Hidden Tracks: Stories From Bart

There’s a lot of technology that goes into making sure you can easily reload your Clipper card or buy a BART ticket and get quickly through the fare gates. On this latest edition of “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we’ll take an inside look at what makes BART’s Ticket Vending Machines and fare gates tick. It takes a dedicated team to keep an array of roughly 1,200 machines in good working order. One of the biggest challenges is dealing with paper tickets, both authentic and counterfeit, that can jam up busy machines First, we’ll visit with one of the technicians who is specially-trained to get malfunctioning machines back in action. Then we’ll hear from John Yen who manages the team that oversees vending and fare gate machines. He’ll share more about the technology upgrades the vending machines have gone through and what BART is doing to make sure they stay in operation for years to come. Read the transcript: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2018/news20180330-0

Station Agents are the face of BART for many riders but the position might be one of the most misunderstood in the agency. On the latest edition of our podcast series "Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART" we take an in-depth look at Station Agents and the challenges they face on the job. Great customer service is the goal and many times Station Agents must respond to the unexpected. The new podcast explores the various responsibilities Station Agents handle every day and features an extended interview with veteran Station Agent Felicia. Read the transcript here: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20171128

BART maintenance workers already are doing everything they can to keep as many cars as possible in service. But they’re facing a growing challenge because of an avoidable problem. BART’s service yards are spending precious work hours repairing train doors that were forced open by riders or otherwise damaged. The latest numbers show through August there were at least 200 cases where vandalized doors caused service delays. On top of those delays, critically-needed cars had to be taken out of service for repairs. In the latest episode of our podcast series “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” you can learn more about the problem, how BART is responding, and what riders can do to help. Read the transcript here: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170928

Several exciting initiatives are underway to make BART even more accessible for bicyclists. In the latest edition of “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART,” we’ll hear from BART Bicycle Program Manager Steve Beroldo. From a big expansion in the Ford GoBike bike share program to new high-tech ways to secure your bicycle there are many bike-friendly ideas that are being turned into realities at BART. Beroldo shares his thoughts about the various programs as well as what he says is a growing trend in the number of people who use their bikes to get to BART. You can read the transcript here: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170831

The International Rail Rodeo is a special opportunity for transit agencies to show off their top talent and BART rose to the occasion. In the latest edition of our series “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” you’ll meet the BART team that won the overall title at this year’s competition. This is the first time that BART has taken home the top overall prize. The participants say it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. They also say the competition highlights the skill and determination that BART’s train operators and mechanics bring to their jobs every day. Read the transcript here: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170711-0

Safety and security are a primary focus at BART and that commitment is visible at our Emergency Operations Center. On this episode of “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we’ll take you inside our Emergency Operations Center to learn what BART is doing to be as ready as possible for any disaster that could strike the region. BART Emergency Manager Marla Blagg talks about this ongoing responsibility that BART has made a top priority. Blagg also has tips on what riders can do to help keep themselves and fellow BART passengers safe. Read the transcript here: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170609-1

Getting people between Oakland International Airport and the Coliseum Station quickly and safely is right in BART’s Wheelhouse. On this edition of "Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART" we’ll take a look behind the scenes at the Wheelhouse, the hub of activity for BART to OAK. The ride is smooth and quiet but there’s no mistaking the sound when you go inside the Wheelhouse. It's a cavernous building made of concrete with more than 18-inch thick walls. The 3.2-mile extension relies on state-of-the-art equipment but it also uses technology that traces its roots back to the 19th century. Learn more about BART’s Wheelhouse with the Superintendent of Operations for BART to OAK, Mike Forte. Read the transcript: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170531

In our latest edition of “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we learn about all things BARTable. The site has only been around for a couple of years but already it has generated a large following among those interested in fun activities that are just a BART ride away. Few transit agencies have a campaign like BARTable that shows off all the interesting places people can visit by riding a train during non-commute hours. It’s a popular program that has some exciting changes on the way. In this episode of Hidden Tracks we will hear from BARTable Manager Andrea Frainier and BART Marketing Manager Dave Martindale. You can read the transcript here: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170518

Train operators are a critical part of the team that keeps BART moving around the Bay. The system may be automated but the operators are the eyes and ears of the trains. It’s an important job but a sense of humor can still come in handy. In our latest edition of “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we take a ride with Bob Malito, who is better known as Captain Jack to tens of thousands of riders who take BART between Pittsburg/Bay Point and San Francisco International Airport. Malito is well known throughout the system for his funny station announcements. Listen as Malito describes the challenges of his job and how he comes up with some of his best material. You can also read the transcript: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170508

