now proposing a 5.2 percent fare increase for 2014, raising the a ... More >>

Counterfeit BART Tickets For Sale: Don't Buy Them

Have you recently had one of those moments when your BART ticket that let you in the station wouldn't let you out of the station? If so, think hard about where you bought that ticket. If you got it from anywhere other than the BART vending machines (or your mom's wallet), then maybe you deserve to ... More >>

BART to (Finally) Ban Peeing and Pooping Criminals From Riding its Trains

If you have had it with those miscreants who use BART trains as their own personal bar, you know the place where they drink, pee, and fight with strangers, well, there is some hope. BART informed its passengers that it will implement a new law that should finally give passengers a cleaner, safer, ... More >>

BART: How Many Riders at End-of-Line Stations Were Asleep?

If you've ever boarded BART's pre-dawn stockbroker train and mixed among the slumbering financial titans, you may have overheard something curious. The driver announces East Bay stops -- MacArthur, West Oakland, etc. -- in barely a whisper. But, come Embarcadero, he or she will shout "EMBARCADERO! E ... More >>

Whose Expensive Abandoned Bike Is This?

I don't know bikes, but I do know fancy. And this appears to be a fancy bike. Earlier today, a trio of BART employees gathered around this abandoned cycle at Balboa Park Station and ogled its nifty components. The front wheel is affixed with an eye-catching single-sided front fork, and the cycle fea ... More >>

Cops Release Photos of Recovered Bikes Stolen From BART Passengers

If your bike was rudely snatched recently, you might want to peruse these photos of bikes and bike parts that BART police recovered after one victim spotted his property for sale on Craigslist. After a San Francisco man saw his stolen bike posted for sale on Craigslist, he contacted the seller to ... More >>

Beyond the BART Blackout

In full disclosure, let me be absolutely clear: I write this purely out of self-interest. Because sometime in the next few months, I'll be moving to Oakland. And in crossing the Bay, I will begrudgingly break from the ranks of the bike-to-work set and join the resourcefully bimodal commuters of the ... More >>

BART Cops Release Video of Robber in Action

There's always a Grinch -- or two -- you gotta worry about around the holidays. It's especially true if you are a trusting person who likes to ride public transit. However, BART police are hopping to teach you a lesson about being too oblivious with this three-part video of thief who snatched a ce ... More >>

BART Idiot Hall of Fame Facebook Page Documents Badly Behaved Passengers

If you ever actually wanted to experience the demise of humanity, look no farther than the Bay Area's public transportation system, where you will find passengers who poop in their pants (and on the train seats, escalators, etc.), riders who dedicate that last seat for their luggage, and drunks who ... More >>

Play SF Weekly's Hardly Strictly Bingo

This weekend, as you traverse the city to attend one of the many events, you are guaranteed to be stuck ... in Bay Bridge traffic, stuck waiting for the next Muni train, or perhaps you are stuck on BART -- and it's not moving. No matter how you plan to get where you are going, it's going to suck.So ... More >>

BART Delays for Everyone This Morning (Updated)

Update 9 a.m: BART trains are back on track, according to news outlets. BART is reporting up to 15-minute delays for the morning commute after a major maintenance breakdown wreaked havoc across the transit system early this morning. According to news reports, the breakdown happened at about 4:30 a.m ... More >>

Accused Giggling Masturbator Gets Off ... of Criminal Charge

A San Francisco man accused of exposing himself to a woman while riding BART was acquitted of all charges after a jury concluded that there was no real evidence of the crime.The jury deliberated for less than an hour on Tuesday afternoon before deciding Carlos Law, 39, was not guilty of indecent exp ... More >>

Infested BART: Inspection Reports Reveal Serious Pest Problems

SF Weekly Letters

Slew of Weekend Accidents Kills Four

It was a deadly weekend for motorists and pedestrians in San Francisco, where five separate accidents killed four people, including a 17-year-old boy. As we reported earlier, 28-year-old Mary Doering was killed in a car accident on Highway 280 on Friday night; traffic was blocked for at least an hou ... More >>

