Politics & Government

Board Eyes OK for Bikes on BART at All Times

In its first night meeting since 2001, the BART board of directors Thursday will consider a staff recommendation to allow bikes on BART during commute hours as well as non-commute hours.

By David Mills

The BART board of directors will discuss proposed modifications to its bicycle rules at a rare night meeting.

The board will convene at 6 p.m. Thursday in the BART board room at the Kaiser Center, 20th Street Mall in Oakland.

The evening meeting was scheduled to allow people who can't attend the board's usual daytime meetings to speak on the bicycle issue. it's the BART board's first night meeting since 2001.

BART officials are recommending the board approve changes to the transit system's rules that would allow bicycle riders to use BART trains during commute hours on all but the first three cars of a train. It would allow bicycles on trains during non-commute hours except for the first car.

BART did two test periods for bicycles in August and March. Staff members said they recorded little impact from the experiment and found a vast majority of BART riders were in favor of loosening the rules on bicycle passengers.

BART board members will also discuss the district's 2014 fiscal year budget. The $1.6 billion spending plan is balanced and assumes an average daily ridership of 404,000 passengers, 10 percent higher than two years ago.

The budget sets aside $46 million for the future purchase of new rail cars. It also allocates funds for the cleaning of stations throughout the transit system.


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