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BART Keeps Improving

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If you haven’t ridden BART in a while, you might not be aware of the changes they’ve made to improve the customer experience and increase ridership. Riders are fans of the improvements – overall ridership is up more than 9% over last year and BART’s most recent customer satisfaction rating was 81%.

BART has made improvements in a variety of areas, including cleanliness, safety, accessibility, and reliability. Here’s a snapshot of what they’ve done:

Cleaning and Safety

In fall 2023, BART launched its Safe and Clean Plan to make sure riders feel safe, to keep trains cleaner, and to provide exceptional service. BART doubled the rate of deep cleaning on train cars, retired all older trains, and added nearly 66% more crews working to clean stations. They also installed LED lighting on platforms and in parking facilities to eliminate dark corners and staffed station restrooms at high-volume stations with attendants to guarantee cleanliness and safety.

BART also doubled the presence of BART Police officers throughout the system and allocated more of their time to riding the trains. The increased patrols have already helped deter crime, aid in apprehending suspects, and enforce the BART Code of Conduct. The number of trains delayed by unwanted behavior dropped nearly 40% from May to October, and more riders than ever say they are seeing BART PD on their trips.

BART also uses unarmed Crisis Intervention Specialists, Ambassadors, and Fare Inspectors for additional patrols with experts in de-escalation. As a result, 7% of calls have been diverted from police to an employee with training in social work.

Fleet of the Future Trains for All Trips

In September 2023, BART began running Fleet of the Future trains exclusively as part of their reimagined schedule. The change represents a big improvement in the rider experience as well as to on-time performance since the new trains are much more reliable than legacy trains.

The implementation of BART’s reimagined schedule brought a number of other benefits to BART riders. In addition to a 50% increase in evening service, the wait time between trains became 20 minutes or less – no matter the hour of the day or day of the week. Service on the Yellow Line, BART’s busiest weekday line, also increased from trains every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes from Pittsburg/Bay Point Station.

Join the Last Ride on the Legacy Fleet: BART invites the public to celebrate the last run of BART’s legacy trains on April 20 at MacArthur BART Station. The ceremony begins at 1pm and the public is welcome to board the legacy trains on their farewell ride.

Clipper-Only Fare Payment

In December, BART completed the move to a Clipper-only fare payment system. Clipper is accepted by nearly all transit agencies in the Bay Area, and many agencies offer discounted fares when using Clipper. The ‘tag in, tag out’ system allows riders to move through fare gates faster than the old paper tickets, plus riders can set up their Clipper card account to reload automatically.

One of the biggest advantages in BART moving to Clipper-only is the ability to efficiently provide discounted fares to qualifying riders based on age, income, and disability. Clipper offers Youth, Senior, RTC, and START cards. The Clipper START card provides low-income riders 50% off single-ride transit fares throughout the Bay Area.

Improved Fare Gates

BART has begun the process of installing brand-new fare gates systemwide. The first prototype gates have already gone into service at West Oakland station, and Richmond and Antioch stations will receive new fare gates this summer. The new gates offer a variety of benefits:

  • Accessibility – Gates can detect wheelchair users and those with luggage, strollers, or bikes to ensure they get through with ease, and LED lighting assists visually impaired riders.
  • Safety – The new fare gates have tall swing barriers, making them more difficult to push through, jump over, or climb under.
  • Expanded Payment Compatibility – The new gates will be compatible with the next generation of Clipper, which will allow payment by debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.

Try Riding BART – Incentives Available

With all the improvements to the system, it’s worth taking a ride on BART. And if you currently commute by driving alone, you try it for free. Just request a complientary $25 Clipper card through Try Transit. The offer is available to commuters 18+ who live or work in Contra Costa County.

Contra Costa Earth Day Events 2024

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Earth Day Events

All Month

  • Iron Horse Trail or Online: Go With the Flow – A biking (or walking) tour of Central San’s service area, following the flow of wastewater for 21 miles along the Iron Horse Regional Trail from San Ramon to Martinez. Explore all or part of the route in person or travel it virtually with the guided map tour. Self-guided tour. Location: Iron Horse Trail or online.

