H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y B A R T ! ! !
This article is taken from http://www.bart.gov/news/press/news20070604.asp
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BART turns 50
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06.04.2007
State created BART on June 4, 1957
BART is celebrating a major milestone. Fifty years ago-on June 4, 1957-the California State Legislature and the governor took a preemptive strike against the massive influx of cars and people moving into the Bay Area after World War II and officially created the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District or BART.
"Today is truly a very special birthday for BART!" said BART Board President Lynette Sweet. "The Bay Area owes those in the state legislature 50 years ago and then Governor Goodwin Knight a debt of gratitude for having the wisdom and foresight to create what would later be named as one of The Top Ten Public Works Projects of the 20th Century and the #1 Transit System in America. On our 50th birthday, we are hopeful the current legislature restores the deep cuts in transit funding that the current governor has proposed."
Originally, the BART District consisted of five counties; Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo. However, San Mateo and Marin counties withdrew from the District for financial reasons in 1962.
35 YEARS OF TRAIN SERVICE, CONGESTION & POLLUTION RELIEF
This year BART will also celebrate its 35th year of train service. The first trains with fare-paying passengers began operating on September 11, 1972. Since then, BART has carried over one billion passengers.
"BART has always been there to carry the Bay Area through good times and bad," Sweet said. "We were there to keep the economy moving when the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake knocked out the Bay Bridge, and most recently when the MacArthur Maze connector collapsed. We're there each and every day for hundreds of thousand of people who want to avoid gridlock, high gas and parking prices on their way to work, to sporting events, parades and other large social gatherings. And we're there for those concerned about the future of our environment. After all, BART prevents millions of pounds of pollutants from spewing into the air each day. BART is truly an integral part of the fabric of Bay Area life. We look forward to serving the Bay Area for at least the next 50 years."
BART HISTORY:
June 4, 1957 – Legislature formed BART District
Sept. 11, 1972 – Revenue service began
IF THERE WERE NO BART…
POLLUTION:
There would be 15.2 million additional lbs/day spewing into air
COMMUTE TIMES:
Caldecott commute would go from 24 mins. to 3hrs. 15 mins.
Bay Bridge commute would go from 40 mins. to 2.2 hrs.
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God bless BART and those who
God bless BART and those who made and continue to make it possible.
I have no argument with the
I have no argument with the pollution numbers, but a 2 hour plus commute over the bridge and through the tunnel? Please. If BART or any other train system didn't exist, that fourth bore of the tunnel would have been put in long ago, and the Bay Bridge would either have a sister or be built with a lot more lanes.
Aside from the useless PR bullshit that was a very interesting history lesson.
What? a non believer? maybe
What? a non believer? maybe you have not experienced a BART transit strike but that's ok, contract time is coming up soon enough and you will be talking all about the "overpaid" union employees.
By the way, if there was no sunshine bullshit wouldn't exist either. Your points about no trains, the other bore or bridge lanes seems a lot more like useless bullshit as well.
(No Trains???)
-T/O
Well, maybe I used the wrong
Well, maybe I used the wrong tense or wrongfully assumed the story implies historical rather than current events but let me rephrase...
If BART(or any similar train system) had NEVER existed, the new bridges and tunnels would have been gradually built to accomodate at least some of the increased traffic. Otherwise, population growth would not have taken place in the way it did. If no train had EVER been built,most people still would not travel 2 or more hours to get to work.
However, if BART magically poofed out of existence, or went on strike, we would have traffic like that. No doubt about it.
I don't think the article was supposed to be a lesson to management from union employees about the utter ruin the bay area would face in a strike.
So, as for union employees, what about it? Everyone in my immediate and extended family is in a union of some kind, including me. That has nothing to do with it.
I think TO was in quick
I think TO was in quick defense of what they do.. But it's because the employees feel they are in constant battle. Front line employees are caught between management and the public. I shouldn't say "public" because many of the problems with the "public" are those individuals that take advantage of the system, from the criminal element to the not so fresh smelling ones. Most people don't usually have problems on BART, and when they do, it's many times some bad policy or rule or ticket that inconviences them.
The public doesn't see what the employees do behind the scenes. I have heard everything from monkeys doing the jobs to getting rid of employees. While there are a few bad apples in the bunch as with any business. BART Employees are pretty much required to justify what they do every 4 years in a public arena. The Public hears "Union Employees are voting to go on strike", and the public really hears "Your commute is going to be hell because of those employees at BART that I see sitting around".. So many people already bark about the union before finding out the root causes.
Management and the Union have a sour relationship. Neither trust each other which is sad. BART would run better if the kids could play better together. Ask any BART employee if they feel like BART respects their opinion.
I'm not going to go on and on since this message board is not going to make a difference, but I just wish people would find out whats going on during contract time. Especially where the money at BART goes and how it's spent.
On the good side... BART is remarkably safe, it's the cheapest way to travel the distances it goes, and reliable.
It's all about perception, if you hear the delay on the speakers, you think delay, even if your train comes on time..
"It's all about perception,
"It's all about perception, if you hear the delay on the speakers, you think delay, even if your train comes on time.."
Actually I assume delay unless my train shows up on time.
"I actually assume delay
"I actually assume delay unless my train shows up on time."
Well, you're a pessimist. Let me rephrase that for you in simpler terms. You see the glass half empty. But you're misguided.
For a system that has the highest on-time performance in the nation (mid 90-ish percentile), you'd better off assume it was late unless you hear otherwise... just like everyone else.
And FYI, law enforcement is prohibited from striking. Ever.
Yes, I remember the strike
Yes, I remember the strike back in the '90s when the BART Police had to cross picket lines to guard the stations. They're also union but you're right, no police officer anywhere can ever go on strike. They can have their "blue" sick days but that's way off topic. Anyway, traffic was pretty awful, but I carpooled from Hayward - we left home early and left work early and it wasn't too horrible along 580. Many outlying areas have had population explosions since then and I'm sure it would be terminal gridlock now,
BUT, I also remember the sardine-crowded trains after the '89 earthquake. In downtown SF the BART Police stood at the fare gates to prevent people from entering because the platforms were so overcrowded. A train in each direction would depart and they'd let a certain number of new people go through. I paid Muni fare the ride the Metro back to Civic Center just to get down to the platform sooner, then maybe ride back to 16th or 24th just to find a semi-bearable train. We were all in the same boat and the majority of people were amazingly patient and understanding during an extraordinary experience.
It was a lesson in how truly essential BART had become to the Bay Area when there suddenly was no Bay Bridge. I've been riding BART off-and-on since 1975 and the I think that was the system's finest hour.
The '89 quake really brought
The '89 quake really brought out the best in people.
If there were to be a major emergency today and people took to BART in the same proportions as they did back then, it would be a catastrophe. People are different now. It would be a free-for-all. Mass chaos.
God, I hope I don't live to see that day.
Plan for the worst, hope for
Plan for the worst, hope for the best. It's only a matter of time before something, natural or not, hits the SF transit system.