Ashby ::: Faregate report...one entry, one exit, one out of service. The usual. Long queue trying to enter in time to catch the SF train.

Embarcadero ::: Platform escalator still out of service, but there are a couple of mechanics on the scene.

And, the new faregates are open for use! Slick...they even have that New Faregate Smell. Seriously. Added bonus: they print legibly, so now I know how much value is left on my ticket!

Embarcadero ::: New faregates have been fully installed on one side of the station! Okay, semi-fully. They're not turned on yet, so we're all using the gates on one side of the station.

Good news: tomorrow (presumably), we get to use them!

Bad news: remember that platform escalator that was out of service for an entire week recently? Yeah...you remember. Well, it's out of service again, and it's a crowded mess of people trying to get down the stairs.

San Leandro ::: So this is San Leandro. Well, they don't have new faregates here either. They do, though, have 4 gates instead of the pathetic 3 at Ashby, which seems to help a lot. They also got two public restrooms right off the main entrance. Word to the wise: I've checked; don't use them unless you absolutely have to.

So, about that SFO extension...

Did you know that BART has a Public Information Office for this project? 650-689-8365; press "0" to connect to a human. And that human will tell you that, no, BART has not yet taken possession of the project from the contractor.

It's essentially March now. Once BART gets the project, they have a minimum of 2.5 months of testing. The absolute earliest that SFO will open must therefore be mid-May...IF the contractor hands over on Monday and IF there are no delays in testing.

I'm feeling that my earlier estimate of mid-July is not going to be too far off the mark.

Ashby ::: one entry faregate, two exit faregates, zero out of service.

Light traffic, and I get a seat. Oooh, this is comfortable!

Embarcadero ::: There's a flurry of activity as new faregate installation continues.

Well, there's been a lively discussion about the long connecting train delay at 12th Street, but no one seems to know the answer. Time to ask World Famous BART Spokesman Mike Healy:

TO: mhealy@bart.gov
FROM: LWB
DATE: February 26, 2003
RE: Long wait at 12th street
Dear Mr. Healy,
Why do early morning and evening/late night sit at 12th street for 4 minutes before continuing on? Back on the "old" schedules, SF-Pittsburg trains would meet Fremont-Richmond trains at 12th Street, pause for the usual 30 seconds, and then continue. Now on the "new" schedule, when these trains meet (which they only do before 7am and after 7pm) they both sit at 12th Street for 4 minutes before continuing. This delay is built into the schedule but no one seems to know why. Can you please put me in touch with someone at BART who can explain? Thanks.

Embarcadero ::: New faregates are being installed!

My Richmond train arrives on time, but after emerging from the Transbay Tube things are less great. Apparently a train went on the blink (a daily occurrence, according to Mike O) and threw off traffic. We creep and stop and creep and stop all the way to Macarthur.

Ashby ::: Faregate report...one entry, two exit, zero out of service.

19th Street ::: Passengers are queued up to enter train, as usual. First guy in line enters train, immediately stops in doorway, drops briefcase, and blocks half of the doorway while others on platform file past him onto the train. Note to riders: don't do this; it's terribly inconsiderate to other passengers.

News Flash -- Richmond line stiffed again!

Yes, the BART Board has chosen the replacement for outgoing board member Willie Kennedy, and they went with a SF resident. Never mind that this district includes only teensy bits of SF. Or that SF already has two board members. Or that this seat is the only one that represents the Richmond line. We'll be represented by a SF resident.

Forecast calls for continued inattention to Richmond line concerns.

Ashby ::: I exit the train and head to the exit gates...there are zero functioning exit gates. Ms. Ramirez is working on one, but she seems to recognize the futility and waves us towards the swing gate. Free ride.

Ashby ::: Only one functioning entry gate, and there are 8 or 10 people queued up to enter. Line moving slowly. Here comes the SF train. Damn! C'mon, c'mon!! Get through just in time and sprint to the train.

Mike O knows BART operations like nobody's business. He's walked us through his reasoning on why BART no longer has a transfer connection between the Pittsburg line and the Fremont-Richmond line. It goes like this:

BART, as we know, is old. Though BART has renovated some of its train cars, it's still a challenge to keep barely enough cars in functioning condition. So, the schedules are designed to turn around trains as quickly as possible at the end of the line--otherwise it could take more cars to provide the same level of service, and BART doesn't always have more cars. (Another reason for this is probably to avoid the cost of staffing extra trains.) It's gonna get even trickier when (ahem) the SFO extension opens, because BART will need 39 more cars each day. Okay, so BART had a schedule that allowed transfers at 12th Street and that also had trains turn around asap at the end of the line. But with SFO, there's a new end of the line. And when you make a schedule that quickly turns trains around at the new terminus, then juggle things around so that schedules don't conflict at choke points like the transbay tube, well, it just turns out to be impossible to save the transfer at 12th Street.

