Commuters and revelers planning to use BART during the holiday season should prepare for adjusted schedules and free parking on certain days. According to BART's official announcement, the transit system will run Sunday service on Christmas Day, December 25, and New Year's Day, January 1, operating from 8 a.m. to midnight. Additionally, BART will extend services to accommodate the New Year's Eve crowd, with trains running until 1 a.m.
For those planning to celebrate this New Year's Eve, BART has extended its service to ensure passengers can safely make their way home. Special service that night will include the Yellow, Blue, and Orange lines only, with a "Grand Meet" scheduled at MacArthur Station at 1:47 a.m. to assist in transfers between lines as needed. This strategic move aims to ease the transition into 2024 by providing a smoother journey for those attending celebrations.
Parking will be free at BART stations after 3 p.m. on weekends and all day on Christmas and New Year's Day. The exceptions are the Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose stations, operated by VTA, where parking fees will still apply. For holiday travelers heading to the airport, BART encourages using their official app to purchase multi-day parking in advance, streamlining the experience for airport-bound riders.
As the year draws to a close, safety is a high priority for BART, and they have made preparations to ensure it. Extra staff will be working on New Year's Eve to increase the presence on trains, on platforms, and within stations. BART has provided numbers for discreetly reporting criminal activities via text to BART Police dispatch at 510-200-0992 and for emergencies by calling BART Police at 510-464-7000, faster than dialing 911. Moreover, they encourage riders to download the BART Watch app to report suspicious or criminal activity.
On Christmas Eve and the eve of the New Year, BART schedules will follow the standard Sunday service pattern from 8 a.m. to midnight. However, for those heading out for the New Year’s fireworks in San Francisco or elsewhere, an additional 1 a.m. extended service will be available to bring people back from the festivities, according to further details released by BART. BART's Trip Planner has already been updated to reflect the extended service trains, making it easier for patrons to plan their New Year's travel in advance.
