Editing Bay Area Rapid Transit (section)

== Incidents and controversies ==
{{see also|History of BART#Incidents and accidents}}

=== BART Police shootings ===

==== Oscar Grant III ====
{{Main|Shooting of Oscar Grant}}
On January 1, 2009, a [[Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department|BART Police]] officer, Johannes Mehserle, fatally shot Oscar Grant III.<ref name="deadlybart">{{Cite news |last1=Jill Tucker |last2=Kelly Zito |last3=Heather Knight |date=January 2, 2009 |title=Deadly BART brawl – officer shoots rider, 22 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/02/MNB9152I2Q.DTL |url-status=live |access-date=January 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104054941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2009%2F01%2F02%2FMNB9152I2Q.DTL |archive-date=January 4, 2009}}</ref><ref name="resign">{{Cite news |last1=Eliott C. McLaughlin |last2=Augie Martin |last3=Dan Simon |year=2009 |title=Spokesman: Officer in subway shooting has resigned |work=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/07/BART.shooting/index.html |access-date=January 5, 2009}}</ref> Eyewitnesses gathered [[direct evidence]] of the shooting with video cameras, which were later submitted to and disseminated by media outlets and watched hundreds of thousands of times<ref>{{Cite news |last=Elinor Mills |year=2009 |title=Web videos of Oakland shooting fuel emotions, protests |work=[[CNET Networks]] |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10137796-93.html |access-date=January 9, 2009}}</ref> in the days following the shooting. Both peaceful and violent demonstrations occurred protesting the shooting.<ref name="Bulwa">{{Cite news |last1=Demian Bulwa |last2=Charles Burress |last3=Matthew B. Stannard |last4=Matthai Kuruvilaurl |date=January 8, 2009 |title=Protests over BART shooting turn violent |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/07/MN2N155CN1.DTL |url-status=live |access-date=January 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116014530/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2009%2F01%2F07%2FMN2N155CN1.DTL |archive-date=January 16, 2009}}</ref>

BART held multiple public meetings to ease tensions led by [[Carole Ward Allen|BART Director Carole Ward Allen]]<ref name="AP111">{{Cite news |last=Terry Collins |date=January 11, 2009 |title=Transit board gets another earful on Oakland death |publisher=Associated Press |url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TRAIN_STATION_SHOOTING?SITE=CAELI&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090112085833/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TRAIN_STATION_SHOOTING?SITE=CAELI&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |archive-date=January 12, 2009}}</ref> who called on the BART Board to hire two independent auditors to investigate the shooting, and to provide recommendations to the board regarding [[Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department|BART Police]] misconduct.<ref name="BARTcreates">{{Cite news |last=Maria L. La Ganga |date=January 13, 2009 |title=BART board creates commission to oversee transit police |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jan-13-me-bart-shooting13-story.html}}</ref> Director Ward Allen established BART's first Police Department Review Committee and worked with [[Sandre Swanson|Assemblyman Sandre Swanson]] to pass AB 1586 in the [[California State Legislature]], which enforced civilian oversight of the BART Police Department.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 16, 2020 |title=Governor signs bill into law authorizing citizen oversight of BART Police |work=bart.gov |url=https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2010/news20100716}}</ref> BART Director Lynette Sweet said that "BART has not handled this [situation] correctly,"<ref name="apology">{{Cite news |last1=Rachel Gordon |last2=Steve Rubenstein |date=January 9, 2009 |title=BART directors apologize to slain man's family |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/09/MN3U155V2F.DTL |url-status=dead |access-date=January 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116110601/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2009%2F01%2F09%2FMN3U155V2F.DTL |archive-date=January 16, 2009 }}</ref> and called for the BART police chief and general manager to step down, but only one other BART Director, Tom Radulovich, supported such action.<ref name="cuff127">{{Cite news |last=Cuff |first=Denis |date=January 27, 2009 |title=Second BART director wants new general manager |publisher=Contra Costa Times |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/oakland-bart-shooting/ci_11567734 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310062107/http://www.mercurynews.com/oakland-bart-shooting/ci_11567734 |archive-date=March 10, 2012}}</ref>

