If you've ridden BART at peak commute hours, you've likely noticed that trains are overcrowded—really overcrowded. Though the agency has tried to add more cars to existing trains to alleviate the crush, record ridership levels have erased most of those gains, and the first batch of brand-new train cars isn't due until next year. So BART is trying a new tactic: removing seats from some cars.
Beginning today, BART will test new car configurations that replace seven of each car's double seats with single seats, allowing more people to squeeze in. According to a press release, four of the reconfigured cars will be launched on each of the agency's five lines, for a total of 20 low-seating cars in the mix.
BART also notes that the new configuration will allow more room for luggage, an important factor given that passenger traffic from both SFO and OAK airports is at an all-time high.
Nonetheless, some passengers will surely be upset by the loss of seating, particularly those who are elderly, pregnant, or disabled. Seats at the front of each car are already designated for those groups, but in packed-to-the-gills train cars, they can often be difficult to obtain. BART says standees "will still have handholds to provide stability."
The agency will be surveying riders and getting their feedback on the new layout. "As soon as BART gathers enough data, we will determine the appropriate course of action, such as expanding the program or experimenting with alternate seating configurations," says BART's Molly Burke.
