In the hopes of letting some air into the congested rush hour commute, BART is considering a social-media focused program to entice riders onto trains at times other than the peak commute.
Michael Cabanatuan reported earlier this month on a new experiment underway at BART to relieve its crowded system: "using a mix of social media, gaming and cash as an incentive to get some BART riders to travel outside of the busiest parts of the commute."
A program known as BART Perks will be rolled out this spring with the goal of 'nudging passenger travel times' from the heart of the commute to slightly less-crowded times. Enticing just 1,250 people — about the capacity of a 10-car train — to commute a bit earlier or later, officials said, could significantly reduce crowding on trains and station platforms.
According to the article, ridership on BART has boomed along with the regional economy, outpacing the capacity of the system, especially at rush hour. The article also includes the details available at the time of what is intended as a six-month pilot test of the program.
Jack Morse also provides the local blogger take on the program in an article for SFist.
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