BART is using a new strategy to reduce delays through the Transbay Tube. During peak commute hours BART is now deploying mainline technicians at both ends of the Tube at our West Oakland and Embarcadero stations. These highly-trained technical experts spend the commute riding dozens of trains through the Tube. That allows them to respond much more quickly to mechanical issues that can stop a train in a critical choke point for the entire system. In the latest edition of our podcast series “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we learn more about this new strategy and how it’s already making a difference. We also hear from one of the mainline techs who is using his nearly 28 years of experience with BART to keep the trains moving. You can read the transcript here: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170406

We’ve been hearing a lot about the many improvements that BART is investing in when it comes to its aging infrastructure, station upgrades and of course the Fleet of the Future. But there are also some exciting plans in the works when it comes to sustainability and BART’s impact on the environment. From solar panels to accommodating electric vehicles to focusing on new sources of renewable energy there is a lot going on. To learn more about these ambitious plans, we hear from Holly Gordon who is BART’s Sustainability Group Manager. You can also read the transcript here: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170315-2

The term "right-of-way" might be a familiar one when it comes to driving, but it is also a phrase that is critically important when it comes to operating a railway. This time on our podcast series we’re going to learn about BART’s right-of-way team. That’s a group that plays a critical role in making sure the trains keep running. We’ll get an inside look at the train control group that maintains some 5,000 critical assets at BART. We’ll also learn about the right-of-way crews that work to keep debris and other obstacles off the tracks. It’s an around the clock job that becomes even more important during a stormy winter such as what the Bay Area has been experiencing. You can read the transcript here: http://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170303

In this latest edition of our podcast series “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we take you behind the scenes of the Operations Control Center. The OCC is the nerve center of the BART system. This is where a dedicated team of problem solvers oversees BART's critical infrastructure as well as all of the trains as they carry tens of thousands of passengers. Public safety and doing everything possible to keep the trains on time are critical concerns. It’s a fast-paced environment where collaboration is the key. In this episode we hear from one of the managers of the control center as well as a train controller who has been with BART for more than two decades. You can read the transcript here: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170203

2017 is shaping up to be an important year for the BART Police Department. In the latest edition of our podcast series “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we take a closer look at the citizen oversight model that’s playing an important role in charting the direction of BART PD. The department is one of the few in the country that is overseen not just by an Independent Police Auditor but also a Citizen Review Board. Now those entities are seeking greater public input as the debate begins over proposed changes to BART PD’s use of force policy. You can read a transcript for this podcast at: https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2017/news20170124-1

In the latest edition of our podcast series “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we learn more about one of the people who plays a critical role in keeping the system running. Stephanie Bookout is an electrical foreworker who is part of the team that watches over the third rail, which provides power to all of our trains. Bookout has been with BART for nearly 10 years and has advanced to a supervisor’s position in what has been a male-dominated profession. Bookout talks about what it’s like to help manage the lifeline of the BART system and how challenging that job can be when we go through wet weather.

In our latest edition of “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we listen to the sounds of the holiday season that are filling stations across the system. Buskers are nothing new for BART but this time of year many are taking a more festive approach to their music. BART riders are hearing from a variety of performers including a string ensemble from Bishop O’Dowd High School and carolers who have been singing for decades.

You won’t believe some of the questions that people ask when they dial up our customer call center. In the latest edition of “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we take an inside look at the call center, which is open 365 days a year. We hear from some of the longtime staffers at the center and see what it’s like to handle hundreds of calls a day from across the Bay Area and the world.

Big changes are coming to BART’s Board of Directors. In the latest edition of our podcast series “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we hear from Tom Radulovich who is leaving the BART Board after 20 years of service. The outgoing board president talks about his decision to not seek re-election as well as his hopes for the future of BART. Radulovich also shares his thoughts on the idea of building a second Transbay Tube.

BART is making it a priority to reach out to young people. In the latest edition of our podcast series “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we learn more about how BART is teaming up with U.C. Berkeley on the Y-Plan (Youth – Plan, Learn, Act, Now). It’s an educational strategy that empowers young people to take on real-world challenges in their communities. Listen as 70 students from Kennedy High School in Richmond get a behind-the-scenes look at BART operations. That special tour prepares the students to come up with answers to this question: “How can BART better use technology to get more people excited about careers in the transit industry?”

In our latest episode of “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” we sit down with former BART chief spokesman Mike Healy to relive the history of the transit agency. Healy has written a new book entitled “BART: The Dramatic History of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System.” Healy started his tenure with BART back in 1971 and spent several decades as the public face of BART. He offers a unique perspective on the transit agency’s colorful history as someone who personally experienced much of it.