Mehserle was arrested and charged with murder, to which he pleaded not guilty. Oakland [[civil rights]] attorney [[John Burris]] filed a US$25&nbsp;million [[wrongful death claim]] against the district on behalf of Grant's daughter and girlfriend.<ref name="BSFSB">{{Cite news |year=2009 |title=BART Shooting: Family Suing BART For $25&nbsp;Million |work=[[KTVU]] |url=http://www.ktvu.com/news/18409300/detail.html |url-status=dead |access-date=January 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116015823/http://www.ktvu.com/news/18409300/detail.html |archive-date=January 16, 2009 }}</ref> Mehserle's trial was subsequently moved to Los Angeles following concerns that he would be unable to get a fair trial in Alameda County. On July 8, 2010, Mehserle was found guilty on a lesser charge of [[involuntary manslaughter]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 8, 2010 |title=Jury Finds Mehserle Guilty Of Involuntary Manslaughter |work=[[KTVU]] |url=http://www.ktvu.com/news/24188551/detail.html |url-status=dead |access-date=December 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714022412/http://www.ktvu.com/news/24188551/detail.html |archive-date=July 14, 2010}}</ref> He was released on parole on June 13, 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bulwa |first=Demian |date=June 14, 2011 |title=Johannes Mehserle, ex-BART officer, leaves jail |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/13/BAIJ1JT7CV.DTL |access-date=August 21, 2011}}</ref>

==== Charles Hill ====
On July 3, 2011, an officer of the BART Police shot and killed Charles Hill at Civic Center Station in San Francisco. Hill had thrown a bottle at the officers and was in the process of throwing a knife at them from a distance of about 15 feet when the first shot was fired.<ref name="Shooting case dismissed">{{Cite web |date=2014-09-13 |title=Judge Dismisses Suit Over 2011 Fatal Shooting By BART Officer |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/judge-dismisses-suit-over-2011-fatal-shooting-by-bart-officer/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

On August 12, 2011, BART shut down cellphone services on the network for three hours in an effort to hamper possible protests against the shooting<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Murphy |first=David |date=August 13, 2011 |title=To Prevent Protests, San Francisco Subway Turns Off Cell Signals, August&nbsp;13,&nbsp;2011 |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2391046,00.asp |magazine=PC Magazine |access-date=August 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=S.F. subway muzzles cell service during protest |work=CNET |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20091822-245/s.f-subway-muzzles-cell-service-during-protest/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20}}</ref> and to keep communications away from protesters at the Civic Center station in San Francisco.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Questions, Complaints Arise Over BART Cutting Cell Phone Service |work=[[KTVU]] |url=http://www.ktvu.com/news/28854510/detail.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005000120/http://www.ktvu.com/news/28854510/detail.html |archive-date=October 5, 2011}}</ref> The shutdown caught the attention of state senator [[Leland Yee]] and international media, as well as drawing comparisons to the internet shutdowns during the [[2011 Egyptian revolution|Egyptian revolution]] earlier that year.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Leland Yee scolds BART over cell phone blackout |work=KGO-TV |url=https://abc7news.com/archive/8305470/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824224155/http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news%2Flocal%2Fsan_francisco&id=8305470 |archive-date=August 24, 2011}}</ref> Antonette Bryant, the union president for BART, stated that "BART have lost our confidence and are putting rider and employee safety at risk."<ref>{{Cite news |title=BART Under Fire From Hackers, Critics, Employees |work=KTVU |url=http://www.ktvu.com/news/28870409/detail.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005001102/http://www.ktvu.com/news/28870409/detail.html |archive-date=October 5, 2011}}</ref>

Members of [[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]] broke into BART's website and posted names, phone numbers, addresses, and e-mail information on the Anonymous website.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Hackers Escalate Attack On BART; User IDs Stolen |work=[[KTVU]] |url=http://www.ktvu.com/news/28863267/detail.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005003324/http://www.ktvu.com/news/28863267/detail.html |archive-date=October 5, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Shadowy Internet group Anonymous attacks BART website |work=San Francisco Examiner |url=http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/crime/2011/08/anonymous-attacks-bart-website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617072511/http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/crime/2011/08/anonymous-attacks-bart-website |archive-date=June 17, 2012}}</ref>

