BART will use shorter trains starting Sept. 11 to bolster rider safety, the transit agency announced Thursday.
The changes were announced in an all-caps post to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter by BART.
BART plans to increase police presence at their stations while retiring older train cars, the agency said.
“We will add cars back where needed as ridership returns to make sure trains will never be too crowded,” BART said.
BEGINNING SEPT. 11TH WE WILL RUN TRAINS WITH FEWER CARS TO ENHANCE SAFETY, INCREASE PRESENCE OF POLICE, RETIRE UNRELIABLE OLD CARS, AND SAVE ENERGY COSTS. WE WILL ADD CARS BACK WHERE NEEDED AS RIDERSHIP RETURNS TO MAKE SURE TRAINS WILL NEVER BE TOO CROWDED.
— BART Alert (@SFBARTalert) August 31, 2023
BART is not the only transit system dealing with the twin crises of homelessness and drug addiction, but it stands apart in its struggle to get ridership back to pre-pandemic levels. Concerns around safety on the trains are front of mind for potential BART passengers, according to a survey of riders.