Bay Area Braces for BART Strike

Unless an agreement between two BART unions and management can be reached, the Bay Area may experience traffic gridlock on Monday if the heavy rail network shuts down, leaving riders in S.F, the East Bay, and Peninsula with considerably fewer options

2 minute read

July 1, 2013, 8:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


The Chronicle's transportation reporter, Michael Cabanatuan, writes on what's at stake, and describes efforts to prepare for the looming transit strike, including transit alternatives available for commuters.

The key issues on the table appear to be pay, employee contributions toward pensions [they make none now] and health insurance, rule changes to reduce overtime and safety....

Earlier, Cabanatuan wrote, "While ridership on BART has reached 400,000, generating an operating surplus, the agency has said it needs to trim costs to pay for $16 billion in major system upgrades over the next 10-15 years."

BART management could ask Gov. Jerry Brown to "stop a strike - temporarily - by ordering a 60-day cooling-off period" but they believe a strike could be better endured during the summer than during a busier time of year. "In past BART labor disputes where cooling-off periods were issued, they generally only delayed the conflict for two months rather than leading to resolution", notes Cabanatuan.

Compounding the BART strike is a looming AC Transit strike - the East Bay bus agency's transbay service normally competes with BART. If AC workers don' strike, it will attempt to supplement its transbay service according to their service alert.

The remaining transbay transit options are "ferries between Oakland, Alameda, Vallejo and San Francisco", supplemented with "very limited charter bus shuttles between the West Oakland and Embarcadero stations" operated by BART. A complete list of transit options is available at 511.org.

For San Mateo county BART riders, "a free shuttle between the Colma and Daly City BART stations and Mission Street near the Daly City-San Francisco border where riders can connect to (San Francisco) Muni. Muni also plans to boost service, especially along the Mission Street corridor." According to a Caltrain/Samtrans service alert, Peninsula commuters shouldn't expect increased commuter rail and bus service

The looming strike shows the importance of multiple or redundant transit options serving the same corridor, most apparent in the Bay Area with the bus, heavy rail, and ferry serving transbay riders.

Saturday, June 29, 2013 in San Francisco Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Entrance to subterranean Hollywood/Vine Metro station in Los Angeles, California surrounded by tall apartment buildings.

Opinion: California’s SB 79 Would Improve Housing Affordability and Transit Access

A proposed bill would legalize transit-oriented development statewide.

2 hours ago - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Yellow roadside sign with extreme heat warning: "Danger - Extreme Conditions! - STOP - Do not hike Jun-Sep - HEAT KILLS"

Record Temperatures Prompt Push for Environmental Justice Bills

Nevada legislators are proposing laws that would mandate heat mitigation measures to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat.

3 hours ago - Nevada Current

View of downtown Pittsburgh, PA with river and bridge in foreground at dusk.

Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units

Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.

3 hours ago - Axios