For those who may not know what BART is.

[RandySF]

Some of you form around the country may not know exactly what BART is, so I thought I would just give a quick rundown. It is a regional high-speed rail system that services the San Francisco area from the outer reaches of Alameda County, all the way just beyond SFO. It is governed by a Board of Directors who are directly elected by district. The CEO is the General Manager who oversees day-to-day operations, including the BART police.

[dflprincess]

1. Bay Area Rapid Transit

just in case anyone doesn't know what the acronym means.

[Brother Buzz]

20. Early on, it was called Bay Area Random Transit

BART's first generation 'state of the art' automation system was plagued with numerous operational problems during its first years of service.

The present system works better. Much better.

[virgogal]

2. Why are you posting this? Is BART in the news? I'm usually

out of the loop.

[brooklynite]

10. "Commuters turned away as protest closes 4 BART stations"

From the http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/08/bart-protest-san-francisco.html">Los Angeles Times:

Rush-hour commuters in San Francisco were turned away from BART on Monday evening after authorities shut down four stations amid a protest over alleged brutality by transit agency police.

A portion of busy Market Street was also shut down as crowds moved east, waving placards and shouting "No Justice, No Peace!"

The protest began after 5 p.m. at the busy Civic Center Station, where crowds converged for a demonstration that was sparked, in part, by the shootings of Charles Blair Hill and Oscar Grant by BART police.

Protesters were also angered that the agency cut underground cellular phone service for three hours last week in an effort to quell another protest over alleged BART Police brutality.  Cellphone service was allowed at Monday's demonstration.

[virgogal]

16. Thank you.

[in_cog_ni_to]

18. I feel a riot coming on.

:(

[Xithras]

3. With one MINOR correction.

If there's a "high speed" part of the BART network, I haven't seen it yet! ;)

[RandySF]

5. lol Not high-speed by the world's standards.

[Xithras]

6. I actually have no idea how fast it is.

But I've spent many a BART ride watching the cars blow past the train like it was standing still. I'd guess that it probably maxes out around 55MPH, and that's only on the really long runs.

[Tesha]

11. It's at its fastest in the Transbay Tunnel...

...and (IIRC), it manages about 70 MPH there.

Tesha

[JHB]

12. According to a friend who was frustrated by BART...

...timetables for connecting bus routes seem to be arranged for minimum coordination and maximum inconvenience, reducing the utility of a mass-transit system.

And if some problem stopped service, you were pretty much on your own (i.e., no busses called in to move stranded people to their stations.

Don't know if this account was accurate, or exasperation colored by comparison to NYC-area transit lines (LIRR, Metro North, NJ Transit).

[NYC_SKP]

7. Painfully slow, compared to the IRT, or other NYC subway lines.

And I lived in SF when the tunnel opened, before moving to NY.

Comparing the two is comedic.

BART: Train pulls in, doors open, stay open, minutes become what seem like hours... eventually doors close and train leaves, sometimes that same day.

NYC: Train flies in to screeching halt, doors open one split second later, staying open for two split seconds, passengers dash (or cram) in to avoid being trapped in a closing door. Train flies out of station full throttle to the next station five blocks away...

:P

[pinboy3niner]

15. LOL!

Comedic, indeed, from your report. :)

[Jkid]

17. A better comparison:

BART: Commuter Rail
NYC Subway: Any garden variety subway system.

[catabryna]

4. Oh, you mean that place where they screwed up cell phone service?

Supposedly...

I'm a native of the city. :)

[RoccoR5955]

8. And here I thought he was Homer's son n/t

[Luminous Animal]

9. They shut down the entire underground system this evening. Both BART and MUNI.

Hundreds of thousands of people on the street trying to figure out how to get home.

Stupid incompetent people.

[Gormy Cuss]

13. BART extends to the far reaches of Contra Costa County, not just Alameda.

It is the principal mass transit system from the East Bay to San Francisco and Oakland/Berkeley. It also is an important local mass transit link within the city because it provides fast service from Market St to some southern neighborhoods like Balboa Park and Glen Park where there aren't MUNI rapid transit lines. It's also an important commuter link for the So. San Francisco/Daly City area.

[RandySF]

14. Thanks

I keep forgetting the Contra Costa part.

[KamaAina]

19. The nearest equivalent back East is DC's Metro

kind of a hybrid between a city subway like NYC's and a commuter rail network like Metro-North or the LIRR. They even use similar magnetic-striped tickets, and now smart cards.