BART

Mechanical Engineer Joshua Munoz has loved rollercoasters for as long as he can remember, even before he was tall enough (and brave enough) to ride them. He was mesmerized by the way the trains articulated and twisted, how they moved loudly yet gracefully around a track. And when he was seven, he finally got to ride one. In time, Joshua’s interests expanded to include another class of wheel and rail systems (one without the loop-de-loops): railroads. Now an adult with a PhD in railway engineering, Joshua has relied on a strong inner resiliency to build a career where he can contribute to BART's mission of safety carrying people around the region. --- Full Story: https://lnkd.in/gJq8b9ZW --- Joshua’s path to the Bay Area and BART has been full of twists and turns, not unlike a rollercoaster. He grew up on the military base Camp Pendleton, and said he was lucky as a young gay kid that it was in a progressive area that was generally accepting of him. Years before Joshua worked for BART, the system was an integral part of his life. “BART has connected me to the gay community and my favorite experiences for years now,” he said. He also noted that he and fellow LGBT colleagues bring something special to the BART organization. "As a gay person, you come into the workplace with empathy because we have all experienced some form of discrimination in our lives,” he said. “We also practice resiliency because we have to.” In 2019, Joshua’s resiliency was tested after a horrific tragedy. His abuelito, Luis Juarez, was killed in a mass shooting in an El Paso Walmart. At 90, Luis was the oldest victim. Joshua’s abuelita, Martha Juarez, was injured in the shooting but survived. "The experience demonstrated that there is extreme hatred in our country,” Joshua said. It also made him learn the necessity of leaning on others, including his queer community, for support in times of need. “You don’t have to be alone in being resilient,” he said. “Find the people and resources you need to recover from a hardship, to understand your trauma, and to return to your life stronger."

One of the most important rebuilding projects in the history of BART begins this Saturday. Work will happen around the clock on Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23 to begin the replacement of a series of track switches between Rockridge, MacArthur, and 19th Street stations in Oakland. Switches are vital components of the BART trackway that allow trains to safely move from track to track. Years of planning have gone into the track replacement work that will be happening on select weekends over the next three years to enhance the reliability of the core of BART. Organizers are calling this the most challenging and complex segment of BART’s revitalization plan that started in 2016, when District voters approved Measure RR. The measure provides $3.5 billion to replace aging track, traction power cables, and other vital equipment. On the latest edition of our podcast series "Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART," Project Manager Kevin Reeg and Operations Planner Hayley Toy talk about this vital rebuilding project. Learn about the unique challenges of this work, what will be accomplished, and what's being done to reduce impacts on riders. Listen to our latest podcast: https://bit.ly/3VvWlf3

BART’s popular restroom attendant program has expanded to El Cerrito del Norte Station. BART’s busy and recently modernized El Cerrito del Norte Station now has a restroom attendant to greet riders and ensure restrooms remain clean, safe, and accessible to riders. This recent expansion to El Cerrito del Norte has been accomplished without an additional cost to BART’s budget because BART is using existing staff resources, utilizing employees on a temporary modified assignment. This is the first time BART is deploying an attendant to an above ground station and the first time BART is using existing BART staff and not a contractor. Previously only underground station restrooms that have been recently reopened to the public included attendants staffed by contracted workers from District Works. Seven BART stations now have restroom attendants during all operating hours including Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, Lake Merritt, 19th Street Oakland, Downtown Berkeley, and now El Cerrito del Norte. Attendants greet riders, record bathroom usage, check on cleanliness, notify janitors when they are needed, and intervene, if necessary, by calling BART Police.  When the El Cerrito del Norte Station was modernized, the restrooms were rebuilt with a more open concept with partitions inside and no main door at the entryway. This design, along with the addition of an attendant, has reduced lines to use the restroom. Station Agents can now focus on other customer service assistance instead of needing to check on the restrooms and handle issues related to restrooms being abused. BART Director Rebecca Saltzman requested the addition of attendants at El Cerrito del Norte station, “Restroom attendants have proven to discourage unwanted behavior inside restrooms, ensuring they remain open, clean and safe,” said Saltzman. “Since we’ve added an attendant at El Cerrito del Norte, I have personally noticed an improved experience for riders using the restrooms. I want to thank BART leadership for testing this new approach of using existing staff resources to add an attendant to the restroom.”

One of the most important rebuilding projects in the history of BART begins Saturday. Work will happen all weekend to replace a series of track switches between Rockridge, MacArthur, and 19th Street stations in Oakland. Switches allow trains to safely move from track to track. Free buses will replace trains between Rockridge, MacArthur, and 19th Street Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23. Expect delays of up to 40 minutes in the work area. There will also be no Red Line service. The Red Line cancellation means there will be fewer transbay trips. The Yellow Line will be extended to Millbrae throughout the weekend with trains every 20 minutes to SFO. Work will happen one weekend per month through November. The same stretch of track will be closed June 22-23, July 20-21, August 17-18, September 21-22, October 19-20, and November 2-3. Work will continue on select weekends through 2026. We have prioritized public outreach for this work. Additional staff will be positioned throughout the bus bridge with more signs and support materials than we’ve ever produced for a shutdown to help you navigate the bus bridge. Train schedules will be different from normal weekend timetables. Use the official BART App. BART’s Trip Planner has been updated to include bus bridge details. Real Time Departures will be updated throughout the weekend. You can get more details on this project including a Frequently Asked Questions page that addresses concerns such as why we had to shut down the Red Line to make this work possible: https://bit.ly/4c8EX7s

Today BART honors Juneteenth. The holiday commemorates an important day in history, marking the day General Order No. 3 was announced, freeing Black Americans enslaved in Texas. Discover local ways to celebrate on BARTable: https://lnkd.in/gCuJ7yg9

Empowering day at Berkeley’s Juneteenth festival. BART Director Lateefah Simon joined the City of Berkeley to celebrate the installation of a bronze sculpture made by local artist, Mildred Howard, whose mother, Mable Howard, led the effort to oppose the above-ground BART line that would have divided the South Berkeley neighborhood and the rest of Berkeley. Inspired by traditional West African metal work, this sculpture memorializes the unsung contributions of the African-American community in South Berkeley - a community that has been largely displaced due to gentrification and shifting economies.

The BART Board has approved a budget that avoids drastic service cuts and continues our investment in rider safety. We will maintain train service levels and staffing for our enhanced cleaning and safety efforts. Cutting service would be terrible for the Bay Area. Read the press release: https://lnkd.in/gsf3U87F

BART is throwing it back to the 80s this 🌈 Pride Month. Radical, dudes 🤘 . Not only do we have fabulous t-shirts, modeled here by BART employees Terri Hodges and Joshua Munoz, we’re also selling Pride/BARTy socks, wristbands, headbands, stickers, and buttons! Get your swag and wear it with pride: https://lnkd.in/dPJw89ey

Join BART's Business Advisory Council. BART is seeking new members for its Business Advisory Council (BAC) for the next term (2024 to 2026). The BAC was established in 2010 to encourage communications between the District and the small business community and to advise the District in its efforts to ensure that small businesses are afforded equal opportunities to participate on District contracts and agreements. Small businesses include Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, Disadvantage Veteran Business Enterprises, Minority-Owned Business Enterprises, Women-Owned Business Enterprises and Micro Small Business Entities. The BAC currently consists of 14 members representing the small business community covering geographical areas of the District’s service area as well as representation from the following industries: professional services, architecture and engineering, procurement and construction.  Committee members serve a two-year period, on staggered terms. Meetings are typically held once every other month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in-person at BART Headquarters in Oakland with the option to join virtually (via Zoom). Members are involved in providing valuable feedback on District contracting, services and procurement policies, programs and practices. If you are interested in serving on the BAC, please submit an application, a letter of recommendation from your organization, as well as a cover letter describing your interest by end of day 7/05/24. Please submit these application documents to the Office of Civil Rights by emailing [email protected]. Application: https://lnkd.in/gpEjrQaT

"Some people read, some people work, some people apply makeup,” says Joanna Sokua of riding BART. “I draw.” Since 2017, Sokua has been creating what she calls “BARToons” during her morning and evening commute. You might say she is a seasoned BARTist. In the past seven years, she has drawn more than 170 BART illustrations. While on the train, she snaps photos of scenes and passengers that spark an idea, and when she gets home, she’ll sketch them out or, most often, superimpose pop culture figures onto the images using a digital pen. --- Full story: https://lnkd.in/g6FXZq2w --- The drawings depict Scooby Doo and Shaggy waiting for a train; Van Gough seated near the doors with a pipe and bandage over his ear; Doc Brown and Marty McFly from Back to the Future standing on a legacy train; Clark Kent looking at his phone with his Superman suit peeking out. Sometimes, she’ll just draw a passenger as they are, sitting on the train engrossed in whatever they’re doing. Sokua works in banking, helping small business owners secure financing for their ventures. She is one of many artists who have been inspired by their BART rides, from photographers roused by the system's striking angles to novelists who wrote their books almost entirely onboard. There have even been plays set on BART trains. On her BART ride from the East Bay to her office in San Francisco, Sokua is not thinking about her data-and-dollars day job. Mostly, she’s looking for subjects to draw. The creative exercise helps her unwind, and it’s deeply entertaining for those who keep up with her work on her Instagram (@the_und3rwrit3r), where she regularly posts her latest drawings. Read more about Sokua and see the drawings at https://lnkd.in/g6FXZq2w