SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: Transit/Transportation News

[patriotizzy]

Really motivating to see the ridership numbers for both bay area's larger transit agencies seeing such a dramatic rise.

What's frustrating was how long it took them, mostly BART, to realize that safety and cleanliness was a big part of the numbers tanking after the COVID lockdowns. The feeling of uncertainty, in regards to the mentally ill lounging in and around BART, was the main reason why I stopped taking it years ago. I'm sure this was a common thread amongst those in the BART hiatus.

I am a car person through-and-through (road trips ftw!), but having substantial public transportation should be just as important as road maintenance, specially in our core cities.

[38 Geary]

Certainly the improvements in crime, cleanliness, and perception of help drive ridership to some extent, and definitely improve the rider experience. Crime is down 45% YoY, there is increased police presence, and all 50 stations now have the Next Generation Fare Gates, which has dropped fare evasion 59% (there are still some people that "tailgate" and try to sneak in, or climb over other low walls/barriers).

In terms of cleanliness, moving from the older legacy trains to the newer "Fleet of the Future" trains has helped a lot. We just got our 1,000th car delivered back in July, and are now up to 1,051 cars received. The new trains are much easier to clean and maintain, with non-porous, wipeable vinyl seats and doors. There are fewer seats so cleaners have better access to cleaning the floors, making it faster and more thorough.

Of course, a lot of the increased ridership is also due to return to work policies. Overall, hard to quantify how much exactly each component contributes to increasing ridership, but I think it's safe to say they're all important and contribute to each other. Increased workers riding helps increase safety numbers and perception. Increased safety and cleanliness results in more workers and other people opting to ride BART.

[TWAK]

SMART as well, although they didn't have to deal with the same amount of issues like BART had to.

[dktshb]

Regarding muni I take the 33 and 37 bus and I would say only about 50% actually tap a phone clipper card or credit card. It really annoys me that most people from all backgrounds and ages do not pay at all to ride muni busses. I know those under 18 ride free.

[Busy Bee]

Start cutting off people's hands for fare evasion and the problem takes care of itself.

[dktshb]

That works for me. While I know it’s a sensitive topic, I’m a firm believer that municipal transit should be tax-funded and fare-free. Shifting the cost away from the rider would simplify the system, though I realize finding the tax revenue is always the hard part.

[38 Geary]

03.16.26
BART’s Next Generation Fare Gates Project wins two prestigious honors

BART’s transformative Next Generation Fare Gates Project is being recognized by two prestigious national organizations. The American Public Works Association named the fare gates as its winner of the 2026 Public Works Project Award and the International Partnering Institute announced the gates as its 2026 Collaborative Project of the Year. In August 2025, BART completed the replacement of 715 gates in all 50 stations across a system that spans five counties. The project was completed four months ahead of schedule.

“No other transit agency in the world has fare gates quite like these,” said BART Assistant General Manager for Infrastructure Delivery and head of the fare gates project Sylvia Lamb. “This project is a true example of a BART-wide effort with every department contributing to the successful installation of new fare gates at every station.”

There are several examples of how Next Generation Fare Gates have transformed the rider experience:
*The number of riders who tell BART they’ve witnessed fare evasion has dropped more than 50% compared with before the start of installation.
*New gates and BART Police Department’s increased visible presence are critical parts of a comprehensive approach to rider safety that has resulted in a 41% drop in BART’s overall crime rate.
*Hours spent on corrective maintenance inside BART stations for vandalism, graffiti, and broken items decreased 961 hours in the first six months after all stations had new gates.
*Early indications are the gates are responsible for BART fare revenue growing by about $10 million annually through reduced fare evasion.

https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2026/news20260316

[Busy Bee]

This is probably a complaint that 99% of riders wouldn't understand, but I do wish the new gates were less aesthetically utilitarian and more in keeping with and complimentary to the minimalist modern architecture of the system. But like I said, most people wouldn't even know what I'm talking about so maybe it's a tree in the forest situation.

[38 Geary]

Looks like ridership is continuing to improve.

Caltrain March 2026 ridership up 33.2% year over year. Currently up to 74.5% pre-pandemic ridership compared to October 2025's 62.2%, although it is largely boosted by weekend rather than weekday ridership, likely due to hybrid work schedules. Weekend ridership is doing really well, beyond pre-pandemic ridership.

