BART is experiencing a significant upswing in ridership, marking its highest post-pandemic numbers. According to BART, the transit system saw 224,721 exits, surpassing its previous record since the world came to a standstill in March 2020. This recent increase has been consistent, with BART topping over 200,000 exits for three consecutive days. Officials point to a mix of sporting events, conferences, and cultural happenings throughout September as key to this surge, especially with notable events like Dreamforce and the final home games of the Oakland A’s.
Despite the uptick, Tuesday’s ridership figures were only 48% of what they were in September 2019, when average weekday ridership was around 426,300, as the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Challenges persist, but the agency has seen a 7% year-over-year increase for September. Interestingly, the recovery has been particularly marked during weekends. “BART isn’t just for work, we have had more people taking us for fun,” the agency relayed, suggesting a shift in the ridership pattern to more leisurely activities.
With these developments, BART General Manager Bob Powers maintains a positive outlook. “While our ridership numbers have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels, these high ridership days are proof that our work to improve the rider experience with the Safe & Clean Plan and other efforts are paying off,” he stated, as per BART. Efforts to enhance safety and sanitation across the transit system appear to resonate with passengers, as evident by the increase in ridership…