It's a big day for BART.
Starting Monday morning, the transit agency is returning to what it calls "near-normal service."
For the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started, BART is open through midnight instead of 9 p.m., and trains will run about every 15 minutes.
"The only times we have a 30 minute headway is after 8 p.m. because we still see far fewer ridership at that hour," BART Spokesperson Alicia Trost told KCBS Radio. "Basically now you can come to a BART station and know a train is 15 minutes away."
BART ridership remains only around 20% of pre-pandemic levels, but many Bay Area residents were relieved to have the convenience of a normal schedule again.
"Everything was exactly the same as I remembered before the pandemic. I did realize that I was the only one wearing a mask inside," BART rider Heilala said after taking the transit for the first time in over a year.
Masks are still required while inside the trains and at the station in part due to the rise in the more contagious delta variant.
"If you forgot your mask in your car or at home, all of our station agent, all of our safety staff have extra masks," Trost explained. "Is there an officer in every car making arrest or citing people? No. That’s not realistic and we’re trying to avoid confrontations like that."
In addition, BART is increasing Saturday service to levels even higher than before the pandemic. All of these changes are due to millions in emergency funding from the federal government.
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