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?
Your Two Cents: BART Defends Decision to Cut Cell Service 08.13.11
Photo by Black Hour
By now you know that BART temporarily shut down cell service on Thursday to interfere with a proposed protest over the shooting of Charles Hill. And now the agency is under a lot of heat.
According to CNET:
Hackers were calling for action against BART in retaliation for the cell service disruption. The Anonymous group of online activists started promoting Operation BART on Twitter, with one profile saying: “We are going to show BART (@SFBART) how to prevent a riot #OpBART.” … Meanwhile, they also released a digital flyer with the headline “muBARTek,” a reference to former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted after demonstrations earlier this year. “
The SFAppeal reports that BART didn’t violate specific FCC rules. And once you’re on the BART platform, “free speech isn’t so free,” says the SF Appeal report (read the Appeal’s excellent coverage of the cell jam).
What do you think of BART’s decision to cut cell service Thursday?
BART protest could snarl evening commute in SF (updates) 08.11.11
Photo by Black Hour
Update (1:38 p.m. Thursday): SFist reports that a protest will take place at Civic Center Station today at 4:30.
Update (7:35 a.m. Thursday): BART was pretty cryptic in their message last night. We found this on SFGate: Possible protests related to July BART Police shooting.
Original post: I just don’t know what this could be (too many possibilities, really), but from the BART.gov website:
Please be advised that protesters may attempt to disrupt train service during August commute periods beginning as early as Thursday, August 11, 2011 in downtown San Francisco BART stations.
Read the rest of the advisory on the BART website. And plan ahead?
Peek at Your Future BART Seats 08.10.11
Word is that the project won’t be completed until 2017, but you should tell BART.gov what you think of the seats via the feedback form or at the open houses that BART will be hosting. The photo above is option A, featuring a center arm rest and head rests for window seats.
Here’s option B, featuring an “informal, open-style lounge” in the middle of each car.
Option C features artistic “S” shaped poles and “portals at the end of some cars for kids to see track and tunnel walls whiz by the front of the train as it speeds down the track.”
Here’s a nifty video of the proposals, set to music, even:
Of course, we know many of you have your own ideas of seating on public transit. And these proposed seats don’t look much like the comfortable subway living room in Prague. But maybe that’s a good thing.
BMW Makes Over BART. No, Seriously. 07.19.11
Photo by Timothy Wells
BMW’s DesignworksUSA announced a contract to design future trains for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), the commuter rail system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The contract calls for DesignworksUSA to design the exterior, interior, and train operator controls.
The current trains on the BART system, despite their streamlined look, are actually the oldest fleet of commuter rail cars in the country. The rail system uses a broad gauge rather than the standard gauge of most rail in the U.S., so cars must be custom-designed.
(also see BART’s official announcement)
Since the project won’t be completed until 2017, I hope there’s time for me to suggest some interior improvements. How about some of that supple buttery leather and titanium trim? But then again, features like “rear seat entertainment” could have a whole different meaning when it comes to BART…
Hat tip: BART Don’t Lie
BART in the beginning 05.19.11
Photo courtesy The Poop, via AP
The Poop’s Peter Hartlaub today published a post and some killer photos from when BART was being built. Of the photos, we especially liked the one above, with Richard Nixon about to pimp walk onto BART. Go, Dick!
Meanwhile, in Watergate news that October 1972 day …
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