Here's the breakdown for March 2026:
Average weekday ridership: 41,968 +29.5% 64.5% of pre-pandemic
Average Saturday ridership: 26,287 +39.9% 183.3% of pre-pandemic
Average Sunday ridership: 16,038 +39.2% 160.4% of pre-pandemic

https://www.caltrain.com/about-caltrain/statistics-reports/ridership

Originally Posted by homebucket

Caltrain October ridership up 42.5% year over year. Still only at 62.2% of pre-pandemic ridership though, likely due to hybrid work schedules. Weekend ridership is doing really well, beyond pre-pandemic ridership.

Here's the breakdown for October 2025:
Average weekday ridership: 39,900 +44.6% 56.7% of pre-pandemic
Average Saturday ridership: 22,607 +39.9% 143.0% of pre-pandemic
Average Sunday ridership: 16,556 +22.1% 147.5% of pre-pandemic

https://www.caltrain.com/about-caltrain/statistics-reports/ridership

[38 Geary]

And some positive survey results:

Caltrain Releases Triennial Survey Showing Record-High Rider Approval
04/30/2026

The survey showed that commute trips still make up the majority of ridership, with most riders getting on board two to three days a week, reflecting hybrid work schedules. Two-thirds of Caltrain riders have access to a car, while 37% of Caltrain riders are considered low-income.

Customer satisfaction is up, with the current schedule being rated 4.1 out of 5, up from 3.7 in 2022. On-time performance has gone from 3.9 to 4.4, and the Overall Caltrain experience is now rated 4.5 over 4.1 in the last survey. This is in line with other surveys since Caltrain launched its faster, more frequent, electrified service that show Caltrain’s growing approval. The survey showed that 33% of Caltrain riders walk to their origin station, while 18% take transit, 17% use active transportation like bikes and scooters, 17% are dropped off via car or ride share and 16% drive and park at their station. The survey also shows growing use of Clipper, with 86% of respondents using it to pay fares, as paper ticket usage has fallen off.

San Francisco Station remains the most popular station for both boardings (28%) and departures (19%). The other stations are spread throughout the three counties Caltrain serves, with Palo Alto (9%), San Jose Diridon (8%), Redwood City and Mountain View (5%), and Millbrae and Hillsdale (4%) in the lead for boardings and San Jose Diridon (11%), Palo Alto (10%), Mountain View and Sunnyvale (7%) and Redwood City (6%) leading for departures.

https://www.caltrain.com/news/caltrain-releases-triennial-survey-showing-record-high-rider-approval

[38 Geary]

Continuing to rack up awards!

Caltrain Named One of Time Magazine’s Ten Most Influential Transportation Companies
05/11/2026

Time Magazine named Caltrain one of its 10 Most Influential Transportation Companies. The honor recognizes Caltrain’s electrification project and its best-in-the-nation ridership growth in 2025.

Since the launch of electrified service, Caltrain has provided cleaner air for communities along the corridor and faster, more frequent service for riders throughout the San Francisco Peninsula with a state-of-the-art electric fleet featuring modern amenities such as free Wi-Fi, power outlets, baby changing tables in the bathroom and much more. The new electrified system hasn’t just transformed Caltrain’s service — it’s designed to serve generations to come. Daily, Caltrain carries the equivalent of three lanes of Highway 101 traffic, representing 36,000 daily car trips, which would add 828,000 miles of driving and generate 220 metric tons of carbon dioxide each day.

...

This honor is one of many Caltrain has received since completing its Electrification Project. Since the launch of electrified service, Caltrain has received the American Public Transportation Association’s Commuter Rail Safety Gold Award, the 2025 Sustainability Award from Sustainable San Mateo County, and the Build America Highway & Transportation Renovation Award from the Associated General Contractors of America.

https://www.caltrain.com/news/caltrain-n...ost-influential-transportation-companies

And the excerpt from Times:

Caltrain
Train electrification success

Caltrain's $2.4 billion project to electrify the commuter rail line linking San Francisco to Silicon Valley had no shortage of problems: a funding freeze, a lawsuit from a Bay Area town, and a pandemic that blew up the timeline and budget. When it finally opened, people showed up. By the time the line's first full year of electric service ended in 2025, ridership was up 57%. Weekend trains were packed. Satisfaction scores hit a 27-year high. The new Stadler trains brought WiFi, power outlets, and bike storage to a corridor that had run the same diesel locomotives since 1985. Electric motors accelerated faster out of stations, cutting 20 minutes off the slowest trips. There's one more thing to like: In 2026, Caltrain will become the first California railroad to sell energy from its trains back to the grid. —Joe Mullich

https://time.com/article/2026/04/29/time100-companies-transportation/

[Busy Bee]

Amazing what happens when you make the investment in a modern, first world service.