Friday, April 19

  • Walnut Creek: Plan(e)t Based Diet Workshop – Speaker April Capil will guide you through the nutritional benefits of a vegetable-rich diet, share easy and delicious ways to include more greens in your daily meals, and discuss the positive effects on physical health, mental clarity, and environmental sustainability. 4-5pm, Walnut Creek Library.

Saturday, April 20

  • Antioch: Keep Antioch Beautiful Cleanup – Join the City of Antioch and help beautify the community by volunteering to do trash cleanup at Waldie Plaza or plant flowers at the Antioch Water Park. After volunteering, head to the Antioch Community Center for a volunteer lunch. 9am-1pm, Antioch Water Park & Waldie Plaza.
  • Antioch: Upper Sand Creek Basin Cleanup – Join the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District (CCRCD) for a trash cleanup at Upper Sand Creek Basin to celebrate Earth Day. If you have any questions regarding this event, or would like to attend, please send Victoria Woolfolk an email at vwoolfolk@ccrcd.org. Click here to register. Cleanup 9am-noon, Upper Sand Creek Basin.
  • Crockett: Earth Day Cleanup in Crockett – Celebrate Crockett’s 5th Annual Earth Day with a waterfront cleanup from 10am to 1pm. Toss on your boots and gloves and help the CCRCD make a difference! Click here to register. Cleanup 10am-1pm, Crockett Waterfront.
  • East Bay Regional Parks: Visit the EBRPD Earth Day Programs & Activities Page to see a list of volunteer opportunities for April 20, including habitat restoration, dune restoration, and cleanup projects. Various times and locations.
  • El Cerrito: El Cerrito Earth Day Celebration – Residents can volunteer at work parties across the city, helping clean up and beautify the city starting at 9am. Work parties (various locations) 9am-noon.
  • El Sobrante: Earth Day Cleanup & Celebration – Join the El Sobrante/94803 Green Team and SPAWNERS at the El Sobrante Library for their annual cleanup and celebration. Sign in and join Green Teams to clean up streets or SPAWNERS to clean local creeks and do landscape gardening. A celebration will follow the cleanup, featuring food, children’s art activities, entertainment, speakers, and more. Cleanup 9:30am-12pm / Celebration 12-2pm. El Sobrante Library.
  • Martinez: John Muir’s Birthday / Earth Day Celebration – A wonderful fun-filled family day in the sun, at the grounds of the John Muir National Historic Site, which includes his 1880s Victorian home and an authentic 1849 Mexican Adobe, along with his orchards and vineyard. There will be youth activities, food and live music, and many displays relating to history, ecology, and nature. Free admission. 10am-4pm, John Muir Historic Site.
  • Pinole: Pinole Earth Walk – A three-mile paved loop walk beginning and ending in Fernandez Park. Snacks and refreshments will be provided at the finish line, and there will be kids’ activities and local environmental organizations to connect with. 9am-noon, Fernandez Park.
  • Pinole: Point Pinole Beach Cleanup – Join the East Bay Regional Park District to celebrate Earth Day at Point Pinole with a shoreline Cleanup. 9am-12pm, Giant Staging Area at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline.
  • Pittsburg: Pittsburg Civic Pride Day – Get involved and take pride in Pittsburg by joining a community litter removal effort! All ages welcome. Check in at Highlands Elementary with weather-proof clothes, sturdy shoes, and a can-do attitude. Water, litter grabbers, safety vests, collection bags, and clipboards will be provided. RSVP here. Check-in 8:45am, litter removal 9am-noon. Meet at Highlands Elementary School (4141 Harbor Street).
  • Invite your friends and RSVP by reserving free tickets at pittcivicpride.eventbrite.com
  • Richmond: Wildcat Canyon Regional Park Habitat Restoration – Join the East Bay Regional Park District to celebrate Earth Day with a morning of habitat restoration at Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. 9am-noon, Alvardo Staging Area at Wildcat Canyon Regional Park.
  • Richmond: Earth Day Celebration at the Greenway – The community is invited to discover innovative methods for leading sustainable lives through engaging activities like upcycling clothes, gardening, mural painting, park and garden beautification projects, games, inspiring speakers, bike-powered smoothies, and a variety of other interactive booths. 10am-1pm, Unity Park Community Plaza (1605 Ohio Ave).
  • Richmond: Earth Day Cleanup in North Richmond – Volunteer to help clean up Wildcat Creek. Volunteers should bring closed-toed shoes, a water bottle, and clothes they don’t mind getting dirty. When you’re done volunteering, enjoy a celebration at Shields-Reid Park featuring lots of kid-friendly activities a silent auction. 9-11am: Meet at North Richmond Ballpark and volunteer, 10am-noon: Celebration at Shields-Reid Park.
  • Rodeo: Rodeo Earth Day Cleanup – Toss on your boots and gloves and help the CCRCD make a difference on Earth Day by being part of their cleanup of the Lower Rodeo Creek. Click here to register. Cleanup 10am-1pm, Lower Rodeo Creek.
  • Walnut Creek: Walnut Creek Earth Day. Enjoy live music, a kids’ zone, eco-circus entertainment, a trashy fashion show, and inspiring speakers at Walnut Creek’s Earth Day Celebration. Civic Park, 11am-4pm.
  • Walnut Creek: Broadway Plaza’s Earth Day Celebration – Take the pledge to use reusable bags each time you shop and receive a free reusable shopping bag, then you can visit the Pixie Pop-Ups Flower Truck to build your own beautiful bouquet. 11am-2pm, Event Plaza at Broadway Plaza.
  • Walnut Creek: Parkmead Neighborhood Earth Day Cleanup – Meet at the Tice Creek Elementary School parking lot from 9-11:30am. Groups will head out on pick-up routes that hit the highest litter areas, like Olympic, South Main, Tice Creek and Parkmead Schools. 9-11:30am, Tice Creek Elementary.
  • Walnut Creek: Unity of Walnut Creek – Tending Our Sacred Grounds – During the event, volunteers can enjoy an Earth Day ceremony, help clean up the grounds, and are welcome to bring a potluck item to share with others who care about the environment. 10am-1pm Cleanup projects. 1-2pm: Plant-based potluck. Unity Center of Walnut Creek, 1871 Geary Rd.

