After World War II^[1] and the end of gas rationing, automobile sales soared and concern was raised about growing congestion on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge^[2]. In 1951 the California State Legislature created a 26-member San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Commission to address an alternate public transportation system that could link San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Marin counties. Their report, completed in 1957, concluded that a high-speed rapid rail network was feasible. Five years later, engineering plans were developed, though San Mateo withdrew because of upgrades that had been made to their CalTrain^[3] system, and Marin withdrew because of questions raised about carrying BART trains over the Golden Gate Bridge^[4]. November 1962 ballot measure passed by 61.2%. 

The initial plan called for 33 stations serving 17 communities, including four stations along Market Street. It was the largest public works project ever undertaken by local citizenry in the United States. Plans for the Mission District’s 16^th and 24^th Street stations included high rises, plazas, parking structures, elevated sidewalks and open spaces with trees, fountains and artwork. Known as the Okamoto/Liskamm Plans, they would have greatly disrupted the residents living in the area and Mission District activists ultimately convinced the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to abandon the project. 

Construction of BART officially began on June 19, 1964, with President Lyndon Johnson present for the ground breaking ceremony. Construction on the underwater tunnel linking San Francisco and Oakland began in 1966. Three years later it became the longest and deepest immersed tunnel in the world. While the Market Street stations were still being completed, the tunnel was opened to pedestrians and cyclists. The tunnel through the Berkeley Hills was completed in 1967. The Market Street stations were completed in 1971. 

BART^[5] opened for service on September 11, 1972 between Fremont and Oakland. The San Francisco stations opened in 1973 and the tunnel connecting the two lines began running trains a year later. In the beginning, BART only ran on weekdays. That changed to include Saturdays in 1978 and Sundays in 1979. Early service was not without technical difficulties relating to its automated operating system. In 1972, after a train flew off the end of the tracks at the Fremont Station (remarkably, only four people were injured), a comprehensive redesign of the train controls was done.  

My friend Mary Louise remembers when BART first opened in Contra Costa County in the late 1970s. She was commuting from Danville to Oakland and when the Lafayette Station first opened (the only station visible from the freeway), cars would slow down to gawk at the trains. It was quite awhile before BART was no longer a novelty. 

BART sustained no damage during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake^[6] and it ran on a 24 hour schedule for two months. In later years, BART tracks and the underwater tunnel were seismically strengthened. Trains are now equipped with an earthquake alert system: the first of its kind.  

Additional stations were eventually opened, including new stations to Antioch, Dublin/Pleasanton, the San Francisco International Airport, the Oakland Airport and Barryessa/San Jose. Plans continue with the hopes of exending BART into downtown San Jose. 

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^[1] World War II: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=4222

[2] Bay Bridge: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=3306

[3] CalTrain: story coming August 18th

^[4] Golden Gate Bridge: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=4916

^[5] Visit them at https://www.bart.gov

[6] Loma Prieta Earthquake: see story coming October 17^th

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