[38 Geary]

Ferry names are here: New S.F. boats pay homage to a beloved film, a Giant’s nickname and some windswept rock
By Peter Hartlaub, Culture Critic May 14, 2026



Chronicle readers cast more than 26,000 votes to name the next five San Francisco Bay Ferry vessels. With 27 finalists narrowed down from 1,500 nominations, they had the opportunity to honor the region’s aquatic animals, flowers, signature food dishes and even rap lingo. They chose local icons instead. San Francisco Bay will soon debut floating homages to a Jack London book, a Robin Williams film and the women who helped us win World War II.

The agency’s Board of Directors, meeting Thursday, unanimously approved the winners of the Chronicle’s ferry name poll. The next five boats, currently under construction in Washington state and set to arrive in 2027 and 2028 will be: Sea-Wolf, Rosie, Farallon, Say Hey and Doubtfire. The boats will be the first high-speed, battery-electric, zero-emission ferries in the country.

...

Sea-Wolf, named after the 1904 Jack London book that starts on a San Francisco ferry, quickly jumped to the lead and stayed there, earning the most support with 1,843 votes. It’s scheduled to be the first new ferry, a 150-passenger vessel that will arrive in 2027 and serve Treasure Island and Mission Bay. Rosie and Doubtfire will be 400-passenger ferries; Rosie will arrive first in 2028 and serve Alameda Seaplane. Sea-Wolf, Farallon and Say Hey will carry 150 passengers with plans for shorter runs in San Francisco.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/article/sf-bay-ferry-new-names-doubtfire-say-hey-22259388.php

[38 Geary]

Speaking of modern, first world service, I just noticed these results.

SF Bay Ferry Customer Satisfaction Remains at 98%
September 26, 2025

SAN FRANCISCO | September 26, 2025 – San Francisco Bay Ferry today released a report showing an industry-leading 98% of riders in 2025 were satisfied with their experience on the transit system.

The onboard survey was conducted in April 2025 by Corey, Canapary & Galanis and resulted in 71% of riders reporting being “very satisfied” and an additional 27% reporting being “satisfied” with their experience on board SF Bay Ferry.

This is the third year in a row SF Bay Ferry customer satisfaction has been at or above 98%. Customer satisfaction hit 99% in 2023 and 98% in 2024.

https://sanfranciscobayferry.com/sf-bay-ferry-customer-satisfaction-remains-at-98/

Ridership is also continuing to increase and surpass previous records.

San Francisco Bay Ferry Beats April Ridership Record
May 6, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO | MAY 6, 2026 – San Francisco Bay Ferry today announced it beat its all-time April ridership record, registering better than 100% recovery for the fifth consecutive month. The system, which operates ferry service connecting the East Bay to San Francisco and the Peninsula, carried 285,886 passengers in April. The previous high-water mark for SF Bay Ferry ridership in April was 274,361 passengers in 2019.

April ferry ridership grew 10% year over year. SF Bay Ferry’s 12-month ridership is 3.2 million through the end of April, 17% higher than at this point a year ago. Year-over-year ferry ridership has grown for 58 consecutive months.

In 2021, the agency relaunched ferry service built around providing robust commute and off-peak service at lower fares. SF Bay Ferry has also leaned into new services including the Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle connecting Jack London Square to Alameda Landing and popular service to Chase Center for Valkyries and Warriors games.

https://sanfranciscobayferry.com/san-francisco-bay-ferry-beats-april-ridership/

[38 Geary]

05.18.26
BART achieves highest quarterly Passenger On-Time Performance since early 2014

BART’s latest quarterly performance analysis finds BART achieved its highest quarterly Passenger On-Time Performance (94.4%) since early 2014, a significant milestone reflecting broad-based improvements across the system for several key indicators, including reliability, safety, and cleanliness. The report also shows March 2026 recorded the highest monthly Passenger On-Time Performance since August 2013. This metric measures the percentage of riders who reach their destination within a short time threshold of their expected arrival.