Occupy, Anonymous Plan to Screw Your Afternoon Commute

What could be more annoying than an Occupy or Anonymous protest? How about an Occupy and Anonymous protest together.The two anti-government groups are planning a joint action at Fruitvale BART station at 5 p.m. today, which means you East Bay-bound folks best find another way home. Anonymous s ... More >>

Pepper-Spraying Pricks Busted for Allegedly Swiping Cellphones From BART Riders

We already know about the dangers of texting while driving, and yesterday we enlightened readers with information explaining how distracted pedestrians are pretty dumb, too. And texting while on transit? Well, that's just inviting a criminal to take the empty seat next to you. But if you happened to ... More >>

BART Helps Make Movie About Oscar Grant Shooting

It's not really news that East Bay filmmaker Ryan Coogler has started shooting his drama on Oscar Grant, the Oakland man who was killed by a BART police officer at the Fruitvale BART station three years ago. What is news is that BART is participating in the film. According to ABC News, BART has agre ... More >>

Ermias Kassaye Homicide: SFPD Say Shooting May Have Been Case of Mistaken Identity

San Francisco police released more information this morning regarding the shooting death of 26-year-old Ermias Kassaye who was killed in late June as he walked home from the Balboa BART station. Police are looking for a 6-foot black man between the ages of 16 and 25, with a thin build and long dread ... More >>

Surprise: BART Elevators Are Filthy and Poorly Serviced

BART Officially Clears James Crowell, Officer Who Shot And Killed Charles Hill

The Bay Citizen brings us this not-so-surprising news this morning that BART officer James Crowell is off the hook for the July 2011 incident where he shot and killed a homeless man in the Civic Center BART station. The incident, which sparked monthlong protests at BART stations, occurred on July 3, ... More >>

Major BART Delays After Man Dies on Train

(Update 4:30 p.m.): BART officials say the man riding on the train toward Millbrae died, however they could not say how the man died. He was seen slumped over in his seat.(Original Story 3:34 p.m.)If you are like us, you are probably counting the minutes until your 4th of July holiday begins. Sadly, ... More >>

BART Fire That Ruined Your Commute Was "Man Made," Officials Say

Federal agents have confirmed that the big blaze that screwed your commute on June 14 was definitely the result of some fire-happy arsonist. After combing through the ashes and rubble at the unfinished Red Star senior housing complex at Fifth Street and Mandela Parkway in Oakland, agents with ... More >>

BART Commuter Found Unconscious Doesn't Know What Happened to Him

A lot of unexplainable things happen at BART stations -- and here's one of them. A 46-year-old man was reportedly found unconscious and bleeding at the El Cerrito BART station last week in what police are calling "a big mystery." A station agent found the man shortly after 7 p.m.after a BART rider r ... More >>

BART Might Have Your Stolen Bike

Had your bike stolen within the past few months? If so, hold your breath. Your ride just might be in the pile of bikes that police recovered from an alleged serial cycle thief. And to make this news even better, you might be able to partake in some of that sweet revenge you've been craving since bec ... More >>

BART Trains Should Get You to Work on Time Today

You can expect a pleasant Friday reprieve from yesterday's commuting hell. BART trains are reportedly back on track and running as normal today -- no delays expected, yet. Crews continued to do some emergency work on a few tracks early this morning, which caused some 10-minute delays before 6 a.m. B ... More >>

BART Service Restored, Expect Delays

Update (4:23 p.m.): Bart has just notified passengers that the trains between San Francisco and Oakland are running again. The bad news is that commuters will still be facing delays on their ride home. Crews worked through the day and had the trains back on track by 3:45 p.m. To help ease this painf ... More >>

24th Street BART Closes After Woman Stabs Man

An unidentified woman is in police custody this morning after allegedly stabbing a man inside the city's 24th Street BART station, forcing the station to close. Details are sketchy, but BART officials say that police were called to the station at about 4:30 a.m. after the woman reportedly stabbed th ... More >>

President's Day Weekend: Another Carmaggedon?

