Keeping BART standards high can prove very taxing
QBART riders with bikes are required to follow a posted list of rules to have the privilege of riding. But given the nonstop crowding of BART, it’s virtually impossible to enforce the rule for no bikes boarding a crowded car.
Why don’t BART police and station agents enforce the safety issue of no bikes on escalators? Bikes are constantly taken on escalators at Embarcadero during the morning commute. Passengers who point out the requirement are always ignored and usually met with a vulgar tirade by the miscreant. — Jay Wallingford Martinez
ABART says its police do issue warnings or take enforcement action against those who take bikes on escalators. The busiest escalators are in downtown San Francisco and officers that patrol that region have been instructed to watch for this behavior.
But it’s also a matter of resources. BART says its cops are doing all they can to maximize the visible presence of officers but there are not enough of them to staff every station or, in this case, every esca
lator at all times.
QImagine my happiness finding 400-plus available parking stalls in the new BART parking building in Walnut Creek — followed by disappointment learning of the $18 all- day parking fee.
The new building is not owned by BART and sets its own rates. How did this happen? Two other buildings are planned and will soon be built. Will they also carry an $18 parking fee?
The original parking building fee is $3 a day. These high $18 rates do not encourage the use of public transportation and will not meet the needs of the masses. — Fran Santoro, Alamo
AThe new garage is operated by the developer of the Walnut Creek Transit Village project as part of the agreement called for the developer to build a new garage for the exclusive use of BART riders. The new South Garage includes 914 spaces and the $18 daily fee only applies to 118 of those spaces. There are 772 monthly spots at $120 per month. Also, the $18 fee goes down to $15 after
10 a.m. Daily parking in the pre-existing BART garage remains $3. There’s also parking available at other nearby garages, including some that charge rates lower than the daily fee at the new garage.
The developer will build additional parking for the retail and residential portions of the project, but those garages are not meant for BART riders
Here are a couple of links to nearby garages that may have available parking:
• http://monthlypark. com/growers- square- garage.html.
• http://monthlypark. com/ygnacio-center.html.
QCan you ask Caltrans why they don’t power wash the eastbound righthand Caldecott Tunnel? It’s very dark because of cars exhaust clinging to the walls. — Suzanne Slobodin
AA scrubbing is coming for all six bores. They are cleaned in six separate days over a twoweek period every quarter.