Commuters who regularly pass through Civic Center Station may have noticed that construction barricades have been removed, revealing two shiny new bike stations. Steve Beroldo, BART's bike program manager, tells us that the new parking spots should be available to the public starting Tuesday, Aug. 11th.

The BART Board of Directors approved the new bike stations last September, after years of planning, and construction began this February. Costing more than half a million dollars, they add 149 bicycle parking spaces to the station, which previously had 63.

Of the new spaces, 89 are located in the 24-hour "controlled access" bike station. To enter, riders must use a BikeLink card, which adds "an extra level of security because we know who’s entering and who’s leaving,” Beroldo said. Parking in this station costs $0.03 per hour, and BikeLink cards can be purchased at bikelink.org, retail locations around the city or by calling 888-540-0546.

The second bike station offers 60 "open access" parking spaces to all BART and Muni riders. If demand for controlled access spots increases over the next couple of years, this station could be converted to BikeLink access as well, Beroldo noted.

BART has already installed a bike station at Embarcadero Station and four in the East Bay. With Civic Center Station's central Market Street location and connection to Muni, Beroldo said they hope it will become a great place for people to leave their bikes and jump on public transportation. 

For those inclined to celebrate the new bike stations, a ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for Aug. 18th at 10am.