On August 15, 2011, there was more disruption in service at BART stations in downtown San Francisco.<ref>{{Cite news |title=BART runs without problems despite protest threats |work=[[KGO-TV]] |url=https://abc7news.com/archive/8301228/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111101447/http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=resources%2Ftraffic&id=8301228 |archive-date=November 11, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=BART Warns Commuters Of Potential Protest Disruptions |work=[[KTVU]] |url=http://www.ktvu.com/news/28834929/detail.html |url-status=dead |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127085342/http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/bart-warns-commuters-of-potential-protest-disrupti/nDTRR/ |archive-date=January 27, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=BART Warns Commuters Of Potential Protest Disruptions |work=NBC Bay Area |url=http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/BART-Protest-Could-Impact-Evening-Commute-127554708.html}}</ref> ''[[The San Francisco Examiner]]'' reported that the protests were a result of the shootings, including that of Oscar Grant.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Protesters storm BART, slow commute out of San Francisco |work=San Francisco Examiner |url=http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/07/protesters-storm-bart-slow-commute-out-san-francisco |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111216194854/http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/07/protesters-storm-bart-slow-commute-out-san-francisco |archive-date=December 16, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=BART warns passengers of possible protests at San Francisco stations Thursday |work=San Francisco Examiner |url=http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/08/bart-warns-passengers-possible-protests-san-francisco-stations-thursday |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728191419/http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/08/bart-warns-passengers-possible-protests-san-francisco-stations-thursday |archive-date=July 28, 2012}}</ref>

On August 29, 2011, a coalition of nine public interest groups led by [[Public Knowledge]] filed an Emergency Petition asking the U.S. [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) to declare "that the actions taken by the Bay Area Rapid Transit District ("BART") on August 11, 2011, violated the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, when it deliberately interfered with access to Commercial Mobile Radio Service ("CMRS") by the public" and "that local law enforcement has no authority to suspend or deny CMRS, or to order CMRS providers to suspend or deny service, absent a properly obtained order from the Commission, a state commission of appropriate jurisdiction, or a court of law with appropriate jurisdiction".<ref>[http://www.cdt.org/files/pdfs/Emergency%20Petition%20for%20Declaratory%20Ruling_0.pdf "In the Matter of the Petition of Public Knowledge et al. for Declaratory Ruling that Disconnection of Telecommunications Services Violates the Communications Act"], Harold Feld, Legal Director, and Sherwin Siy, Deputy Legal Director, of Public Knowledge before the Federal Communications Commission, August 29, 2011.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Crawford |first=Susan |date=September 25, 2011 |title=Phone, Web Clampdowns in Crises Are Intolerable |work=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-26/phone-web-clampdowns-in-crises-are-intolerable-susan-crawford.html}}</ref>

In December 2011 BART adopted a new "Cell Service Interruption Policy" that only allows shutdowns of cell phone services within BART facilities "in the most extraordinary circumstances that threaten the safety of District passengers, employees and other members of public, the destruction of District property, or the substantial disruption of public transit service".<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 2011 |title=Cell Service Interruption Policy |url=http://www.bart.gov/docs/final_CSIP.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111218011705/http://www.bart.gov/docs/final_CSIP.pdf |archive-date=December 18, 2011 |access-date=March 30, 2012 |publisher=Bay Area Rapid Transit District}}</ref> According to a spokesperson for BART, under the new policy the wireless phone system would not be turned off under circumstances similar to those in August 2011. Instead police officers would arrest individuals who break the law.<ref name="NYT-2March2012">{{Cite news |last=Wyatt |first=Edward |date=March 2, 2012 |title=F.C.C. Asks for Guidance on Whether, and When, to Cut Off Cellphone Service |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/technology/fcc-reviews-need-for-rules-to-interrupt-wireless-service.html}}</ref>

In February 2012, the San Francisco District Attorney concluded that the BART Police Officer that shot and killed Charles Hill at the Civic Center BART station the previous July "acted lawfully in self defense" and would not face charges for the incident.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Crowell |first=James |date=February 22, 2012 |title=BART Officer Who Shot Charles Hill, 'Acted Lawfully' According To District Attorney |work=Huffington Post |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/22/james-crowell-charles-hill_n_1294352.html}}</ref>

In March 2012, the FCC requested public comment on the question of whether or when the police and other government officials can intentionally interrupt cellphone and Internet service to protect [[public safety]].<ref name="NYT-2March2012" />

A federal lawsuit filed against BART by Charles Hill's brother was dismissed in 2013.<ref name="Shooting case dismissed" /> The federal judge concluded that "a reasonable officer in that situation could believe that he was in danger of being hit by a knife after having had a bottle thrown at him."<ref name="Shooting case dismissed" /> The lawyers of Hill's family did not dispute that he had thrown a knife at the officer, but argued that both officers should have done more to deescalate the situation.<ref name="Shooting case dismissed" />

=== Worker fatalities ===

==== 1979 fatal electrical fire ====
{{Further|Transbay Tube#January 1979 fire}}
In January 1979, an electrical fire occurred on a train as it was passing through the [[Transbay Tube]]. One firefighter (Lt. William Elliott, 50, of the Oakland Fire Department) was killed in the effort to extinguish the blaze. Since then, safety regulations have been updated.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Geoffrey Hunter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n0WPyrvBDAcC&pg=PA97 |title=Oakland Fire Department |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-7385-2968-4 |page=95}}</ref>