Keep in mind, this is only a theory. No one at BART has said this or confirmed it. But, seeing as BART says nothing, this theory is all that we have to go on.

Lots of bad new in this morning's papers. Including bad BART news:

BART to SFO has fallen behind...AGAIN! The contractor missed the target to hand the project over to BART for final testing. Whenever that finally does happen, BART will take another 2.5 months (minimum, to be sure) to test, etc. LWB predicts opening in Mid-July.

BART's budget situation continues to worsen, says the Chronicle. Ridership (and fare revenue, of course) has tumbled from 340,000 to 299,000, and sales tax revenue that BART gets is also down. Look for more fare increases or service reductions. Big bummer.

Meanwhile, the Chron also reports that nine people have applied to replace Willie Kennedy on the BART Board. Quite a few of them are from the Berkeley-Richmond region, which is promising. But it's up to the remaining members of the Board to select, and it probably is all about politics from here on out.

Embarcadero ::: Your faregate report follows...one entry, one exit, two out of service.

On the platform, three BART cops are playing with their fearsome attack dog. When a train arrives, they wander off to peer in through the windows, looking for evildoers.

Richmond train arrives on time. At 12th Street, another Richmond train (late from Fremont, apparently) arrives on the opposite platform.

All good this morning...coming in a little late today (been a tiring week) and traffic is lighter so I get a seat. :)

Embarcadero ::: Hmm...Richmond train is late...will take Pittsburgh train, transfer blah blah blah.

Hey, this is nice! Seeing as another Pittsburgh train just passed by three minutes ago, this one is not very crowded. Everyone gets a seat. :) Life is good on the Pittsburg line.

12th Street ::: Fremont-Richmond train arrives just as we do, for a mucho convenient connection. Just like back in the good old days...

MO writes to ask what's up with the BART SFO extension. Has the contractor finished its work and turned the project over to BART for testing? Anyone heard anything?

BART runs its Operation Control Center workstations on Linux! Way to go, BART! Stable, secure, and cheap!

On the other hand, the same article mentions that BART equipped its new OCC workstations with 24" Sony W900 HDTV monitors. These monitors are currently clearance priced at $2,100 and up...new, they must have been easily over $3,000 each. I mean, WTF? Do they get Herman Miller Aeron chairs too?

West Oakland ::: Train pauses for a few moments while a BART cop walks alongside the train and glances inside. I was wondering if we'd be seeing this again, what with the "level orange alert" and all. Not sure what the police can actually see from outside the train, but at least there's not a significant delay in getting to SF.

Embarcadero ::: Hey, the platform escalator is back in service! Didn't see that coming! :)

...aaaaand, down on the platform, here comes a train. My Richmond train? Time is right...but no, it's Pittsburg. Must be late. Might be a minor delay, might be a major one. Better hop on this train and switch in Oakland.

Macarthur ::: Fremont-Richmond train should be along in 4 or 5 minutes, if the delayed SF-Richmond train doesn't get here first. Time passes. And here comes the Fremont-SF train right on time. Still no sign of the one from SF. Glad I took that Pittsburg train.

Onboard, we get a beautful post-sunset view of SF Bay as we roll above MLK Jr. Way. The water looks almost like it's illuminated from beneath.

Ashby ::: All three faregates are in service; two entry, one exit.

Embarcadero ::: Needless to say, the platform escalator remains disassembled.

Montgomery ::: New faregates! :)

Richmond train is late! :(

Embarcadero ::: Yes indeedy, that escalator remains disassembled. Is this a major renovation, rather than simply a quick fix? If so, it will be out of service for quite a while, but there's no sign or anything to suggest this.

Embarcadero ::: Platform escalator still fully dismantled. There's some tools sitting around, so I guess there's work in progress, but no sign of an actual mechanic.

Embarcadero ::: Ah, shoot. I was wrong. There's no progress on the faregates. It was a false alarm. And the platform escalator remains fully disassembled and blocked off.

Ashby ::: Faregate report...one entry, one exit, one out of service.

Embarcadero ::: Yup, that platform escalator remains out of service...with a vengeance. At least there is now a guy working on it, but it looks like it's going to take a while. Meanwhile, it looks like they're maybe getting ready to think about installing them new faregates! No people around, but there are signs of activity.

Embarcadero ::: Platform escalator is out of service and cordoned off. With extreme prejudice. In addition to the usual barricades, big sheets of plywood are blocking it off. Ah. I see. For good reason. It has been almost totally torn out; nearly all of the steps are gone. I can't imagine that it will be back in service by tomorrow morning.