BART trains to run overnight if Bay Bridge remains closed
By: Will Reisman
Examiner Staff Writer
October 30, 2009
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SAN FRANCISCO — BART will provide overnight service tonight and Saturday night -- if the Bay Bridge remains closed during the weekend -- but not on Sunday.
Unlike the past three days, when the regional transit agency did not provide overnight service during the bridge closure, BART will offer hourly trains on Friday night and Saturday morning, and on Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
The trains will stop at 14 different stations throughout the Bay Area, including the Embarcadero, Powell Street, and 24th Street in San Francisco. Normal BART service will return at 6 a.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m. on Sunday.
Passengers interested in using the service should visit BART.gov.
BART spokesman Linton Johnson said that, historically, overnight passengers have accounted for less than a percentage point of BART’s daily ridership.
Keeping the trains running throughout the night is a costly and difficult proposition, Johnson said. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, a regional transportation planning body, will refund BART for operating during the out-of-service hours, Johnson said.
He said the agency cannot offer Sunday service because workers have to perform mandatory maintenance checks, to ensure that trains are ready for the morning commute.
