BART Plans to Order New Cars in May 01.12.12
Last summer we told you about the proposed new BART cars and seats. Today SFGate reports that BART plans to order the first batch of these cars in May.
BART plans to buy a slick new ride – 260 new rail cars – for about $1 billion in May. The cars will sport a sleek modern look, cleaner seats, digital information displays, even air conditioning that works on hot days. And if transit officials are pleased, and can come up with another $2 billion or so, they’ll buy another 515 cars.
Don’t get too excited, though. After BART orders the new cars and the contract is awarded, the first of the test batch of new cars may arrive at the beginning of 2015.
Read the rest of the report.
Watch Out For Your Parked Bike at BART Stations 01.04.12
Photo by K. Todd Storch
I took away the following advice from them:
- Write down the serial number of your bike. You’ll need it if your bike is ever recovered. Seriously, do it now. Put it in your phone or something.
- Powell street BART is most secure. Due to people traffic and location of the bike area, they have had the least amount of theft there.
- Don’t park a bike in public for more than a couple of hours if you expect to keep the bike. Get a beater.
- Write BART about improving bike security. They don’t listen to the BART cops, they do listen to you. You can do so online here.
Vic also had some great suggestions for BART to improve bike security. Read all about his saga at MissionMission.
What tips do you have for fellow bicyclists?
Looking into BART’s crystal ball 01.03.12
Photo by Christopher Carfi
Sometimes I think of BART and Muni as siblings. It’s a complicated relationship. One is clearly spoiled, enjoying the easy life while the other gets beat up and mocked on an hourly basis. One gets arcade money while the other gets pantsed. BART lives in the hills, while Muni reconstructs cardboard shanties each night and begs for spare change.
Anyway, SFGate has an article up with the headline, “BART planners begin work on new vision for future.” Yeah, there are people whose job it is to plan for Muni’s future. But the details of what’s in store for BART make Muni seem like a bicycle with wooden wheels.
“Planners are working on a new vision for the future – one that could include express trains, all-night service, new stations along existing lines, trains traveling different routes and extensions to Livermore, Ocean Beach, Brentwood and Crockett.”
BART to Ocean Beach? Helloooooo!!!!! That would beat the hell out of the long slog of an N-Judah ride, amirite?
Read the rest of the story on SFGate. What do you think of the proposals? What would you do if you could plan for BART’s future?
Man Struck and Killed by Train at 24 Street BART Station 11.20.11
Photo by Brandon
The 24 Street BART Station has reopened after closing for several hours this afternoon due to a fatality on the tracks. A man stepped out on the tracks and was struck by the BART train, reports The San Francisco Appeal:
According to BART spokesperson Luna Salaver, a man reportedly laid down on the tracks in front of A San Francisco International Airport-bound train at 3:20 this afternoon.
As of 5:15 PM, BART says major delays continue in the SFO, Millbrae and East Bay directions, but the 24th Street station has reopened.
MissionLocal has an eyewitness report:
The train travelling from 16th street came to an abrupt stop at the 24th St. Mission station, according to Mike Meenan, a passenger on the train. Meenan said the train driver announced an emergency evacuation over the loudspeaker. Meenan also noted that the conductor sounded shaken and out of breath when he made the announcement.
Then Meenan, who was sitting towards the front of the train, overheard the conductor ask: “Sir, are you under there?”
We’ll keep you updated if more information becomes available.
RIP Jesse Morris — “Punk Rock Johnny Cash” 11.08.11
Update: A benefit concert and radio tribute are planned for this Friday, Nov. 11, and Sunday, Nov. 13. Details.
Many of you have seen Jesse performing at BART — we first wrote about Jesse in 2009 on BART Diaries. Jesse was interviewed by BART.gov and talked about why he likes playing in BART stations:
“The acoustics are good down here, the people are friendly,” he says. “They stop and listen, they tip, they smile … I have a good time down here.”
Although Morris has a night job at a bar, and writes and plays original material with his band, Jesse and the Man Cougars, he keeps coming back to play at BART.
“I consider it a job,” he says. “Just like some people might work in an office, I work at the station entertaining people. I get to do what I love, and I can make a living at it.”
SFGate had just written about Jesse and his band, Jesse Morris and the Man Cougars, this January:
How did you name your band?
Jesse came to rehearsal and teased the “old guys” for having young, beautiful girlfriends, saying, “You guys are like a bunch of man cougars.” And the name stuck.
