EDITORIAL: Could the BART Civic Center Station Be More User Appropriate?
Piedmonters Unhappy about San Francisco Civic Center Station
Piedmonters and other Bay Area taxpayers have generously agreed to tax themselves to improve earthquake preparation of the BART track system, however during this fall cultural season they are voicing distress at the conditions they encounter at the Civic Center Station in San Francisco. Most BART stations are serviceable and reasonably clean. Sadly, at the symbolic core of San Francisco, Civic Center Station’s cleanliness and safety is inadequate, presenting a harsh welcome to tourists and Bay Area residents. The track area, station, and access points appear not to have been cleaned or sanitized in years. Security is usually nowhere to be found. With safety concerns and maintenance problems growing, riders deserve more.
Piedmonters frequently attend opera, concerts, ballet, theater, restaurants and the Asian Art Museum in the Civic Center. While providing much needed off-peak BART customers, riding BART from the East Bay can avoid bridge traffic and a difficult search for parking in San Francisco. But Piedmonters are put off by the conditions in the BART/Muni Civic Center Station —and they aren’t alone in such complaints.
“I’ve been working at a job site this week not far from this station. I arrive at this station around 5:30am. Twice this week I’ve witnessed people shooting up heroin right near the bottom of the stairs that lead to Market St. and 8th.”Sergio C,~~~~~~~~~“Compared to other BART stations, Civic Center station seems dirtier and it’s got more bums and panhandlers. There have been some incidents in the past seven months. In August 2016, a man was found stabbed inside the station (sfgate.com/crime/article…). Last month (January 2017), at least one person was stabbed near the station (kron4.com/2017/01/06/2-r…).”Daniel B,~~~~~~~~~~~~“One thing I don’t like about BART stations in San Francisco is that they always stink. Always”Sheila C,In 2014 the San Francisco Chronicle reported on the distressing state of the Civic Center Station. Sadly, the conditions remain today:
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/
article/A-commuter-s-bane- filthy-smelly-BART-station- 5701663.php
Los Angeles offers a surprising contrast to BART.
Busy light rail/bus/Amtrak multi-mode station
Recently, a Piedmont family spent five days on LA Metro visiting a dozen museums and historic sites. The light rail, subways and stations were clean, with cleaning crews visibly at work and elevators and escalators were all in working order, in contrast to BART, which frequently has nearly a dozen elevators and escalators out of service. Many Los Angeles stations are bare bones, “found” or “repurposed” such as the elegant old Union Station that is now multi-modal, serving the elevated Gold Line, buses and intercity Amtrak trains. (see photos)
Not a single coffee cup or napkin on the station floor
Despite offering a better experience, LA Metro public transit is less expensive than BART. While BART has found it unworkable to offer off-peak fares to solve their problem of chronic low ridership off-peak, LA Metro buses and tracked system machines accurately deduct peak and off-peak fares from rider fare cards.
The BART Board
BART Board members (listed below) need to take responsibility for the discouraging conditions riders encounter.
Money needs to be budgeted for:
- Security presence and enforcement
- Camera surveillance
- Steam cleaning of all surfaces including the track areas
- Working escalators and elevators
- Clean, safe steps and access points
- Clean trains inside and out
Piedmont is currently working on its Climate Action Plan. Having safe, clean and appropriate modes of public transportation is elementary to reducing Piedmont’s carbon footprint.
Piedmont’s elected BART representative is > Rebecca Saltzman.
Contact numbers and links for BART Board Members are included in their summaries below. The General Manager is also listed below.
BART Board Members and District Information
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Rebecca Saltzman, President, Piedmont’s Representative on the BART Board
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GENERAL MANAGER GRACE CRUNICAN https://www.bart.gov/about/gm
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Members of Piedmont’s Climate Action Plan Task Force are:
Tracey Woodruff, Chair
Brett Hondorp
Margaret Ovenden
Steven Schiller
Bruce Wolfe
It is my understanding, and I am not an expert on this, that there is a philosophical divide on the current BART board between those who feel BART has an obligation to do whatever it can to help the homeless, including letting them live in the stations, and those who feel that BART is a transit district first and foremost, and not a social service agency.
The SF and northern Alameda County board members comprise the current majority on the board and take the pro-homeless stance. The more suburban board members particularly from CCC want proper policing of BART, but they are currently in the minority. Replacing at least two Oakland area representatives would be the means to change the current policy in regard to the homeless if that is the choice of the voters.