New data shows BART seeing ridership increase, improvements in safety, cleanliness, satisfaction and reducing fare evasion
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) says new data shows ridership growth and improvements to safety, cleanliness, satisfaction and reducing fare evasion throughout the system.
Strong Saturday ridership
According to BART, total ridership grew 6.4 percent in the third quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2025 over the same quarter in 2024. Weekday ridership increased nearly seven percent over the same quarter in 2024 while weekends had even bigger gains. BART notes the average Saturday had a 14 percent ridership increase and the average Sunday ridership grew by more than eight percent compared to the same quarter in 2024. The Quarterly Performance Review (QPR) also showed customer satisfaction is at 84 percent, train cleanliness improved by 58 percent year over year and station cleanliness improved 52 percent year over year.
BART says the gains have come as the agency has focused all available resources on implementing its Safe and Clean Plan. According to the agency, the comprehensive approach to transforming the rider experience includes a surge in BART Police Department’s visible safety presence on trains and in stations, as well as doubling the rate of deep cleanings for trains. The agency notes another huge improvement for the rider experience is running only new Fleet of the Future trains.
Safety staff presence brings order in the system
In the latest QPR, BART notes overall robberies decreased from 42 in the previous quarter to 21 while electronic theft decreased from 43 in the previous quarter to 21. According to BART, crimes against persons decreased from 9.56 last quarter to 6.22 crimes per one million trips in the third quarter of this year. The agency says the gains are coming as police-related customer service complaints dropped by 63 percent year over year, showing an improved perception of safety from riders.
“The BART Police Department is seeing firsthand the transformation that is taking place at BART thanks to the dedication of our sworn officers, ambassadors, fare inspectors, crisis intervention specialists and community service officers,” said BART Chief of Police Kevin Franklin. “Riding BART today is nothing like what it was during the pandemic. Our new deployment strategies and proactive enforcement is providing a more welcoming experience for families in our stations and trains.”
BART's efforts to harden the system, led by the installation of its next generation fare gates, are being recognized as the number of riders who say they’ve witnessed fare evasion has reached a new low for the past five quarters, going from 24 percent in the third quarter of FY 24 to 15 percent in the third quarter of FY 25.
According to BART, the stronger gates feature a locking mechanism, as well as sensors that improve access for riders in wheelchairs, as well as those using strollers or carrying luggage. The new gates have been installed in 40 stations so far and will be in place in all 50 BART stations by the end of this year.
Key rider safety reports via the BART Watch app are also declining
BART says riders are reporting fewer safety concerns and issues related to Code of Conduct violations and people needing welfare checks through the BART Watch App.
The agency notes the number of Code of Conduct related reports sent by riders decreased this latest quarter to 2,398 reports compared to 3166 during the same quarter in 2024. Requests for welfare checks also decreased to 680 requests compared to 763 for the same quarter in 2024. BART recently placed 400 posters in its train cars targeting unwanted activities such as smoking, harassment and unruly behavior. The agency says the posters reinforce BART Police Department’s commitment to enforcing the Code of Conduct and providing a welcoming environment for all riders.