Photographer Bill Cendak shared this photograph of Jesse with us, taken at a band practice at Lennon Studios on Nov. 2, 2011. Jesse Morris and the Man Cougars were due to play at the Uptown this Friday. Cendak has been photographing Jesse Morris and the Man Cougars ever since the band started.
Photo by Bill Cendak
Jesse’s presence made a big impression on photographer Troy Holden, who pointed us to this portrait of Jesse at the 24th Street BART station.
“I see this fellow once each week playing Johnny Cash cover tunes. When I asked him if I could take his portrait, he flipped me off. Not until later did his gesture register with me.”
Jesse was referencing this iconic photo of Johnny Cash, taken in 1969 during his San Quentin performance.
Reader Jenner sent us a photo of Jesse and the Man Cougars at Bender’s earlier this year.
Here’s an older photo of Jesse at the Montgomery BART station.
Photo by fiveinchpixie
If you are a friend, family, or fan of Jesse Morris, we would like to hear from you. Please comment or email us at muni.diaries.sf@gmail.com and help us honor a great musician who brought light to our daily transit experience.
New Vinyl BART Seats: Sooner Than You Think 09.23.11
Photo by Galina
In a surprise announcement Thursday, BART officials said the transit agency is set to spend $1.3 million to order more than 5,000 padded vinyl seats that it will install in 100 BART cars in the next six to nine months.
So, no more fecal matter on the seats? I think we can all say yay to that.
The Bay Citizen has more details on the announcement.
BART’s side of the story on cell phone shutdown 08.21.11
Photo by Greg
For what it’s worth, here’s the official statement from BART regarding its Aug. 11 shutoff of cell phone service in the platform level of some stations:
Prior to a planned protest on August 11, 2011, BART obtained credible information that led us to conclude that the safety of the BART system would be compromised. Out of an overriding concern for our passengers’ safety, BART made the decision to temporarily interrupt cell phone service on portions of its system. We are aware that the interruption had the effect of temporarily preventing cellular communications for many BART passengers and their families; and we regret any inconvenience caused by the interruption. We want to take this opportunity to share some of the information that led to this decision.
Read the rest of the statement on BART.gov.
Weekend Photos: BART Edition 08.19.11
Photo by Jef Poskanzer
- Talk of the Nation episode all about new technology and free speech (NPR)
- Anonymous to BART: We Hack, We Organize, Too (The New York Times)
- Three Security Lessons From BART Anonymous Breach (Information Week)
- FCC Reviews SF Subway Cell Shutdown (CNET)
- Phone Cutoff Stirs Worry About Limit on Speech (Wall Street Journal)
- San Francisco BART leak highlights hackers ethics split (Washington Post)
- An oldie but still ok: Time Magazine’s Most Memorable Hacking Moments (Time)
The events of the last week and a half certainly provide an interesting and important discussion on technology, the law, and our expectations and rights. But the conversation seems to have gotten pretty far away from the shootings, the catalyst of it all.
I’m going to the mountains for a few days, but I’ll be back with three fun things to do next Friday!
And if you’ve enjoyed Muni Diaries this week, please vote for us in the San Francisco Weekly Web Awards! We’re going for 4. Best Public Transit Blog and 35. Wild Card (@munidiaries for best local Twitter feed). It’ll make us so happy.
Don’t forget to follow Muni Diaries on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Enjoy these photos and your weekend!
Photo by Zac Bowling
Photo by Ingmar Zahorsky
Photo by Joshua Gatts
Photo by neutralSurface
Photo by Joshua Gatts
Update: Photo Gallery of Anonymous #OpBART Protest 08.15.11
Photo by lmc_sf
BART’s disruption of cell phone service last Thursday led to the hacking of myBART.org by the group Anonymous, who also promised a live protest today at BART stations. We followed the coverage from our best sources as it happened.
Missed the madness? A photo gallery of the #opBART protest via Instagram:
Photo by tigerbeat
Photo by tigerbeat
Photo by miscellania
Anonymous Hacks myBART.org 08.14.11
The online hacker group Anonymous has hacked into myBART.org and released thousands of names, email and home addresses, and phone numbers, reports TheNextWeb. They’ve also defaced myBART.org, an independent website, with the hacker group’s logo, reports CNET.
The hacker group had threatened to take BART.gov off line today and also proposed a protest on Monday at 5 p.m. As of 3:15 p.m., the BART.gov website is still live.
All of this came from BART’s decision to cut cell service last Thursday in anticipation of a protest about the July 3 shooting.
Read more about it at the SFAppeal and the Bay Citizen.
What do you think: is this an effective way to protest BART’s cell disruption?
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