==== James Strickland ====
On October 14, 2008, track inspector James Strickland was struck and killed by a train as he was walking along a section of track between the Concord and Pleasant Hill BART stations. Strickland's death started an investigation into BART's safety alert procedures.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Gordon |first1=Rachel |last2=Bulwa |first2=Demian |last3=Jones |first3=Carolyn |date=October 15, 2008 |title=BART train kills worker on tracks in Concord |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/BART-train-kills-worker-on-tracks-in-Concord-3189945.php |access-date=December 29, 2010}}</ref> At the time of the accident, BART had [[Single tracking|assigned trains headed in opposite directions to a shared track]] for routine maintenance. BART came under further fire in February 2009 for allegedly delaying payment of death benefits to Strickland's family.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eskenazi |first=Joe |date=February 2, 2009 |title=BART Accused of Being Late – in Paying Out to Survivors of Track Inspector Killed by Train |url=http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2009/02/bart_accused_of_being_late_--.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105174409/http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2009/02/bart_accused_of_being_late_--.php |archive-date=January 5, 2011 |access-date=December 29, 2010 |publisher=San Francisco News – The Snitch. Blogs.sfweekly.com}}</ref>

==== October 2013 incident ====
On the afternoon of October 19, 2013, a BART employee and a contractor, who were inspecting tracks, were struck and killed near Walnut Creek by a train being moved for routine maintenance. A labor strike by BART's two major unions was underway at the time, which caused BART to use an undertrained operator. Instead of the usual 14 weeks of the training, the operator only received four. The BART trainer was not in the cab with the operator at the time of impact but was instead in the passenger compartment. The [[National Transportation Safety Board]] concluded that the accident occurred because BART facilitated access to the railway line.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Railroad Accident Brief: Bay Area Rapid Transit Train 963 Struck Roadway Workers |url=https://ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/RAB1503.aspx |access-date=September 26, 2020 |website=ntsb.gov}}</ref> BART was fined $600,000 for the incident.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 13, 2017 |title=Video of 2013 Fatal BART Accident Reveals Safety Lapses: Regulators |work=NBC Bay Area |url=http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/State-Seeks-Hefty-Fine-For-BART-in-Deaths-of-Two-Workers-419397954.html |access-date=May 22, 2017}}</ref>

=== Crime ===
In mid-2017, BART came under criticism for refusing to publicly release video evidence of crimes committed at Oakland stations. That year, in at least three incidents, groups of young people had boarded stopped trains and attacked and robbed train riders.<ref name="surveillance article">{{Cite news |last=Caen |first=Melissa |date=July 9, 2017 |title=BART Withholding Surveillance Videos of Crime to Avoid 'Stereotypes' |publisher=CBS San Francisco |url=http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/07/09/bart-withholding-surveillance-videos-of-crime-to-avoid-stereotypes/}}</ref>
In response to the criticism, a BART manager argued that "to release these videos would create a high level of racially insensitive commentary toward the district [...] and in addition it would create a racial bias in the riders against minorities on the trains." According to an internal memo, the agency decided to not issue a press release about one of the cases (where a woman had her phone stolen by one of a group of teenagers) in order to avoid having BART look "crime ridden" and because it would "unfairly affect and characterize riders of color, leading to sweeping generalizations in media reports."<ref name="surveillance article" /> A spokesman also stated that state laws about "juvenile police records" prohibited BART from releasing surveillance video.<ref name="surveillance article" />

In 2018, BART released surveillance video from one of the 2017 incidents, showing (as summarized by [[KRON-TV|KRON4]]) "the moments leading up to a mob-style attack on a BART train [... with] about 40 teens jumping the fare gates and pushing through the emergency gates at the station as an overwhelmed station agent calls for help."<ref name="Kelly 2018">{{Cite web |date=2018-09-25 |title=WATCH: Video shows moments before BART mob attack in Oakland |url=https://www.kron4.com/news/watch-video-shows-moments-before-bart-mob-attack-in-oakland/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=KRON4 |language=en-US}}</ref> BART stated that two juveniles and an 18-year-old had been arrested for the incident, with the 18-year-old ending up serving one year in jail.<ref name="Kelly 2018" /> In September 2017, six victims of the robberies/assaults filed suit against BART for gross negligence, claiming BART did not provide adequate security for its riders.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ruggiero |first=Angela |date=September 14, 2017 |title=BART mob robbery: Six victims sue transit agency over brazen attacks |work=The East Bay Times |url=http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/09/14/bart-mob-robbery-six-victims-sue-transit-agency-over-brazen-attacks/}}</ref> In January 2020, two passengers affected by the same incident lost their lawsuits, one of them on the grounds that she had been attacked on the platform rather than on the train, outside of BART's [[common carrier]] duties.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Egelko |first=Bob |date=2020-01-18 |title=BART not responsible for safety of passenger on platform, court rules |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/BART-not-responsible-for-safety-of-passenger-on-14985051.php |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=San Francisco Chronicle |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Henry |date=2020-01-20 |title=TV news report on KTVU |url=https://twitter.com/henrykleektvu/status/1217630496428978176 |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref>