...

BART’s emphasis on enhancing system cleanliness and the overall customer experience is paying dividends. Passengers scored the experience onboard trains and inside stations 4.2 and 4.1 respectively (out of 5), the highest scores since BART updated its scoring metrics and scale in FY23 Q2.

...

Crime on BART dropped 42% in the past quarter over the previous year. Electronic robberies were down 90% in the past quarter, electronic thefts 68%, and auto burglaries 47%. Average response time to Priority-one incidents was just over 5 minutes, one of the fastest response times in the nation. A decrease in crime leads to fewer delays due to police- and security-related incidents, which dropped to 955, compared to nearly 3,000 in 2023.

...

Fare evasion has dramatically decreased in the system. The percentage of riders who said they witnessed fare evasion was 10% in the last quarter, compared to a high of 25% in Fiscal Year 2024.

https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2026/news20260518?rss

[38 Geary]

Looks like ridership is continuing to creep up slowly but surely. Weekend ridership continues to climb well ahead of pre-pandemic levels likely due to baseball being back in full swing.

Here's the breakdown for May 2026:
Average weekday ridership: 45,267 +20.7% 66.3% of pre-pandemic
Average Saturday ridership: 27,509 +29.6% 179.4% of pre-pandemic
Average Sunday ridership: 24,250 +33.3% 223.3% of pre-pandemic

https://www.caltrain.com/about-caltrain/statistics-reports/ridership

Originally Posted by 38 Geary

Here's the breakdown for March 2026:
Average weekday ridership: 41,968 +29.5% 64.5% of pre-pandemic
Average Saturday ridership: 26,287 +39.9% 183.3% of pre-pandemic
Average Sunday ridership: 16,038 +39.2% 160.4% of pre-pandemic

https://www.caltrain.com/about-caltrain/statistics-reports/ridership

[38 Geary]

Ridership Records Broken for FIFA World Cup Stadium Opener
06/16/2026
37,000 Fans Ride Transit as VTA Clears Stadium Platforms in Less Than 90 Minutes

SAN JOSE, CA — A coordinated network of VTA, BART, and Caltrain, transported more than 37,000 passengers to and from the opening FIFA World Cup match between Qatar and Switzerland, setting a new ridership record for a major event at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.

Following the match, VTA once again surpassed industry expectations by clearing light rail platforms serving the stadium in less than 90 minutes. The benchmark for clearing crowds after a major event at Levi's Stadium (named SF Bay Area Stadium for the FIFA World Cup) is two hours.

...

A total of 37,642 passengers used VTA service during the event, with post-match crowds exceeding the number of fans who arrived by transit before kickoff. Despite the larger post-game surge, VTA maintained efficient operations and cleared platforms well ahead of the two-hour industry standard. The number is more than 6000 over the transit crowds for Super Bowl LX.

https://www.caltrain.com/news/ridership-records-broken-fifa-world-cup-stadium-opener

[TWAK]

SMART considers new station in Geyserville to boost tourism and commutes
The North Bay’s SMART Train, which continues to see growth in both ridership and stations, is now looking into adding a new stop in Geyserville to connect riders to the area's numerous attractions. Whether catering to visitors traveling from San Francisco or North Bay residents themselves, day-tripping is becoming an increasingly popular activity. Many Geyserville residents hope a new SMART Train station will mirror the positive economic impacts currently being seen in Windsor.

Local perspective:
Though Geyserville is small, the area is home to approximately 1,800 residents who successfully convinced Sacramento lawmakers to allow a transit stop in the community. "A great idea because it is something that we truly need around here. A lot of people tend to skip Geyserville," said Cat Wenke, manager of the Bannister Wine Tasting Room. For day trippers, the train could open up a new dining and drinking environment without the safety concerns of driving. "You don't have to worry about that and would make it just a direct ride right to here and go back home," said Alvin Ruiz, a diner visiting from Ukiah.

Would like to see what's next after Cloverdale, either with Ukiah and Willits or the Schellville line.
KTVU