When you are in California, you may avail of the rapid transit system serving the bay area to move around from one part of the state to another; it’s easy, convenient, fast, and efficient. The BART, or the Bay Area Rapid Transit, connects San Francisco to the eastern and southern bays.
The arrival of the new fleet has been a game changer with several new additions and replacements made to the existing older model. Though the average age of the BART fleet is 30 years, the facelift was long overdue and a complete renewal was underway in early 2013. The latest model BART cars were launched in 2018 with exciting new features that transformed the commuter’s experience.
Users are happy with the modified train layout. The newer cars have clean and bright interiors, excellent air-conditioning, comfortable seats, greater standing room, three doors on both sides to allow more passenger capacity to board and deboard the trains, longer hand straps, a travel speed of 120 km/hr (which is great for a subway system), and are mobility-impaired friendly. The new ones cut out the noise and offer smooth rides. Overall, it is a fascinating rail network serving the Bay area.
The PA inside the stations assists with train information and timings. Automated announcements and digital screens also scroll important train information inside stations and trains. The color-coded train routes on the maps facilitate easy navigation, so you do not have to beat your head to understand the routes. You are required to travel on Clipper Cards on a BART train. Children below 4 can ride for free; seniors and the disabled get a 50% discount on travel tickets.
There has been a massive investment to revamp the older fleet that was rickety, smelly, and getting increasingly unusable because of neglect. Bulk expenses are involved in repairing and cleaning obsolete parts so the proposal to launch a remodeled fleet was mooted and was unanimously supported by the stakeholders.
The BART currently serves 50 stations of which 16 are subway stations, 15 are elevated, and 19 are surface. There are 6 BART lines from San Francisco – San Jose, California. The following are important BART routes : Oakland Airport – Coliseum; Dublin/Pleasanton – Daly City; Berryessa/North San Jose — Daly City (Green Route); Berryessa/North San Jose – Richmond (Orange Route); Richmond – Daly City/Millbrae (Red Route); and Antioch — SFO/Millbrae (Yellow Route).
During your journey, if you have lost or misplaced an item, here are 3 official ways to get help.
1. Call the Lost & Found Department
BART’s Lost and Found Office is located at the Oakland City Center Station. They are open alternate days in the week — Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and they operate between 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, and again from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
If you need to know how to report a lost item and find them at BART’s Lost and Found department, please call (510) 464-7090.
It is a good idea to speak to someone on the phone before heading straight to the office. Check out their operational hours and the latest updates on their official website as work timings are subject to change. If you have traveled to report a missing baggage complaint in person, please be specific with your description to assist the authorities to launch a thorough search. However, remember not to badger them with a barrage of follow-up calls because frequent calling will not ensure quick service or fast delivery. Success in tracing a lost bag depends on multiple factors.
Though you can reach them on the helpline, they recommend that you submit a web form instead of completely relying on reaching out physically to the customer desk.
The Lost and Found Office withholds all items recovered from the trains and stations up to a maximum period of three months, after which they auction them off. Please understand that the BART staff at the Lost and Found department put in their best to reunite lost property with their rightful owners.
You can also enlist BART police’s help if the items lost contain valuables and you suspect theft. Please call BART PD at 510-464-7000, or you may text BART PD for non-emergency needs at 510-200-0992.
2. Fill the Online Form to Report Lost Item
Please click on the link here to fill out the online missing bag form for seamless processing. Follow the instructions carefully and fill up all relevant details regarding the lost item. The more detailed and accurate your description, the higher chances of a match and recovery. Once you press the submit button, stay patient for at least three weeks for the concerned authorities to contact you. Please do not make desperate calls for updates because frequent calling will not expedite matters, rather it could retard the process.
It takes a couple of weeks for them to launch a search, match items, and call for identification. If no one calls you within four weeks, then consider your item to be lost. It would mean they were unsuccessful in tracking your item.
3. Take Help Of Social Media Platforms
Social media is user-friendly and works in real time. If you are worried about the Lost and Found team’s sloppiness and tardiness in dispensing their duties, take the help of social media. Send out a chat message to an agent on either one of BART’s social media pages, and the problem is taken care of. You may also choose to post your message publicly on the forum.
Please note down the following links to BART’s social media handles — Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Conclusion
BART trains have surveillance cameras fitted at strategic points but it is important not to let go of your belongings on the train when you are onboard. Do not keep them lying around casually and remain distracted elsewhere. Be mindful when you travel on a crowded train. For your safety, note down the train number that is mentioned on the inside of each car. You can even raise a quick alarm by first alerting and calling the train operator by pressing the call button in case of robbery/theft.
Stash away electronic devices when you are inside the train, standing near the doorway, or are beginning to board or alight a train. Do not allow miscreants to pull away your things while you remain distracted. Most importantly, never doze off a moving train even if your destination is a long distance away.