On July 22, 2018, [[Murder of Nia Wilson|a man fatally stabbed 18-year-old Nia Wilson]] with a knife as she exited a train car at the [[MacArthur station (BART)|MacArthur station]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 23, 2018 |title=BART Investigating 3 Homicides in Less Than a Week |publisher=CBS San Francisco |url=https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/07/23/bart-investigating-three-homicides-in-less-than-a-week/}}</ref> This was the third homicide at a BART station within five days.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sweeney |first=Don |date=July 23, 2018 |title=3 killed in 5 days at BART stations. Official calls it an 'anomaly' |work=The Sacramento Bee |url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article215392800.html}}</ref> In June 2019, the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury released a report documenting a 128% increase in thefts on BART between 2014 and 2018, and an 83% increase in aggravated assault during the same time period.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Swan |first=Rachel |date=June 25, 2019 |title=Violent crime on BART more than doubles in four years |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Violent-crime-on-BART-doubles-in-four-years-14039170.php |access-date=October 8, 2019}}</ref>
<!-- This controversial claim has been hidden pending outcome of talk page discussion
=== Racially biased design ===
{{pov section|date=February 2023|talk=Alleged racially biased design}}
In the 1960s, BART was designed to speed white suburban commuters past minority urban neighborhoods. For example, it has stop spacing of {{convert|2.75|mi}} in the racially diverse and dense urban neighborhood of [[San Antonio, Oakland, California|San Antonio, Oakland]], but {{convert|1.75|mi}} in majority-white suburban Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill.<ref name="kinder">{{cite web |last1=Spieler |first1=Christof |title=Racism has shaped public transit, and it's riddled with inequities |url=https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/racism-has-shaped-public-transit-and-its-riddled-inequities |website=Kinder Institute for Urban Research - Rice University |access-date=October 20, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Pettigrew |first1=Thomas F. |title=Racial discrimination in the United States |date=1975 |publisher=Harper & Row |location=New York |isbn=9780060451837 |page=398 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ECd2AAAAMAAJ&q=rapid%20transit}}</ref> -->

BART has historically suffered from fare evasion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M57RY58fuI|title=BART Fare Evasion Remains Rampant Despite Crackdown|date=February 21, 2019 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref> Prior police crackdowns have occurred, but have not curbed the issue.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/transportation/barts-new-gates/3371906/|title=BART's new gates aimed at stemming costly fare evasion|first=Kris|last=Sanchez • •|date=November 15, 2023}}</ref> An estimated 448 calls per month are made to BART police regarding fare evaders, and riders have observed that, at times, there are more fare evaders than paying customers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Monthly Chief Report |url=https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2023-02%20Monthly%20Chief%27s%20Report%20CRB%2003312023.pdf |website=www.bart.gov}}</ref> In April 2023, BART announced plans to install new gates resistant to fare evasion. The project, which was projected to cost $90 million, began with a pilot program at West Oakland station.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bart.gov/about/projects/fare-gate|title=New Fare Gates & Station Hardening &#124; Bay Area Rapid Transit|website=www.bart.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/bart-offers-preview-of-new-fare-gates/|title=BART offers preview of new fare gates|date=November 15, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://missionlocal.org/2023/08/bart-awards-contract-for-new-anti-fare-evasion-gates/|title=BART awards contract for new anti-fare-evasion gates|first=Gilare|last=Zada|date=August 7, 2023|website=Mission Local}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Fermoso |first1=Jose |title=BART's new 'hardened' fare gates get mixed reactions from West Oakland riders |url=https://oaklandside.org/2024/01/26/barts-new-hardened-fare-gates-get-mixed-reactions-from-west-oakland-riders/ |access-date=27 May 2024 |work=The Oaklandside |date=26 January 2024}}</ref>