Wednesday, March 20, 2013

POLL: Should BART add more trains during commute hours?

I am sure that I'm not the only person who has been feeling the train over-crowding during commute hours.  The 8:14 and 8:24 trains from Orinda heading to SFO have become unbearably packed with hardly room to stand.  A typical 30 minute ride has turned into 40 due to how long it takes for people to find and readjust their standing position, and how long it takes for the doors to close.

What exactly is max capacity?  Shouldn't there be a safety standard?  Have BART officials actually tried taking the train amidst the most crowded hours to get a taste for what it feels like?

I've seen shorter women fall over due to lack of lower handle bar space to hold.  I've seen people hitting  faces unintentionally with their hand bags or backpacks.  Sweat, sneezes, coughs are often shared and transferred due to a new level of "closeness" between passengers.

Please answer the poll on the right and let everyone know if you believe BART should increase the number of trains during commute hours.

UPDATE: Poll tool did not work from day 1.  Every vote forced a reset.  Huge apologies!  BART lucked out this time!  Didn't they??!!