Bay Area Rapid Transit - A Great Way to Save Time and Money in Getting Around in San Francisco

Bay Area Rapid Transit is the official name for BART. It is a great way to get around San Francisco when you don’t want to drive your car in San Francisco traffic or if you don’t want to hassle finding a parking garage and paying $25 a day or so for parking! I love to take BART and I love to take my bike on BART because then I can just get out and really cruise around the city!

I love to ride BART into San Francisco. Why? Because it’s very convenient to do. I live in the East Bay in Livermore and sometimes I don’t want to drive into the city and hassle with parking and the city traffic. Sometimes I like to take my bike so I can just cruise around the city and get some needed exercise! And sometimes I just want to be able to sit and catch up on the newspaper or catch up on my latest good read.

When you go to a BART station you can use cash, credit or ATM card. The ticket machines will accept $20, $10, $5 and $1 bills as well as coins. Every station that I have seen has a BART employee attendant so don’t be afraid to ask questions! Fares are based on how far you travel. Children age 4 and under ride FREE and do not need a ticket!

For information:

• Call 415-989-BART
• Go to BART.gov where you can have download your trip plans directly to your PDA, wireless or iPod.

How To ride Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART):

1. First decide which station you need to get off at and decide whether you want to go round trip or just one way. Sometimes it’s better to go one-way in case your plans change and it’s not that difficult to buy another ticket or increase the value on the one you already have.

2. Find a ticket machine and follow the instructions on the machine. Purchase your ticket.

3. Insert your ticket into the turn-style and it will automatically open for you and return your ticket. It deducts the amount of your fare based on how far you have traveled. If you have money remaining on your ticket keep your ticket and you can use it again for your next adventure.

You can create your own custom Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) schedule by going to www.BART.gov. They have a really easy website that plans your trip for you and gives you the time when you will arrive and how long it will take to get there! You don’t even need a user name and password to use it – isn’t that amazing?

Facts About BART

BART is considered one of the world's best systems for commuting. It has 43 stations between San Francisco, the East Bay and Millbrae and has 104 miles of track. It has one of the longest underwater transit tubes in the world that runs under the Bay Bridge.

The train cars are 70 feet long and were built over 30 years ago. They were designed to be the latest in commuter technology at the time. Today there are still sufficent with padded seats, attractive carpeting, tinted windows, air conditioning, and recessed lighting.

No eating or drinking is allowed on the trains. The trains top speed is 80 MPH.

Places BART Can Take You...