Hundreds of cars in the system will be going offline in coming years, and the agency is looking at a variety of ideas for what to do with them.
By 2022, about 670 train cars in the Bay Area Rapid Transit system will be replaced with new vehicles, reports Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez. The BART board of directors is considering a wide array of possibilities for the decommissioned cars.
They could be sold to another operator or for scrap or recycling. The cars also could be repurposed for housing or restaurants. "One party has even reached out to the agency about buying BART cars to use for Airbnb listings," says Rodriguez.
BART could also donate the cars to museums, the military, or schools for training and educational use. Another idea is to donate them for use as homeless or temporary shelters.
Rodriguez notes that the decision on the final destination of the trains might be influenced by the fact that BART will owe the Federal Transit Administration 70 percent of the value of the cars since the FTA helped pay for them. As a result, any donations may end up costing the agency.
FULL STORY: Soon-to-be-retired BART cars could become Airbnb hotels, homeless shelters or housing
San Francisco’s BART Awarded $545 Loan for Upgraded Rail Cars
The agency plans to modernize its fleet with more efficient rail cars equipped with new safety features.
BART Gets 10 New Rail Cars
Fewer seats and more room for standing commuters are among the updates to the rail cars coming to BART.
BART to Raise Fares in January
The transit agency says it needs more state and federal support to meet its operating costs and avoid a growing budget gap.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
New Jersey Affordable Housing Law Turns 50
The Mount Laurel Doctrine tasks each city and town with creating enough affordable housing to meet their needs, but half a century after its passage, the law still faces opposition in some parts of the state.
NYC Outdoor Dining Won’t Include Booze — For Now
Hundreds of restaurants will be unable to serve alcohol in their outdoor dining areas this summer due to a delay in permitting.
San Francisco Turns On California’s First Speed Cameras
The city is the first in the state to use automated traffic enforcement to reduce speeding and traffic deaths.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Florida Atlantic University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland