Caltrain, BART seeing increased satisfaction rates among riders

Caltrain and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) are seeing increased satisfactory rates among riders. 

Caltrain 

The agency says 82 percent of respondents on a new poll of likely voters in Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco, Calif., counties reported a favorable view of Caltrain. Riders of Caltrain report even stronger approval of the agency, with 84 percent of occasional riders and 91 percent of frequent riders reporting a favorable view.  

Caltrain says the survey was conducted from Jan. 8 to Jan. 23. The survey was conducted by EMC Research and received responses from 1,500 likely voters in Santa Clara, San Francisco and San Mateo counties to gauge voter sentiment. 

The support for the agency follows the launch of its new high-performance electric trains in September 2024. It also comes alongside Caltrain reporting its best ridership numbers since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caltrain says it saw ridership grow to more than 500,000 passengers in December 2024, a 41 percent increase over December 2023.   

According to the poll, respondents recognize the need for additional funding for public transit, with 73 percent stating there is either some need or a great need for more funding. According to Caltrain, nearly two-thirds of respondents in San Francisco and San Mateo counties would support a Caltrain funding measure, with support at 65 percent and 63 percent, respectively. The agency notes a majority of voters polled in Santa Clara County also supported a Caltrain measure. Caltrain says the primary motivations for respondents supporting a measure included increased service, improved regional connectivity and reduced traffic congestion.  

“It’s great to see this level of support for Caltrain, one of the Bay Area’s key regional transit systems. These results show strong public support for transit funding, and we as a region need to work together to find a way to make that a reality,” said Caltrain Board Chair Steve Heminger. “We must ensure that the promise of electric service is fulfilled, now and in the decades to come.”  

“Caltrain is proud to see that the people we serve are overwhelmingly in support of the services we provide up and down the Peninsula,” said Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard. “The results of this survey reveal that Bay Area residents understand the need to support public transit, and they are seeing the results of the service improvements we have been able to deliver through electrification. We will continue to work with our regional and state partners to explore future revenue options that the public can support so that we can continue to provide the fast, reliable public transportation our riders have come to expect.”   

BART 

BART’s customer satisfaction rate has hit its highest mark in 10 years and surged six percentage points in two years, according to the latest comprehensive biannual survey of BART riders. 

BART notes the 2024 BART customer satisfaction survey found that 73 percent of respondents are “very or somewhat satisfied with BART” compared to 67 percent of those questioned in 2022, the last time the agency conducted the survey.   

The agency says that in addition to general questions, respondents were also asked to rate 24 service attributes on a scale of one to seven. According to BART, ratings for 17 of the 24 metrics improved in 2024. Cleanliness of trains and stations, on-time performance, presence of BART police, personal security, enforcement against fare evasion and addressing homelessness all showed improvement.   

“These results confirm our Safe and Clean Plan is transforming the BART experience and making our system cleaner and safer,” said BART Board President Mark Foley. “We recognize there is still room for improvement; however, our focus on enhancing the customer experience is yielding positive results. It’s encouraging to see the survey responses that echo what I’m hearing from riders as I travel through the system.”   

Some other findings: 

• 80 percent of those surveyed said they would recommend BART to a friend or out-of-town guest, up four percentage points from 2022. 
• 67 percent agree that BART is a good value for the money, up three percentage points. 
• The average rating for train interior cleanliness increased by 14 percent. 
• The average rating for station cleanliness increased by eight percent. 

BART notes only the availability of space on trains for luggage, bicycles and strollers and availability of seats on trains declined, but the agency says those results are unsurprising given the increase in overall ridership since 2022 and BART’s move to run shorter trains to enhance safety and save on energy costs. 

The agency has surveyed its riders every two years since 1996. More than 4,600 questionnaires in English, Spanish and Chinese were distributed onboard a representative sample of train runs last fall. BART also asks about customer satisfaction in its ongoing passenger environment survey. The agency says that survey is about a rider’s specific trip, and the latest customer satisfaction rate from that survey is 83 percent.