Sunday, April 21

  • Emeryville: Shorebird Park Shoreline Cleanup – Come out to Shorebird Park on Sunday, any time from 9am-11:30am. Snacks and refreshments provided. As always, bring what you can (e.g. gloves, grabber, garden digging claw). Organizers will have limited supplies for those who show up without any of the above. Shorebird Park, 9-11:30am.
  • Lafayette: Lafayette Earth Day Festival – Learn how you can help our planet at a family-friendly festival featuring free bike tune-ups, a petting zoo, kids’ activities, educational exhibits, food vendors, and more. Lafayette Plaza Park, 11am-2pm.

Monday, April 22

  • Walnut Creek: Climate Walk – Hosted by Sustainable Walnut Creek, enjoy a captivating tour around the city’s cherished creek, where you’ll witness firsthand the fruitful outcomes of various initiatives aimed at revitalizing the native plant life and enhancing the local ecosystem. 9-11am, Civic Park Gazebo.

Saturday, April 27

  • Pleasant Hill: Grayson Creek Earth Day Cleanup – Grayson Creek is home to more than 100 bird species and also provides habitat for river otters, western pond turtles, and even beavers. Help protect this important community resource by removing trash from the creek banks. Hosted by the Watershed Project, the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District, and volunteers from Friends of Pleasant Hill Creeks. Click here to register. Cleanup 9am-noon. Sign in at 250 Cleaveland Rd.

Nominate Your Bike Inspiration for Bike Commuter of the Year

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Right now, you’ve got the opportunity to recognize your favorite bike commuter. If you know someone whose commitment to their bike commute is inspiring, nominate them for the 2020 Bike Commuter of the Year Award.

As part of the annual Bike to Work Day celebration, each county crowns one dedicated cyclist Bike Commuter of the Year. You have until March 27 to let us know who you think should receive the title.

The nomination process is incredibly simple: submit the nominee’s name and a quick explanation of why they should win and you’re done!

