Commuters at West Oakland station are in for a tighter squeeze, BART announced as it moves ahead with installing new fare gates. According to BART's latest update, the transit agency is ensuring riders get a peek at the future by setting up construction barriers with view cut-outs to satisfy the curious and the concerned.
Our new fare gates are getting installed at the West Oakland station. We have view cut-outs in the construction barriers so riders can peak at the work.
— BART (@SFBART) December 15, 2023
Our General Manager stopped by to see the progress. He is holding a mechanical lock in this photo and crews are installing it. pic.twitter.com/DnYZJV51u1
The upgrade isn’t just about aesthetics. It's a necessity for securing state budget funds crucial for BART's operations. Yet, it comes with a temporary hassle: there will be only one entry and one exit gate available for two weeks. This bottleneck is expected to cause lines, especially during rush hours, to test the patience of daily commuters. BART's General Manager was spotted at the site, checking on the crew as they installed mechanical locks.
Understanding the disruption this upgrade will cause, BART has clarified: "We are sorry for this inconvenience and understand the frustration but we didn’t want to close the station during construction." With the installation in full swing, the agency is on a ticking clock to have the new gates fully operational by December 31. It's not just about ushering in the New Year with a new system but meeting the state-mandated deadline that ties to their funding lifeline.
The decision to proceed with construction without shutting down the station was a calculated move by BART. While the inconvenience is palpable, the alternative could have been significantly more disruptive to the thousands who rely on the West Oakland station to navigate their daily lives.