Closed for business​What better way to celebrate the Great Emancipator than with hair-pulling traffic and even more of a clusterfuck than usual for Bay Area commuters? The westbound deck of the Bay Bridge heading into San Francisco will be closed at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, until 5 a.m. on Tues ... More >>

List: Why BART Might Cut Your Cell Service

​Last week BART created a new policy detailing when it's allowed to shut off cell phone service. Under what circumstances will BART interrupt your call? If BART police suspect someone is being broken-up with by text message If someone acts like their iPhone is so fucking special. Every employee ... More >>

Johannes Mehserle Cleared of Police Brutality Charges

​Johannes Mehserle, the former BART cop who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the emotionally charged shooting death of Oscar Grant, remains free and clear. A San Francisco federal jury rejected separate charges that Mehserle and four other BART officers beat and hog-tied a man at an Oa ... More >>

David Lee Identified as Man Killed by BART

​The San Francisco medical examiner identified the man who was killed by a BART train over the weekend as 81-year-old David Lee. Lee, whose residence is unknown, was killed at about 3:30 p.m. after he reportedly laid down on the tracks at the 24th Street BART station Sunday. The station was closed ... More >>

Linton Johnson, BART Spokesman, Reassigned to New Job

No longer the face of BART ​After a curious three-month hiatus, BART's Chief Spokesman, Linton Johnson, is back today -- but he has a new desk and a different title. The veteran spokesman has been reassigned to work on special projects while still bringing home the $170,000 pay package he made as ... More >>

After Shooting, Occupy Oakland General Assembly Announces "This is a Peaceful Revolution"

Updated at 6:49 p.m.: Conger reports that the scene in the camp is peaceful, with protesters discussing the events calmly with police officers. Still, some protesters are chanting "Tell the truth!" to reporters out of concern that the shooting will be tied to Occupy. Updated at 6:35 p.m.: Kate Co ... More >>

Major BART Delays into San Francisco

Taking the late train​BART officials are warning that this morning's commute will be a total nightmare. Equipment issues caused a brief power outage that has drastically slowed trains into San Francisco.BART spokesman Jim Allison told reporters to expect delays up to 30 minutes on the Fremont-to-R ... More >>

BART Delays, Bay Area Traffic Is Making Today's Commute Painful

Today's commute is kinda like Cairo ​If you are an East Bay resident trying to get to your job in San Francisco this morning, good luck. Not only is traffic at a standstill on the Bay Bridge, but BART is reporting delays of its own. A motorcycle crashed on the bridge's S-curve at about 6 a.m. clos ... More >>

BART to Consider New Policy for Cutting Cellphone Service

This photo may have been taken and transmitted via cellphone ​Just as the weekly BART protests have become a faded memory, the transit agency released its  new proposed policy that would allow BART to temporarily cut cellphone service -- but only in extraordinary, 9/11-type scenarios.So if yo ... More >>

BART Police Using Force: Citizen Complaints Skyrocket Since Oscar Grant Shooting

​It's safe to say at this point those once lively Monday evening BART protests are now deemed dead on arrival. But perhaps a new audit of citizen complaints against BART police officers will flare protesters' tempers again.The transit today agency released an internal review that details the numbe ... More >>

BART Protest: Only Three People Showed Up

Andrewarchy via Flickr And then there was one ... ​Despite the audacious demands put upon BART, including disbanding its police force, protesters seem to have completely lost their mojo. Last night, only three people reportedly showed up to the Monday night demonstration, which was (or would have ... More >>

BART Protests: When Will They Stop?

That's one way to stop the protests​While protesters plan to gather again tonight and attempt to disrupt the evening commute (there's word they will be riding on the trains) -- BART is hoping new legislation wending its way through Sacramento will criminalize some protesters' actions. Tonight will ... More >>