Already have someone in mind? Nominate them now.

Summer Bike Challenge 2019: Grand Prize Winners

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Thanks to everyone who made this year’s Summer Bike Challenge a big success!

The Summer Bike Challenge is an annual event that encourages people of all ages to get out on their bikes to enjoy healthy, no-cost summer recreation while experiencing pollution-free transportation.

Not only does the Challenge provide participants with destination ‘bingo cards’ full of interesting places to ride, it also offers special ‘Free Stuff’ events throughout the summer where anyone who arrives by bike gets something for free. This year’s bike-in rewards included gift cards, ice cream, free swimming, and free admission to Lindsay Wildlife Experience, the Ruth Bancroft Garden, and Small World Park.

The 2019 Summer Bike Challenge was bigger than ever – spanning seven cities and recording its highest level of participation. We’d like to thank everyone who helped make this year’s event such a success.

Everyone who registered as a participant in this year’s Challenge was entered in a random drawing for an iPad – with one winner per city. Read about each of the seven lucky winners below. Their experiences reflect many of the great stories we heard all summer long about why people love to bike and why they enjoyed being part of the Summer Bike Challenge.

If you didn’t get enough biking this summer, or just want to ride your bike to more places, visit our Biking page for resources and tips on how to get going. You can also find lots of bike rides and bike-related events on our Bike Events page.

Summer Bike Challenge Grand Prize Winners

Brentwood: Camellia Pylant

There is no better way to get to know a place than by riding bikes, and as SoCal transplants, Camellia’s family appreciated the opportunity to explore. “Since living in Brentwood we’ve really enjoyed riding our bikes on the trails and around town. The Summer Bike Challenge was really awesome!”

As a parent of children with special needs, she especially values the many separated bikeways in Brentwood that allow her family, and others with disabilities, to ride bikes safely away from vehicle traffic.

Concord: Becka Machado

A teacher at Sequoia Middle, a magnet school in Pleasant Hill, Becka encouraged her students who live throughout the District to participate in the Summer Bike Challenge in their own home cities.

“My kids and I had such a great time being part of this all summer!”

Martinez: Michelle Noriega and David Collins

Avid cyclists who enjoy mountain biking as well as bike commuting, Michelle and David were thrilled to win the Grand Prize. After participating in 2018 on her own, Michelle convinced her husband David to do it with her this year. (Lucky you, David, enjoy the iPad!)

Oakley: The Bonson Family

When David and Amee’s daughter brought home a Summer Bike Challenge flyer from the library, their reaction was, “A challenge? Oh, it’s ON!” This active family of five happily biked all over town to reach each destination. Mission Complete. Stay tuned for Summer Bike Challenge 2020! #FamilyFun

Pleasant Hill: Zach Lecky

11 years old and a student at Sequoia Middle School, Zach was thrilled to win the Summer Bike Challenge Grand Prize. Inspired by his grandfather who bike-commuted for 35 years, Zach and his family not only use bikes to get around town, but they also enjoy exploring the East Bay’s regional trails as well.

Zach appreciates biking for the independence it provides, and his mom Shannon is focused on teaching her two sons how to ride safely both on trails and when crossing streets. Biking for this Pleasant Hill family is a healthy way to get exercise and have fun on the daily.

Pittsburg: Anarely Garcia

Her ten-year-old son, a student at Rio Vista Elementary, loves to ride and inspired the family to participate in Pittsburg’s first ever Summer Bike Challenge. Anarely enjoyed riding bikes with her children all summer, visiting the pool and several parks.

Walnut Creek: Yelena Katkova

A self-described explorer by nature, Yelena has enjoyed discovering new places on her bike through the Summer Bike Challenge. “Thank you very much for creating this program! What a joy it was to explore beloved Walnut Creek! This year I didn’t get to places at the times goodies were offered, yet I went to most places on the flyer and places I haven’t been before, and it made me happy.”

She appreciates our local bike trails where she can ride next to trees, experience nature, and stay away from car traffic: “It feels almost like a meditative experience!” Yelena is already looking forward to SBC 2020.